NBC-COMCAST MERGER DEAL EXTENDED TO MARCH

Although NBC Universal and Comcast executives have repeatedly insisted that they expect a merger of the two companies to be completed by the end of this month or in early January at the latest, they said in an SEC filing on Friday that they have extended their agreement to March 3. The extension comes as opposition to the merger by consumer groups and cable-TV competitors appears to be gaining momentum. The deal is being scrutinized by the Federal Communications Commission and the anti-trust division of the Justice Department. While few analysts anticipate that the agencies will block the deal outright, several are predicting that the merged company will be required to operate under severe regulatory restrictions.