News Corp. (NWS NWSA) Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch said Friday that the company plans to look at possible "opportunities" stemming from Comcast Corp.'s (CMCSA CMCSK) possible deal for NBC Universal, but he said the company wasn't in any negotiations.

"We'll have a look at that deal to see what opportunities there are for us," Murdoch said in response to a question at News Corp.'s annual meeting about the impact on the company of a possible Comcast-NBC Universal tie-up.

Murdoch characterized the interest as part of normal business operations, and he added that News Corp. isn't in any negotiations involving NBC Universal.

On the subject of the economy, Murdoch said he believes "we're not going to get another vast, steep decline ... nor are we going to get a steep increase."

News Corp. owns Dow Jones & Co., which publishes The Wall Street Journal and this newswire.

-By Shira Ovide, The Wall Street Journal, 212-416-2345