Comcast’s Burke to head NBC Universal

LOS ANGELES – Comcast Corp.’s second-in-command Steve Burke will become chief executive of NBC Universal when the merger of the entertainment assets of Comcast and General Electric Co. is complete, the two companies announced Sunday.

Burke, 52, will succeed Jeff Zucker, 45, who said Friday that he would step down when Philadelphia-based Comcast assumes control of NBC Universal, which is expected to happen late this year or early 2011. The two companies are awaiting the federal government’s approval of their $30 billion transaction.

Comcast is to control 51 percent of NBC Universal; GE is to retain 49 percent.

The naming of Burke as CEO was expected. Zucker – who since 2007 has been running the sprawling media empire that owns such assets as the NBC network, the Universal movie studio and theme parks, the Spanish-language Telemundo network and cable TV channels USA, Bravo, Syfy, MSNBC and CNBC — will stay on for several months.