US manufacturing giant General Electric and French media conglomerate Vivendi are in talks over Vivendi's minority stake in television and movie company NBC Universal, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the two sides were about 500 million dollars (335 million euros) apart over what Vivendi should be paid for the stake.
That stake is a key element in a potential deal that could give US cable operator Comcast control of NBC Universal and eventually usher GE out of the entertainment business, the report said. GE currently owns 80 percent of NBC Universal and Vivendi has 20 percent. For months, GE and Comcast have been discussing a potential tie-up involving NBC Universal, according to The Journal.
In the deal being considered, Comcast would pay cash and merge its cable networks with NBC Universal for a 51-percent stake in the enlarged company, the paper said.
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