Cable giant Comcast Corp., in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission seeking regulatory approval of its $30-billion deal to take control of General Electric’s NBC Universal, said it didn’t expect the transaction to significantly change the media landscape.

Sanguine assurances aside, that will probably be a tough sell with government regulators. Public-interest groups and some industry competitors have been critical of the proposed marriage of the nation’s biggest cable and broadband provider, Comcast, and programming powerhouse NBC, fearing that the new entity could use its muscle to limit content reaching consumers. Lawmakers have also promised to scrutinize the deal.

The merger, announced last month, would create a media and entertainment goliath by putting under one roof cable TV systems that reach almost 25 percent of the country with NBC Universal’s broadcast networks NBC and Telemundo, TV stations, the Universal movie studio and more than 30 cable channels, including CNBC and USA.

• Read the full Los Angeles Times story.