NBC Universal chief Steve Burke said
that with regulatory approvals behind it and the joint venture deal
officially closed, his initial focus will be to help the cable networks
maintain their leadership position in the industry, while improving its
broadcast operations may take a little more time.
Speaking during
Comcast's fourth quarter earnings conference call with analysts, Burke
reminded his audience that cable networks still represent 80% of the
value of the joint venture.
"One of the advantages of waiting 13 or
14 months to get a deal closed due to regulatory approval is that you
get a chance to really get to know the assets, really get to know the
people," Burke said. "We have a lot of big goals for NBC Universal. I
would start with the fact that 80% of the value are the cable channels.
The cable channels are in fantastic shape, have been growing double
digits. There you just want to make sure we continue to make the right
investments and continue the growth."
Burke said that the NBC broadcast network represents the biggest growth opportunity, but that may take a few years to realize.
