GE TO SELL NBC UNIVERSAL? - AT 9:05 A.M. ET:  Howard Kurtz is reporting in the Washington Post:

NBC Universal executives declined to deny a report Wednesday night that Comcast, the cable giant, is in talks to buy the television and movie company from General Electric.

Comcast also did not deny the report that bankers for the two sides discussed a possible deal Tuesday in New York.

Such talks often lead nowhere, but rumors have circulated for months that GE might be looking to unload the news and entertainment company. NBC is stuck in fourth place among broadcast networks, and Universal Studios is enduring a rough movie season.

"We have no comment," NBC Executive Vice President Allison Gollust said.

They have no programs either.  This story is important because NBC News is involved.  The news division, under GE's ownership, has deteriorated into a branch of the Obama administration.  GE, as a defense contractor, and now a contractor in energy technology, has an inherent conflict of interest in owning a news operation.  If NBC tilted right, you can be sure that the mainstream media would be all over that conflict.  But the only one who seems to focus on it is Bill O'Reilly at Fox News.

NBC needs new ownership.  The news division needs renewed respectability.  MSNBC needs to be abolished, even if it means missing the wit and wisdom of Chris Matthews, or Mr. Depth, as he's never called.

Could be the media story of the year.  We'll watch it.

October 1, 2009