WASH INGTON (AFP) - The US Federal Communications Commission extended the deadline for public comments on the proposed purchase of NBC Universal by cable television giant Comcast. The FCC said it was extending the deadline to allow the companies to submit requested reports on the economic benefits of the deal and the potential impact on online video distribution. In order to provide adequate time for all interested parties to review and comment on these additional economic reports, we have decided to suspend the current filing deadlines, the FCC said. The FCC had originally set a May 3 deadline for the filing of public comments on General Electrics plan to sell 51 percent of its stake in NBC Universal to Comcast. The agency said the new deadline would be 45 days after the reports are submitted. The proposed deal would give Comcast, the largest US cable television and high-speed broadband provider, a media and entertainment empire to rival that of The Walt Disney Co. It would combine Comcasts cable television and Internet operations with NBC Universals vast stable of news, movie and television programming, creating an unparalleled marriage of distribution and content. The joint venture is also being examined by the Justice Department.