After months on end of discussions and negotiations, Comcast and GE have finally announced the NBC Universal joint venture, with Comcast as the majority stake holder, which has valued NBC at about $30 Million. The deal will result in a TV and movie giant of a magnitude rarely seen before, but now the companies involved have to make it work, with so much at stake.

To gain the 51% stake of NBC, Comcast is paying a whopping $13.75 Billion in cash and assets. Under the joint venture, the company will hold a majority share in 2 broadcast networks, over a dozen cable networks, a major movie studio and theme parks.

The final hurdle of the deal was removed when French media giant Vivendi agreed to sell its 20%share in NBC to GE for a sum of $5.8 Billion. Now, to make the giant deal pay off is mainly in the hands of Stephen Burke, Comcast's Operating Chief and ex-Executive at Walt Disney. He has been designated as "one of the few top executives in America with extensive experience in managing media properties, including TV networks and theme parks, as well as media distribution systems".

51 year old Mr. Burke is now looking to expand the reach and role of Comcast and reap new profits on the way, a way full of many hurdles till the new joint company finds a firm footing in the market. Mr. Burke, however, is very optimistic. "The truth is that it's much easier to take risks and try new things when you're in the same company", he was quoted as saying.