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Is The New York Times Company slowly on its way to being taken over? The Ochs-Sulzberger family could be in for the fight of their media lives

Published: Tuesday, February 26, 2008


BY SDH
I am sure many have thought about it, many have even put word out, but at the end of the day, none have made a serious run at it. What am I talking about? Well the tightly held New York Times Co of course. If the majority owners aren't even willing to think about a sale, then any attempt to make an offer may be useless, unless you can go deep down in your pockets and the pockets of friends and come back up with a sum, the controlling Ochs-Sulzberger family can't refuse. See the key to break kung fu grips like these, is to make an offer that will spark in-fighting and somewhat destabilize the formation. Rupert Murdoch did this and won Dow Jones. Microsoft is trying the same thing with Yahoo! I love families like the Ochs-Sulzberger family, the Bancrofts and the Mohns who control German media giant Bertelsmann. They put out this image that says, "we cannot be bought". Well we all know the Bancrofts can be bought, but what about these other controlling families who keep their hands in the day to day of their companies? Some shareholders have been fighting the Ochs-Sulzberger family to loosen their grip on the company but the family never budges. Now hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners has upped its stake in the company from 12 percent to about 19 percent and is fighting to get four board seats. The investment firm says it isn’t pleased with what they basically call ass dragging on the digital front by New York Times brass. Is this the prelude to an even bolder move? With four board seats, Harbinger will have a loud voice next to the Ochs-Sulzberger’s. Maybe it is time for a new time at the New York Times but what will it take for this to happen? My guess on what the Sulzberger family's anwswer would be.... "A Cold Day In Hell"

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Comments on "Is The New York Times Company slowly on its way to being taken over? The Ochs-Sulzberger family could be in for the fight of their media lives"

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (9:47 AM) : 

That family will fight to the death to hold on to their company if a battle like that were to take place. whether they would win or not I don't know. NYT Co, needs new meat though i think.

 

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