(AP) -- The head of the House subcommittee that deals with communications issues is calling on federal regulators to approve Comcast's plan to buy a controlling interest in NBC Universal with a handful of conditions attached to protect consumers and competition.

Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., chairman of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, wrote to the and the Justice Department on Monday urging them to wrap up their review of the deal by Dec. 1.

Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable TV company, is seeking federal approval to buy a 51 percent interest in NBC Universal from General Electric Co.