If talks resume, sources say, NBC will have to placate Turner’s big investors, Tele-Communications Inc. and Time Warner. The companies balked when GE asked them to take a smaller role in Turner Broadcasting. GE wanted two things: for the firms to give up veto power over any important moves by Turner and their right to buy Turner assets like CNN and TNT if they were put up for sale. Another problem: GE would have picked six of the seven directors slated to oversee the combined Turner-NBC operations. To give those concessions and let go of Turner, Time Warner and TCI want a big payoff in return, says a source involved in the talks. NBC may just be willing to try to satisfy them.
