The new publicly traded company is set to debut next year, with a bundle of channels that also includes Oxygen, E! and Syfy.

The mood of staffers at the NBCU cable networks Comcast intends to spin off is anxious and uncertain — but some are also cautiously optimistic.

Comcast Corp is planning to spin off a large part of its NBCUniversal’s cable TV channels into a separate publicly traded company (SpinCo).

The split would cleave off some of NBCUniversal’s best-known brands, which face the same cord-cutting challenges as many other major cable channels.

Comcast is planning to announce the spinoff of its cable networks, including CNBC, MSNBC and E!, on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Comcast is spinning off MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, E!, Syfy, Fandango, and Rotten Tomatoes to form a new company.

Comcast, the media conglomerate that owns NBC News, announced a plan to spin off most of its cable television networks into a separate publicly traded company.

US media giant Comcast is set to spin off its NBCUniversal cable television arm, as the industry continues to struggle with the emergence of streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime. The plan, formally announced on Wednesday, is to create a new company that will include channels such as MSNBC, CNBC, USA, E!, Syfy and the Golf Channel.

Comcast is carving off most of its cable channels. Will its new spinoff be a hunter or prey? The media giant last week put an upbeat spin on its move to shed what Wall Street sees as an albatross - the bulk of NBCUniversal's cable networks,

Comcast's decision to spin off cable networks like MSNBC and CNBC aims to free up cash, but may invite more competition. Read why CMCSA stock is a Sell.