NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker announced this morning in an email to employees that he is stepping down once the Comcast takeover of NBC is complete, The New York Times reports.

Zucker said in an interview with the Times that he realized, through the course of the Comcast acquisition, that his departure would be inevitable. After a meeting with Comcast COO Steve Burke, Zucker knew that there would not be a place for him at the company anymore. "We had both gotten to the same place," Zucker said. "He made it clear that they wanted to move on at the close of the deal and I was completely comfortable with that."

Though Zucker signed a new three-year contract before the merger took place, he knew leaving the company could be necessary. "In the last nine months it became increasingly clear that they did want to put their own team in place - and I didn't want to end up being a guest in my own house."

Widely criticized in recent years for his mishandling of the Conan O'Brien/Jay Leno situation and bringing NBC from the number one-rated broadcast network to number four, it was speculated earlier this year that Zucker would be pushed out at the completion of the merger.

Over the course of nearly 25 years, Zucker has held 10 different positions in the company. "I've spent over half my life at NBC," he said. "This is the only place I have ever worked. I've been here 24-and-a-half years. I met my wife here. My four kids were born while I was here. I've endured colon cancer twice. It's going to be incredibly strange for me personally" to leave.