What we're following Thursday

The Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday will take up the proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal in a hearing that is expected to focus on how the $30 billion deal could affect consumers, jobs and competition in the media industry.

This is the fourth hearing on Capitol Hill on the deal since it was announced. Thursday's session will feature testimony from witnesses including the top two regulators in charge of reviewing the deal: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and Christine Varney, head of the antitrust division of the Justice Department.

Analysts don't expect Genachowski or Varney to reveal their views on the merger. But they are expected to discuss their views on competition in more general terms. Many viewers and parties in the merger will look for nuances and clues in language by the two regulators. We will too.