News In Brief

NBC Universal changes its logo as Comcast takes the helm

Jaclyn Giovis Jan 28, 2011

Cable giant Comcast Corp. takes over NBC Universal today, or rather NBCUniversal – at least according to the new purple logo. The space, the peacock and the outline of a globe are no more.

The new logo:

The old logo:

According to the Associated Press:

The colorful bird will remain part of the brand of NBC, the broadcaster, while the spinning globe will still be part of the graphic for Universal, the movie studio and theme park operator. And officially, the company’s name is still NBC Universal. But the space-less corporate logo is meant to represent the unity of its two main divisions.>

The new logo is probably the only change consumers will see when they turn on the TV today. But a lot of changes are in the works.

Marketplace’s Janet Babin reports that Comcast could shake up the news operations at NBC. And some analysts worry it could make it more difficult for consumers to stream videos from Netflix, and push up their TV and Internet bills. The Tech Report’s John Moe says Comcast’s takeover could affect how people use the Internet and what people watch on TV.

Comcast now owns a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal. The deal was held up in a yearlong regulatory review regarding antitrust issues. The result was that Comcast cannot prevent online video services such as Netflix and Hulu from growing their businesses.

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