After Comcast/NBCU, Will AT&T or Verizon Buy CBS?

Now that the FCC and Dept. of Justice have given their blessings (with conditions) to Comcast’s takeover of NBC Universal, CBS may be next in line for such a marriage — most likely with one of the telcos, according to speculation by industry consultant Shahid Khan (see FCC Approves Comcast/NBCU Deal).

Despite the year-long review by the FCC, Khan said he was surprised to see “how lenient the regulator’s terms around the approval are” and said it was a signal that “this is a favorable time to do more deals of this nature.”

“Other than giving up day-to-day control of Hulu and some minority-focused commitments, both Comcast and NBCU have an easy play going forward,” he said, adding, “I believe that this will drive a lot more M&A in the media and telecoms space.”

Khan is currently chairman and chief strategist with MediaMorph, a provider of cross-platform media measurement with clients such as Warner Bros., HBO, Sony and Comcast. He previously worked for IBB Consulting, BearingPoint (formerly KPMG Consulting) and IBM Global Services.