How is this monoploy allowed 2 take place? How is this good 4 the consumer?

GE, Comcast announce joint NBC deal
General Electric buys Vivendi's 20% stake for $5.8 billion. NBC will be 51% owned by Comcast, 49% by GE.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- General Electric and Comcast announced a joint venture worth a combined $37.25 billion on Thursday that will give the cable company eventual control of NBC Universal.

http://money.cnn.com/2009.../index.htm

It could take up to 18 months for the deal to be fully approved by regulator. This and other monopolies are allowed to take place because anti-trust laws are not executed as vigorously as they once were. Furthermore, media consolidation regulations were severely relaxed under the Clinton administration in 1996. On the bright side, Rupert Murdoch wanted to buy NBC but didn't get it.

That's not quite a monopoly. Comcast is a telecommunications company. NBC Universal doesn't offer internet service. Even Microsoft's venture w/ NBC has been slowly severed over the past few years (and MS doesn't offer internet access aka they aren't an ISP). NBC getting into the internet and cable service market is new for them in that regard.