June 18, 2009 (FinancialWire) — Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) said it has purchased Hearst’s 50 percent interest in New England Cable News. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The company said it now owns 100 percent of NECN, which was launched in 1992 as a joint venture between Hearst and Comcast’s predecessor cable operators in New England.

For Comcast, the transaction adds a local news voice to its regional programming operations, which now include three news and entertainment networks and ten regional sports networks, including Comcast SportsNet New England.

Bill Bridgen, who is currently the executive vice president and general manager of Comcast SportsNet New England, will oversee the management responsibilities of both networks.

NECN is a 24-hour regional news network with more than 3 million subscribers in nearly 1,120 cities and towns in all six New England states.

Philadelphia-based Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content. The company has 24.1 million cable customers, 15.3 million high-speed internet customers, and 6.8 million digital voice customers.

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