[UPDATE 4:50 PM PT 9/24/10 to link to publication that actually spoke to Zucker, the New York Times’ Media Decoder blog, and add actual quote from that publication. Also changed headline to correspond with what Zucker actually said.]

Jeff Zucker, whose departure from NBCU has been expected, revealed Friday that the decision to leave was made for him two weeks ago during a meeting with Comcast Chief Operating Officer Steve Burke,the New York Times Media Decoder blog reports.

Zucker reportedly said he expects “business as usual” until Comcast takes over control of NBCU from General Electric.

According to the article, Zucker said, “Look, I knew from the day this was announced that this was a possibility. I wasn’t going to shut the door on anything. But in the last nine months it became increasingly clear that [Comcast] did want to put their own team in place — and I didn’t want to end up being a guest in my own house.”

The Media Decoder article, by New York Times longtime TV reporter veteran Bill Carter also said, "While he often faced withering criticism in Hollywood circles for his leadership of the entertainment division of the NBC network — in his note to the staff he mentioned the ‘ups and downs’ the company had experienced — Mr. Zucker said he did not detect ‘any particular reason’ beyond the broad desire for new leadership for Comcast’s inclination to make a change."

However, Deadline.com, said in its story of Zucker’s departure, that his handling of the Conan O’Brien-Jay Leno-”Tonight Show” situation apparently didn’t go over well with Comcast executives.