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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."

Despite that, Murdoch said - weeks ahead of News Corp.'s fiscal first-quarter report - that he has "even more confidence" in the company's guidance for the full fiscal year ending in June.

In August, News Corp. said the company expects its fiscal 2010 adjusted operating income to increase by a high single-digit percentage rate from the fiscal 2009 total of $3.44 billion. The company also said it expected its overall revenue to grow by 4% in fiscal 2010, with ad revenue flat.

Murdoch also repeated News Corp.'s corporate line about seeking "fair value" for its Fox broadcast network. Murdoch said the company would seek money from cable and other pay-TV providers to carry Fox.

Unlike cable channels, broadcast networks haven't typically received cash fees to be aired on pay-TV platforms, but television executives led by CBS Corp. (CBS) Chief Executive Les Moonves have pushed to change that as advertising dollars wither, threatening the main revenue stream for broadcasters.

In addition, Murdoch said "Avatar," the upcoming - and hugely expensive - News Corp. movie from "Titanic" director James Cameron, is "beyond impressive" in its storytelling and technology.

"And (it) ought to be at the cost," Murdoch added.

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