FCC chair gives preliminary approval to Comcast-NBC Universal merger

FCC Chairman Julius Genchowski has issued a draft order approving the Comcast-NBC Universal merger - with conditions - and is putting the deal up for a vote among the rest of the commission, according to a Washington Post report.

There are reportedly five areas of concerns, including distribution of Comcast and NBC content over the Internet, the sharing of shows and the impact on competing cable and satellite firms.

Separately, the Justice Department is conducting its own anti-trust review and has not given indication of whether it is leaning toward approval or not. Analysts expect that the deal will be approved with conditions, as early as next month.