I wonder if Jeff Zucker knew that when he testified before Congress this past week about the merger between NBC and Comcast he would be talking about Tyler Perry.

But that's what happened this past week when Rep. Maxine Waters asked Zucker, "Is there some assumption that black programming is not profitable?" This is probably a question that Zucker wasn't expecting, and I'm not sure if he answered it in the best way that he could. He said that NBC has a great history of black shows on the network, and when Representative Steve Cohen mentioned that Al Roker is on 'Today' (to defend Zucker, I guess), Zucker mentioned that NBC also has Lester Holt.

Zucker was probably in an odd position, having to defend his network's diversity by actually pointing out specific people one by one (you never win when you do that), and I'm not quite sure what Waters' point has to do with the NBC/Comcast decision. Does Waters just think this about NBC or would she confront CBS and ABC about their programming, too? Waters also asked Comcast execs why they didn't have more people of color or women on their board.

There has been a slow merge of Internet and television functionality into one unit. The Telenet, perhaps? Or Intervision? The BBC looks to take that one step further by joining a consortium of companies intent on bringing Internet services to British television sets. It's a controversial move and nobody is more pissed off about it than cable TV provider, British Sky Broadcasting. After all, they have the most to lose.

I recall reading once that when the Internet became popular, it drove down television viewing. This seems an obvious solution to that problem but it opens its own set. It begs the age-old question: who pays for it all? How will it make money? Of course, if the Beeb didn't already have answers to these questions, it wouldn't have joined the consortium.

It also has the added benefit of no longer requiring a computer or handheld device to access the Internet. What do you think of this new concept?

It's official: GE has sold 51% of NBC Universal to Comcast, for approximately $6.5 billion dollars in cash (what are the odds they'll use this as an excuse to raise my cable bill again?). It'll take about a year to go through the regulatory and anti-trust gauntlets, but after that, the cable giant will be in charge.

Everyone makes fun of NBCU because of the NBC's bumbling high-profile moves over the last half-decade or so, but the reason why the company was so attractive to Comcast was not the broadcast network, but its über-successful cable networks, especially Bravo and USA. Still, it's embarrassing to have your flagship net stumble around like a disoriented shopper on Black Friday. So, if I were in the Comcast executive suite, here's a few things I'd do to prop up the Peacock:

Originally, the new season of Survivor had an announced premiere date of September 18. We can scratch that now. It's been changed to two back-to-back episodes on September 25. Don't tell me they're actually thinking ahead and realize that football or something else would preempt the season premiere. It's not like CBS to realize such things!

Jeff Probst will be the host, asking his Probsting questions at Tribal Council. Read on past the jump to check out the new castaways!

(S03E08) I think what I like best about Michael Scott is that he believes the hype. About himself. That he creates.

The long-awaited merger of the Scranton and Stamford offices took place in this episode and, of course, Michael is putting out all the stops to make his new staffers feel welcome. You can see the utter joy in his face when he says, "My family is doubling in size." A family that includes Andy Bernard and Dwight Schrute at loggerheads to see which one will be Michael's right-hand man. No wonder Tony decided to quit, but who could stay around when your boss, in trying to lift you onto a table, says "I'm in your crack!"