Comcast negotiated an easy escape hatch if regulators put too much heat on the $45.2 billion merger with Time Warner Cable, according to a regulatory filing Thursday. According to the S4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, Comcast will not owe Time Warner Cable a breakup fee if the deal falls through due to regulatory issues. The filing also indicated that Time Warner Cable CEO Rob Marcus, who had only been on the job as CEO for two months before the merger was announced, will receive an $80 million severance package should the deal be completed and he step down as CEO. Marcus had been Time Warner Cable’s chief operating officer and was instrumental in putting together the deal with Comcast, the filing also indicates. Comcast is the nation’s largest cable operator and Time Warner Cable is the second largest when considering total subscriptions.
