The Justice Department says it will review Comcast Corp.'s proposed acquisition of NBC Universal's broadcast network, cable channels and movie studios.

The deal, announced late last year, will also be reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission.

Even though federal regulators are expected to approve the combination, many analysts and watchdogs expect them to attach significant conditions to ensure that rivals in the subscription TV market can still get access to popular programming owned by the merged company.

Regulators are also likely to attach obligations to prevent Comcast from dropping smaller, independent channels from its lineup.

Comcast is seeking to acquire a controlling stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co.