Does GE really want NBC?

As could be expected, Jeff Zucker's promotion to CEO of NBC Universal has led to chatter about whether GE Chairman Jeff Immelt is committed to holding onto the media giant, a business quite different from making jet engines and refrigerators. Citing a source close to the company, the NY Post reports that NBC Universal might not be in GE's long-term plans. Adding a little fuel to the speculation was outgoing CEO Bob Wright, who told the Post that "if the business doesn't have good prospects, as with any business within GE, it is going to come under a lot of scrutiny." With Wright staying on as vice chairman at GE, such comments hardly sound like an endorsement. One thing apparently not in the cards - at least based on the Post reporting - is taking NBC public. Though Wright might be interested, Immelt isn't.