Hot seat or musical chairs: How will Comcast fill NBCU roles?

As year-end gets closer and the Comcast-NBCU merger approaches its ultimate closure--although it's far too early to determine what exactly that might be--speculation continues to swirl about how Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) will staff the new organization. According to Variety, the MSO is looking outside for inside help, having talked up positions with CBS Network Entertainment TV Group boss Nancy Tellem. Of course the entertainment industry bible also notes that NBCU chieftain Jeff Gaspin is also in line for a top post.

On the other side of the scale, the New York Post reports that Comcast is "relying on the ranks of NBC universal's management to fill top jobs and that COO Steve Burke, who's running the acquisition for Comcast, "has stated signing contracts and is expected to unveil a final management structure around Thanksgiving."

In the Post scenario, Gaspin, if he gets the job, would "occupy a new layer of management right below Burke" in the new pecking order. Burke has already told NBCU boss Jeff Zucker that he's out.

Perhaps most telling of all is that NBCU is becoming a cable company--like it or not. "Staffers at NBCU have been anxious to hear details of a new management structure while senior NBC executives have been carping about being kept in the dark for so long," the Post reported.

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