Newscorp was built on newspapers, but is that foundation slowly crumbling under Rupert Murdoch's empire?

BY LIZ Has News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch fired his last shot in pinpointing whats eating the newspaper industry, an industry in which he is heavily invested? At a cable industry confab in Washington, D.C., Thursday the media mogul turned his barrel on web giant Google, and accused them of stealing newspaper content, selling ads against it and making a killing. But is Murdoch's anger because of this, or is he angry because he and other slow moving media execs didn't think up their own new distribution channels for their newspaper's content. He sounds more like a whining child who is upset that he didn't come up with the good idea first. Murdoch's complaint, according to some may be an effort to try and bring Google to the negotiation table so he can be paid for use of his newspaper's content. But would Google be forced into doing such a thing? If not, would Murdoch be able to rally his fellow newspaper publishers to form an alliance against Google? We don't think so. Newspapers publishers aren't in any position to play hard ball. They need all the help they can get at this point. And with Google's reported 300 million + clicks a month to newspaper websites, Murdoch and otheR publishers are better off trying to use that as a foundation to turn things around if they can. Murdoch's heavy investment in the dinosaur newspaper business may very well be taking it's toll on the man who allegedly owns the news. It is said that one of the last straws for outgoing President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Chernin was when Murdoch took over DowJones. Peter probably saw the take over as a step back in a time when companies should be investing in digital distributing of content.

Bob Iger, the anti anti consumer?

BY LIZ As some media companies rush to reinvent themselves and throw together new revenue sources like charging consumers to access content online, Disney CEO Bob Iger believes doing such things is anti consumer. But Iger can say this because Disney reported 2008 sales of $37.8 billion and just announced that it spent $18 million to acquire Toronto-based new media outfit Kaboose, and seems to be in better shape than it's competitors. This is due to the fact that Disney has more consumer turnover than probably any other media company in the world, oh yeah and acts like The Jonas Brothers. So Iger probably thinks that whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Iger would hit major resistance from kids and their parents if he even attempted to put up paid walls on Disney.com or other kid targeted online Disney properties. Companies like News Corp, Time Warner, Viacom and others, can probably get away with it. But there has to be some value to the content they are being charged for. In other words consumers don't want to pay for something and then go else where and see the same thing for free. But these companies should tread lightly on this issue as consumers are very careful what they're spending money on, and content on the web is way down at the bottom of their list.

Rupert Murdoch toyed with changing Newscorp's name

BY THE SHOGUN In the book "The Man Who Owns The News" Rupert Murdoch seemed to have been going through some late life crisis when he toyed with changing the name of his media empire after the DowJones takeover, to something that "Could better indicate his and Newscorp's philosophical reason for being". But apparently after running the idea by some of his underlings he decided to stick with the mighty Newscorp brand. The man even had mock ads that he was planning to run in The New York Times. Exactly what names Murdoch was throwing aroung in that head of his isn't known but we're sure it wouldn't have had that sound of power like NewsCorp. And why would you want to change the name of your company which you named after your first paper "The News"?

Yahoo's next CEO shouldn't be...

BY THE SHOGUN With Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang stepping down to make room for a new guy or gal, everyone has since put together their list of possible replacements. Well the hell with that. We came up with a few people who should not even be considered for the job of the real Chief Yahoo. We all know Yahoo President Sue Decker could very well become the new CEO by default, but from what We've been hearing, many are hoping this isn't the case. Some have said that, all the new CEO needs to do is push a sale to Microsoft and then walk away with a sweet package and go sit on an island somewhere for about a month. This may very well be the new CEO's only quick fix option because we doubt the board and shareholders have the patience for some superman or woman who comes in acting like they want to turn things around which could take years. Whoever it is, within a year of them taking office, Yahoo will probably be sold and/or merged, conceding to the mighty Google. Here are the names of the individuals who shouldn't get the job, and our reasons why. 1. Frank Biondi- Who are we kidding? Biondi is an old media guy who ran Viacom years ago before anyone knew what the hell social networking was. 2. Sue Decker- She is the default gal and should be the last resort pick. Also, she is part of the past. She is kinda hot though 3. Peter Chernin- After being Rupert Murdoch's number for so many years with no sign of ever becoming number one, we can all understand why Pete would want to jump ship to captain his own. But seriously, I think this would be a down grade for Pete. We say hold out a little longer because something is brewing in the house of Redstone. 4. Meg Whitman- Someone through Meg's name in the mix and I am still shocked that they did. Meg Whitman is all Interneted out right now. As Ebay CEO she appealed to stay at home moms and dads in middle America. On top of that, Meg strikes me as the kind who who would want to come in and try to turn things around, which would probably piss off Microsoft ruler Steve Ballmer again when he decides to stop acting like he doesn't want Yahoo and makes another offer. Then again when John McCain calls you one of the wisest people he knows, Meg probably feels like she can fix anything at this point.

Big Media Aggregated: Disney and News Corp goes shopping

By SDH Disney Interactive Studios (DIS) the game arm of the media and entertainment giant has reportedly agreed to purchase Chinese company Gamestar. DIS general manager Graham Hopper feels good about the deal saying Gamestar will play a significant roll in DIS’s global growth plan. Wonder if Gamestar’s 90 staff members fit into that growth plan? In other shopping news, News Corp’s Fox Networks, the company’s year-old online advertising network will announce today that it has bought control of European video ad network Utarget as part of a move to expand in Europe and Asia. Wendi Deng Murdoch, wife of Rupert is probably the mind behind this strategic swallowing. The Utarget deal comes after U.S.-based Fox Interactive Media (FIM) reorganized staff last week in anticipation of a possible revenue target shortfall. The reshuffling, long in the works, will also see the launch of FIM's long-anticipated U.S. online advertising network, called the FIM Audience Network.

Ross's cousin Peter Levinsohn is about to move things around at Fox Interactive Media

"I am confident that we are moving in the right direction to secure our long-term success, and I am certain that we have the right leadership team in place to take us there" - Peter Levinsohn, President, Fox Interactive Media By SDH Fox Interactive Prexy Peter Levinsohn, cousin of Ross, came into his roll by default when Ross upped and left, or got canned, depending on who you ask. Since taking over News Corp's Internet business, he basically left things the way they were. But we think with FIM reportedly missing their $1 billion revenue target by $100 million, Peter is moving the team around to take some attention of the missed target and to show his bosses at News Corp that he is already making what he thinks are the necessary changes to make sure the company meets the target next time around.

Rupert Murdoch is taking his campaign to win Long Island's Newsday public

By SDH For the first time since it was reported that he was interested in Tribune's Newsday newspaper, News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch, the most powerful man in media said publicly he thinks Newsday would be a good fit for his tabloidy New York Post. We're not sure how that would go over with Newsday staffers if Murdoch were to land the paper, but we're guessing there would be a lot of bickering on both sides. Exactly how, The New York Post would benefit isn't clear but a Newsday/New York Post link up would allow Murdoch to spread the dishy celeb and business headlines out on the Island. Wait, we just answered the question on how the Post would benefit. After his recent address at Georgetown University in Washington, Murdoch said adding Newsday "will make the New York Post viable and give it a much more secure future". So is Murdoch implying that currently the future of the New York Post isn’t too secure? Is he saying that if a deal like this doesn't happen, we could see the New York Post sold off or come to an end? Such statements can set off an avalanche of speculations. Wonder when Jared "Paperboy" Kushner is going to make his interest in Newsday public?

Newspapers Aggregated: Has young paperboy Jared Kushner joined the pack of vultures reportedly circling Long Island's Newsday?

By SDH The list of potential bidders for Tribune's Newsday is getting longer. Early out it was reported that Rupert Murdoch who seems to want to buy everything was interested in the paper, along with other prominent New York money bags like Cablevisions Chuck Dolan and New York Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman. Now comes word that New York Observer ruler Jared Kushner may have little tingle for the Newsday as well. Tribune is said to be looking for payout in the $500 million region for the paper but there is no word that the company has started to take bids. In other newspaper news, The Wall Street Journal recently swallowed by News Corp, will go on sale in London taking on other business papers like Pearson's Financial Times. The Journal, with an initial print run of around 3,500 copies, will cost 250 pence, well above the 150 pence Financial Times cover price, but not out of line with the price of other non-UK papers sold in Britain. Yeah, like we didn't see this one coming. How long until an Australian version is born?

The other Les speaks

By SDH Dow Jones's new low key CEO Les Hinton, has been relatively silent since moving into Richard Zanino's old office. But with the dust starting to settle, the media industry's other Les speaks about, the effort to make Dow Jones and News Corp one big happy family under one big roof and why it was crazy of them to have spun the idea about taking down the paid wall at The Wall Street Journal's website WSJ.com. "The initial thought was if we were not having a pay barrier, we could grow very quickly and get the resulting advertising. That frankly was probably a little bit simplistic because ... it has over a million subscribers. Without going into detail, we get tens of millions in revenue from it." Hinton signals WSJ-News Corp tie-up [Media Guardian]

Hulu is the 62 inch HD LCD to Youtube’s 32 inch Plasma

BY SDH First off, make no mistake about it. Youtube is where you go for that raw in your face taking no shorts video clip to make you say Wow!, Holy Shit!, Damn! etc. It has set the blue print that many imitators are now trying to follow and some of them have failed, and more will fail. But we have to take our hats off to the guys at Hulu.com. If you haven't heard of Hulu, its because no major effort was really made for you to know about it, but we have no doubt that you will. Hulu.com is not another Youtube copy cat, where anyone with a digital recorder can upload clips whenever they want. You won't see clips removed from Hulu.com because it was uploaded illegally. You won’t see clips of Pilipino prisoners doing the thriller. What you get at Hulu are past episodes of your favorite shows that you may have missed like, "The Office" "24", belly busting SNL clips and full length movies delivered with crystal clear pictures and sound. We do admit that we doubted Hulu and even suggested that had no shot against Youtube. But the truth is Hulu is nothing like Youtube, at least not in our opinion. Once you visit Hulu.com, you're automatically forced to stay because it looks so damn appetizing. Now imagine if and when other networks join in with their content. Hulu will be unstoppable. Wow we can't believe we're saying all this nice stuff about NBC Universal and News Corp's joint venture. We usually give them shit but we know when to give credit when and where credit is due. We are officially putting on our "I'm a Hulu fan" hats and rooting for CEO Jason Kilar and his troops to knock one out the park. Wonder how long until Hulu rolls to it's real business model and start charging a monthly fee? *NBC Universal or News Corp or any of their subsidiaries did not pay us to say these nice things.

BET For Brown People in the UK

BY ZOE S. Viacom's Black Entertainment Television (BET) will launch in the UK via News Corp's BskyB in 8.8 million homes. This is the network's first major expansion overseas. As far as competition, BET execs aren't worried, as there are no direct competitors BET's size in the UK. This is a good move for the cable network under the leadership of Debra Lee but we still think BET has a lot of work to do with their programming style. They also need to continue working on their digital offerings by sniffing out deals that make sense for their audience and their content. "For the U.K. version of BET, we will be giving BET's U.S. content a regionalized look and feel that reflects the U.K. marketplace, and as we grow and develop the channel, we look forward to partnering with the U.K. creative industry to give BET an even stronger British accent," BET's International General Manager Mike Armstrong said in a statement. Viacom's BET to launch in the United Kingdom

NBC Universal's little big man Jeff Zucker who said he is done with the extravagant wooing of advertisers, still wants to woo but in private....

No more big stage topped with a jumbo screen flashing NBC Universal's brands and new show line ups. No more Jeff Zucker walking out on stage to convince advertisers to spend their money. NBC may roll to a whole new kind of upfront where Zucker and his team does one on ones with advertisers. [NYP] Some investors find blogs attractive even if the traffic isn't all that hot [NYP] Finally Disney is buying something, or at least part of something [Reuters] Hey we told you there is a lot media exec can learn from HP CEO Mark Hurd. Rupert Murdoch knows this to and has named him to the News Corp Board of Directors [NYP]

And now this morning's worthy media business news...

News Corp sees a little jump in profits and the future looks bright [NYT] News Corp had their earnings call yesterday with News Corp number two Peter Chernin playing host where he told analysts and investors that the company isn't hurting from ad slumps, in fact Chernin said advertising sales are higher at News Corp's Fox News Channel and the Fox Broadcasting television network, which is offsetting a decline in its movie studio business. The company beat Wall Street revenue expectations of $8.3 billion by $300 million coming in at $8.6 billion. Oh yeah and Myspace is doing great too. Sun-Times Media Group looking at ways to make it's shareholders even richer. One option on the table? Slapping a big for sale sign on the company [NYT] Sun-Times Media Group is looking for an easy way out where all involved can cash out and go on about their business. The company is said to be weighing their options like entering a joint venture, strategic partnership or selling the whole company. Our money is on the latter. The question is who will drop the cash? Microsoft offers a shit load of cash for Yahoo! and what does Yahoo! do? They drop their music subscription business and will replace it with Realnetworks' Rhapsody [Reuters] We thought with the load of cash (over $40 billion) Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates are dangling in front of Yahoo! Founder and CEO Jerry Yang’s face he would be in the trenches with his sleeves rolled up trying to get Bill and Steve to go up to an even $50 Billion. Nope. Instead we get word that Yahoo! is dropping their subscription music service in favor of Rhapsody, a service from RealNetworks. The deal calls for Yahoo! to promote Rhapsody all over its website... DUH! The deal calls for both companies to come up with other music related digital ventures as well YAWN! Did we mention that if you're currently a Yahoo Music subscriber paying the $9 a month you will continue to pay that amount for the new Rhapsody service until Rhapsody dips in your pocket for $15 a month? Do you even care?

And now this morning's worthy media business news...

New York Times: With the New York Post's endorsment of Barack Obama, does this really splitsville for Rupert Murdoch and Hillary Clinton? Their newfound friendship seemingly came to a crashing end last Thursday. There was the headline on the front page of The Post, right next to “Cop Sex Ring,” for all to see: “Post Endorses Obama.” New York Post: Is anyone surprised that Google has injected itself into the whole Yahoo! Microsoft flirting? In a terse broadside of what could be a protracted war, Google's chief legal officer, David Drummond, hammered on concerns about Microsoft's software monopoly and its history of clashing with regulators over antitrust issues. AP: News Corp not interested in Yahoo! and today is earnings report day Apparently people were speculating that News Corp which is still digesting it's acquisition of Dow Jones would be interested in Yahoo! We're sure Rupe and his team looked at the company from a far but we don't see Rupert Murdoch dropping that much cash on anything right now. And besides, Microsoft is offering $44 Billion, way more than Yahoo! is worth right now and word is they are balking at the offer price saying it is too low.

Next week is Super Tuesday earnings report week

-SDH Next week's entertainment line up is looking to be an exciting one. On Monday, News Corp will report its 2nd Quarter Fiscal 2008 results. On this call analysts will be waiting to hear about any plans in the works for the recently acquired Dow Jones as well why they decided to not free up the Wall Street Journal website, DUH! On Tuesday it will be Disney's turn to spill the beans about their First Quarter 2008 Financials. Disney is expected to announce earnings of 52 cents a share on $10 billion in revenue, not too bad Bobby! Can we get some acquisition news soon though? Saving the best for last, Jeff Bewkes will make his debut on Time Warner's earnings call as CEO on Wednesday. We have no doubts analysts are itching for this one. Some of the questions Bewkes and his team are expected to face will include, what are his plans for the oversized company, AOL, Time Inc etc... Oh yeah they are expected to report earnings of 29 cents a share on revenue of $12.6 billion. But we all know analysts will be more concerned about Bewkes's plans for the structure of the company. Media conglomerates seen posting higher profits [MarketWatch]

Media exec that almost drowned Rupert Murdoch's dog and talked a man into stripping during a News Corp meeting, rolls out his second act

-SDH Either Rupert Murdoch has no sense of humor, or Stephen Chao -AKA- Mad Chao was just a waaay out there News Corp exec who knew no boundaries. Stephan Chao with his antics back in 1992 which got him fired would be a breath of fresh air to many companies today. He would probably add some color and character to young media companies. But almost drowning Rupert Murdoch's dog, that's just a little over the line for us. Anyway Chao after a long hiatus is back with a new website which he hopes to build into an educational alternative to YouTube. Now Chao can do all the showboating he wants, especially if the site is a hit. Wouldn't it be funny if Rupert Murdoch ends up investing in Wonderhowto.com? The site, WonderHowTo.com, aggregates how-to videos, from the mundane (like “how to tie a tie” and “how to market your lawn care business in the winter”) to the strange (“how to do Criss Angel’s vanishing toothpick trick”) and the off-color (“how to train your cat to use the toilet” and beyond). TV Showman, Once Exiled, Returns With Video Site [NYT]

Rupert Murdoch wants the Wall Street Journal a little closer to him

-SDH The Observer is reporting that Rupert Murdoch may be moving some Wall Street Journal staff out of the financial district and sticking them in midtown in the News Corp building. Of course the people moving to the News Corp building would be on the editorial side so that Rupe can keep a close eye and/or hand on things. If such a move does take place, isn't Rupert just adding fuel to allegations that he moonlights as the Editor in Chief of is newspapers? One senior newsroom source with knowledge of the situation said that the move was "very likely" and it's something that Mr. Murdoch has been "strongly considering" for some time. Another source confirmed it should happen by the end of the year. More....

Rupert Murdoch wears many hats at News Corp, he is CEO and according to Andrew Neil, Editor in Chief of the Sun?

"If you want to know what Rupert Murdoch really thinks read the editorials in the Sun and the New York Post because he is editor-in-chief of these papers" -SDH Was Sun Editor Rebekah Wade talking all over her mouth when she said Rupert Murdoch doesn't interfere with the editorial direction of the paper? Or is former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil talking all over his mouth by saying that Murdoch Interfered so much that he is basically the Editor of the Sun? Either way who would be shocked? Andrew Neil is probably trying to get some media face time even though his claims may not hold water due to the fact that he hasn't worked for the paper for over a decade? Why is the Lords committee even hearing what Andrew Neil has to say. The guy can't remember anything, and besides he isn’t telling us anything we don’t already know. Rupert Murdoch’s biggest fuck up as Editor in Chief of the New York Post was this.

In his father's shoes

BY SDH Lachlan Murdoch is taking a page out of his daddy Rupert's book and is building his media empire, one newspaper paper at a time. According to published reports the former New York Post Publisher and deputy Chief Operating Officer of News Corp has teamed up with Australia's richest man James Packer to acquire publishing company Consolidated Media Holdings for a cool $2 billion. Is Lachlan finally pulling the curtains up on his grand comeback plan? Word is an official announcement will be made later on today.

Turkey plans to spread em for big foreign media companies

-BY SDH Turkey planning to bend over and allow foreign media companies to own bigger chunks of Turkish broadcasters. A draft law written and submitted to the Prime Minister's office would open the gates for people like Rupert Murdoch to up his stake in media properties in the country. Murdoch is already said to be one of many media bigs kicking the tires on ATV-Sabah. If and when this law does pass, will other major U.S. media companies show interest in entering and/or expanding in the Turkish media market? A young population, coupled with annual economic growth seen around 5 percent makes the Turkish media market attractive to investors. A population of more than 70 million speaking the same language is also a plus for advertisers, analysts say. Turkey plans to lift foreign media ownership limit [Reuters

News Corp Aggregated: Hillary Clinton's unflattering campaign's unflattering coverage | Monster.com, not Linked-In on Rupert Murdoch's mind?

-SDH It looks like all that speculation about News Corp being in talks with the folks at business social networking site Linked-In is just that, speculation at least for now. Well there is new speculation again, but this time it involves job search engine Monster.com. According to seekingalpha.com, Murdoch sent a letter to the Monster.com board offering them $4.8 billion for the company. Sounds familiar right? Yeah, he took similar route when he went after DowJones. But is this rumor, just a rumor or is this really happening? seekingalpha.com fails to spark any sense of "WOW! this may happen" They only mention that Sal Iannuzzi was hired as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Monster.com back in April 2007 to reportedly set the company up to be sold, apparently because he's a wiz at selling companies or something. He sold a company called Symbol Tech Whooohooo! Like every other rumor, this is a wait and see. After all, News Corp is still chewing on their recent $5 Billion take over of Dow Jones. [seekingalpha.com] Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton should join the line of people who holds a grudge against Rupert Murdoch. Apparently Hill is kinda ticked off at the coverage The New York Post gave her during the New Hampshire debates. Is that what she was really worried about? [Newsbusters]

News Corp's low key number two, Peter Chernin: The Economy? The Strike? No biggie for us

-SDH Call them Teflon News Corp because according to President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Chernin, he isn't worried about the Economy or the writers strike affecting any of News Corp's businesses. Sure Wall Street firms have sent out warnings about some media sectors but, Chernin must have seen it all coming because he said News Corp is in good shape to withstand it all. Maybe Chernin who we expect to be out as News Corp Prexy next year, should meet with his counterparts at other media companies and share his secrets with them. "We are seeing no signs of any slowdown in our business," Chernin said at a Citi conference in Phoenix, Arizona, adding the company was "not unmindful" of wider economic troubles. Obviously we live in the world, and Rupert lives in the world, and God knows I'm sure everybody here is buzzing about the economy and where we're headed," he said in a presentation broadcast over the Web. News Corp's Chernin sees no slowdown from economy [Reuters]

Rupert Murdoch re-invests in company he lost $1 billlion on earlier

The man just continues to expand his reach it seems like every month or something like that. Media King Rupert Murdoch has swallowed a 14.6% stake in German pay-TV operator Premiere for for a reported $214 million just five years after losing $1 billion in an earlier investment in the same broadcaster. It looks like Rupe did a pull out and step back after losing that $1 billion and now that things are looking a little more firm, he is back with a fresh investment. Back when he lost the $1 Billion, King Rupe described it as a black eye. But today he is singing a new tune. -SDH "Pay-TV is a core business for News Corporation and it's a category that's thriving across Europe with a multitude of new services and innovations," Rupert Murdoch said. We see enormous potential for growth in Germany and believe the time is right to invest in its foremost pay-TV business, Premiere." News Corp buys stake in German pay-TV firm [Guardian]

ABC on CNN: Politics brings CNN and ABC News together

Either CNN Prexy Jon Klein had nothing for the 7-8pm time slot tonight, or he loved the New Hampshire debates that ABC News broadcasted so much he had to air it on his network. Dian Sawyer was even on CNN which was kinda weird. In an interview CNN's Jon Klein said that he believes the lines between media giants are slowly being erased and CNN airing ABC's content is just another step forward in the no barriers direction. Now we can start speculating about some kind of deal in the works and this is just a public test run, but we won't. Jon Klein spoke about how the whole thing came about saying, he called his good buddy David Westin, who is President of ABC News who was getting on a plane to head to New Hampshire and asked if he could re-air the New Hampshire debates and it was a go. Is this really where big media is headed? Will we see Jeff Bewkes calling Sumner Redstone asking if he can air Nickelodeon content on the Cartoon Network? Or Rupert Murdoch calling Jeff Zucker at NBC asking if he could air Mad Money on Fox Business Network? Ok so that’s a stretch. But is no barrier, media industry workable where media companies trade content? Sure media companies buy syndication licenses to air shows of other networks that are no longer on the air but that’s the norm. What was the agreement on the back end of CNN airing ABC's New Hampshire debates? Is ABC News getting a cut from Ad revenue or was it just an agreement between two friends, CNN's John Klein and ABC News's David Westin. -SDH

Rupert Murodoch's Fox Business network fell flat in its first months, but that’s normal for a new cable network or something like that

-SDH Would the suits at News Corp say that Fox Business News met their expectations or fell short of them? Rupert Murdoch's invasion of CNBC's turf may not have had the shock and awe we think some at News Corp thought it would. Fox Business News prime time averaged 15,000 viewers in the nine weeks through the week of December 16. Rupert Murdoch says he expects the network to reach 40 million U.S. homes in this year. But we doubt Rupe is worried about it. "The launch of any new cable network in this environment -- the numbers are going to be very small starting out, regardless of whether it's coming from a big media conglomerate or not," said Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media, who tracks media trends. Fox Business draws few viewers in first months [Reuters]

Will web viewsers touch MC Hammer's Dancejam.com?

-CHUCK CARLINVILLE- TECH & MEDIA CONTRIBUTOR The biggest rapper of all time back in the 90's MC Hammer who burned through millions of dollars supporting everyone in his hood, is now trying his luck via the Internet with a new start up called DanceJam.com. The former rapper who serves as Chief Strategy Officer already landed $1 Million in start up capital. Hammer may be on to something here. Rupert Murdoch may one day take notice and want to slap DanceJam together with K-solo.com, the karaoke website News Corp swallowed a little while back. The Web site, scheduled to debut in mid-January, will try to upstage YouTube and become the Internet's hub for sharing and watching dance videos. DanceJam then hopes to make money by grabbing a piece of the rapidly growing Internet advertising market, which is expected to rake in $27.5 billion in 2008, according to eMarketer. MC Hammer's next act: Tech entrepreneur [AP]

News Corp's Harper Collins hopes to see even more $ from Benazir Bhutto book now that she is dead

-YOSH Maybe the bookies at Harper Collins were holding out to see if Benazir Bhutto would have been successful in the Pakistan elections, before releasing the manuscript submitted to them by the slain former Pakistani Prime Minister in the form of a book. Then again like Bhutto herself, they probably knew it was only a matter of time before someone offed her. Now the company is rushing the book to press for no other reason but to catch buzz sales. Harper Collins hopes to have Bhutto's "Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West" in bookstores by February, Post business columnist Keith J. Kelly reported. The Post is also owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. HarperCollins rushing Bhutto-written book [Reuters]

News Corp begins to offset cost of Dow Jones

-RAY After recently dropping over $5 Billion on Dow Jones, News Corp has already begun the offsetting process. The company announced that it sold off 8 television stations for $1.1 Billion. This comes as reports are popping up about a possible sale of Harper Collins to the book loving Germans at Bertelsmann AG News Corp said in a statement Saturday the deal was expected to close in the third calendar quarter of next year. The sale of the Fox affiliate stations in small markets will leave News Corp with 27 stations in major markets including New York, Boston and Los Angeles. News Corp to Sell 8 TV Stations for $1.1 Billion [CNBC]

Bertelsmann Aggregated: Bertie and News Corp | Bertie to sell G&J; | Bertie flip flops on RTL buyout plan | Mohn family still controlling

-YOSH German media giant Bertelsmann continues to prove us right when it comes to their flip flopping ways. They had this huge plan to buy the remaining 10% of RTL it doesn't already own, and what do they do? They scrap it. These fuckers just can stick to a plan can they? [Guardian] Is Bertelsmann in some kind of back door deal with News Corp to take over News Corp's Harper Collins? If this is the case, the book business must be really big for Bertie and Rupert Murdoch must be looking to offset the cash he dropped on Dow Jones. A sale of Harper Collins by News Corp would probably be good for News Corp as HC is responsible for a small chunk of News Corp's annual revenue. [Reuters] Is Bertie planning to get out of the magazine business by seeking a sale for G&J? They sold the U.S. business of G&J a while back so it wouldn't be a surprise. Selling off the magazine and buying into more books, does indicate that books is king at Bertie [Bloomberg] The Mohn family which controls Bertelsmann are nothing like the Bancrofts. There is probably no money in the world that would make them hand over their personal piggy bank that is Bertie. They continue to tighten their grip on Germany's biggest media company. The latest grip tightening comes with the appointment of Brigitte Mohn to its supervisory board. [Bloomberg]

Chemical Explosion at News Corp HQ, which Bancroft family member went off their rockers?

Here>>

The News Corp Ad

News Corp dropped $2 million (pocket cash) on an advertising blitz showing off it's accomplishments over the years including yesterday's official takeover of Dow Jones. here is the ad that's running in participating papers.

Rupert Murdoch on his plans for the Journal, its competitors and what he would have done if he was the Financial Times

-SDH Moments after he officially took control of Dow Jones, Rupert Murdoch did what any other media mogul who owns a cable business network would have done, he stopped by his Fox Business News studios for a sit down with FBN lead anchor Neil Cavuto. In his strong Aussie twang, Rupert speaks of what’s to come for the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones. Rupe totally forgetful of the fact that with the Thomson-Reuters merger Dow Jones will have to work double time to become a prominent player in financial information says he wants it to be the preeminent source of financial news and information. Asked by Cavuto if he bought a dinosaur Rupert of course did not and does not believe that. We look forward to what’s coming.

Rupert Murdoch wants to celebrate but not everyone is in the mood for celebrating

-YOSH Rupert Murdoch and his News Corpians are so happy that they finally got the keys to Dow Jones, they plan to celebrate via a $2 million ad campaign set to go live tomorrow touting the company's accomplishments. The company bought up ad space in major newspapers but not all of them want to share in Murdoch's joy. The Financial Times and the China Daily - have so far declined to run the in your face ads,but that won't stop News Corp from sharing their joy. News Corp. official said it was the first time the company has done branded advertising. Spanning three pages and playing off Dow Jones' motto, the headline is "Free People, Free Markets, Free Thinking," and trumpets Murdoch's convention-challenging accomplishments over several decades. Those include the launches of the Sun tabloid and BSkyB satellite broadcasting in England, the creation of Fox television (and The Simpsons) in the United States, the Fox News Channel, and the purchase of MySpace two years ago. "It's the first time we've given the company a narrative that expresses how we've gone against convention in providing greater choice and diversity in entertainment and information to consumers around the world," said a company insider. What better way to rub your accomplishments in the face of your competitors but taking out ads in the very papers your fellow media CEOs probably read. WE LOVE IT! Murdoch ad squelched by FT, Chinese daily [Fortune]

NON-SHOCKER: Dow Jones board backs sale to News Corp

Shareholders Back Dow Jones Sale [NYT]

News Corp’s Peter Chernin out in 2009

-YOSH It’s definitely looking like long time News Corp Prexy and Chief Operating Officer Peter Chernin will be out of a job in about 2 years or less. James Murdoch' the youngest son of Rupert, was upped last week to rule over his daddy's overseas operations and many see it as the set up for when Peter Chernin's contract expires in 2009. Based on this, Pete Chernin's days at News Corp are numbered. We wouldn't be surprised if he ended up leaving before then. No wait we take that back, that would be going against his contract and may cost him millions. So is James Murdoch ready to take over one of the world's premier media companies? There is a huge possibility that this won't happen for a few more years even after Chernin is out, because Rupe still has some juice in him and may hold on to the CEO title so he can groom James to be the biggest shark in the tank. If and when James does land in Peter Chernin's office, we expect to hear about some resignations immediately following his appointment by daddy. We just hope Peter Chernin wasn't naive enough to think that a man with two grown sons who both worked in the business would have chosen him to take over as CEO because he is the company's number two.

With James Murdoch now dubbed the heir to his daddy Rupert's empire, should Peter Chernin be weighing his options, if not now then soon?

-YOSH Rupert Murdoch opened up a can of moves across News Corp and his new baby Dow Jones yesterday. One of those moves included his son James being named to oversee everything across Europe and Asia which some say solidifies his position as heir to the News Corp throne. So what does all this mean for longtime News Corp number two Peter Chernin? Should such talk make it clear to him that, he kinda out of a job if and when James does take over? Unless he wants to be the longest serving President & Chief Operating Officer in media, and that's if James will even have him. But we won't jump the gun too soon on this because Rupert is known for making things work and it could end up being a power sharing thing between Chernin and the younger Murdoch. But even still, with his experience and long run at News Corp, Chernin may want to finally be the shot caller at a media firm where he has the final say. In the mean time, James Murdoch is being groomed right in front of our eyes. Oh yeah did we mention that their is still the possibility of Lachlan Murdoch getting back in the picture? Murdoch is making the switch from BSkyB's south-west London base in Osterley to News International's east London HQ, as he steps up from his job as the satellite broadcaster's chief executive to become the chairman and chief executive of his father Rupert's extensive media businesses across two continents. He is also stepping into his father's shoes as the non-executive chairman of Sky, in which News Corp is the largest shareholder. "It's going to make a lot of people feel very old," one News International journalist said of 34-year-old Murdoch Jr's imminent arrival. Murdoch Jr in at Wapping next week [MG]

All jokes aside, will Dow Jones CEO Rich Zannino survive in the house of Murdoch?

-YOSH So come next week, news Corp, if the world doesn't end, will close on its deal to swallow Dow Jones. But swallowing such a big company whole, causes gagging which will lead to News Corp throwing up, purging its inners of unfamiliar overpaid individuals to help offset the $5 Billion price tag. But how high up will the purging go? Dow Jones CEO Richard Zannino has always been an under the Radar kind of guy, even more so since he pushed for the takeover of the company. In pushing for the takeover Zannino may have just had one thing on his mind which is the cash he will pocket when the deal is done. But did he stop to think that he could be canned in favor of a Murdochian (a person loyal to the Murdochs). Then again it's probably written somewhere that he has to remain CEO of the company at least until his contract expires. However if Rupert Murdoch can get around a confused and dysfunctional family like the Bancrofts, he can get around a piece of paper. So is it likely that Rich Zannino will be shown the exit? Maybe not right away, but eventually he will be. We see Dow Jones, being reduced to simply a brand with all its businesses, like the Wall Street Journal and its web properties like Marketwatch.com being mixed into the News Corp swirl, leaving no need for a Richard Zannino

With the completion of the Dow Jones takeover imminent, so is the appointment of a new editor at The Times

-YOSH James Harding, if speculations are correct, will be installed as the new Editor at news Corp's The Times, replacing current editor Robert Thomson. The Times board is said to be meeting next week to finalize a deal two days before parent company News Corp closes on its takeover of Dow Jones. This is just the beginning of major shifting that's to come across News Corp. However, all the talk in News International's Wapping HQ is of an imminent new arrival in the Times editor's office, with one executive saying the appointment would be made "by the end of next week". Harding, the Times business editor, whom Thomson recruited from the Financial Times 18 months ago, is still regarded as the favoured candidate to replace him as editor. New Times editor next week? [MG]

HULU getting some love so far

It looks like NBC Universal and News Corp's little web venture Hulu.com is a hit right out the gate. Or so says NBC Uni CEO Jeff Zucker. But shouldn't HULU CEO Jason Kilar be the one being all giddy in the press? Anyway, we have to say we were some of the lucky few who got a username and password to test the thing out and we hate to say this but we were impressed as well. Speaking at the UBS 35th Annual Global Media and Communications conference on Monday, Zucker said online critics who had initially mocked Hulu as "Clown Co." had been forced to eat crow after being impressed with the site's user-friendliness and picture quality following its beta launch in October. "Advertisers tell us they're looking for a place to have commercials run in a safe environment," said Zucker. Consumers just want ease, and that's what Hulu really offers." NBCU's Web Video Portal 'Hulu' Impresses Critics [Media Post]

News Corp rolls out "The No deal" technique while they work it out with the LinkedIN guys

-YOSH OK so who is going out of their way to reiterate that News Corp is not in talks to buy social networking business site, LinkedIn.com? The source is shooting down everything from a rumored $1 Billion price tag to Rupert Murdoch regretting his Dow Jones purchase. OK so he didn't shoot that one down. But in previous reports, both companies already made it clear, or attempted to make it clear that they aren't in talks whatsoever. But come on why wouldn't a deal happen? It makes sense and we all know Rupert isn't afraid to throw cash at things he wants. Don't they know that the more they deny that talks are going on the more people will think that talks are really going on? Clearly this is an attempt to keep speculation in the media about a possible deal, perhaps a technique to get the LinkedIN side to agree to a buyout because they are probably holding out for more money than News Corp thinks they're worth. "Strategically, it would be a great fit," Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Noto told Reuters last week. Whether it makes financial sense hinges on price, he said. There is no way LinkedIn is worth $1 Billion. News Corp, LinkedIn not in takeover talks: source [Reuters]

As it turns out News Corp's Peter Chernin may have set the blue print on how media CEOs may handle the strike going forward

-MARTY Unlike the heads of their film divisions, media CEOs are more low key when it comes to the current writer's strike, negotiating under the radar to help get things back to business. CEOs like Bob Iger of Disney,Jeff Zucker of NBC Universal and Les "Love Boat" Moonves of CBS are all said to be three of few media biggies in on negotiations. It makes sense that those three would roll up their sleeves and dive in because a chunk of their business is Television and/or Film. However there are always the bad apples, and in this case its Rupert Murdoch's evil number two who claims to be a Democrat but is a closeted Republican Peter "Petie boy" Chernin. Petie Boy seems to be playing the "Dick Size" game as usual. In the early days of the strike Chernin actually hi-lited how the strike would save News Corp Money adding to the already outrageous comment made by Michael Eisner. But the fucked up part about all this is that he may get a few of his fellow media execs on his side of the line. What strike? Silence golden for moguls [THR]

Aggregated media news

-MEDIA WIRE DAILY Do you own a start up web venture that's doing respectable business or getting respectable traffic or both? Do you want to cash out and become an instant millionaire? Then get your shit together, because Disney is going on a shopping spree for a bunch of websites like yours and they want to do it over the next 24 months [TechCrunch] The New York Times can't afford to keep on staff and they can't afford to hire any either [NYO] LinkedIn and Wall Street Journal? Now that's more like it [VB] Ad revenue is down at Ebony magazine. Three ad execs got canned and one of them was shocked when the axe fell in the middle of his forehead. [Folio]

News Corp's shady stake

-YOSH Rupert Murdoch is no doubt slowly taking control of our everyday sources of news, information and entertainment, but not all of them are transparent. Georgia's prime minister said on Wednesday he wanted Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. to buy the banned independent television station Imedi outright. Rupe already owns a chunk of the channel with Georgian multimillionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili, but it looks like Georgia's Prime Minster is hoping a full takeover by News Corp will quiet his non supporters. The thing is, no one knows how deep News Corp's stake is in the network and they (News Corp) aren't saying, at least not right now. "We have stated our desire to not to see News Corp. in an unclear role in Imedi," he (the prime minster) said. "On the contrary, we want News Corp. to own a 100-percent share or a controlling stake." News Corp. has declined to disclose its holding in Imedi. Patarkatsishvili has said he sold his 49-percent stake to News Corp. in 2006. So does News Corp own all of Imedi? Why are they staying mum on this property? Georgia PM has offered Imedi TV to News Corp. [Reuters]

Rupert Murdoch won't fill the Wall Street Journal with pussy stories, maybe stories about pussy though

-MARTY Legendary Journalist Ben Bradlee has no worries about what the Wall Street Journal will look like in a year because he thinks Rupert Murdoch is a better Journalist than most real journalists. Though Bradlee doesn't seem to know the media titan on a personal, personal level, he does remember Rupert from back in the day when he used to stop off in Washington on his way back from Sydney Australia. Bradlee said during this time they had DC cops follow Murdoch to track his every move. And we thought this only happened to rappers. What do you think the Wall Street Journal will look like a year from now? I don't worry about it. I think [Rupert] Murdoch is a better journalist than the rest of you do. Really? Why do you say that? Well, I think because he's smart, and he's not going to fill it up with pussy stories. And he's going to get good reporters. I think he does not want to fail on this. Wonder if Ben Bradlee is implying that Wall Street Journal competitors fill their pages with "Pussy Stories" BEN BEHAVING BRADLEE [Radar]

Newscorp says it isn't buying LinkedIn but we all know that really means they are

Rupert Murdoch's henchmen are said to be at it again this time talking up the folks at LinkedIn.com. We've always admired Newscorp's online interest over the years. They always seem to go the un-traditional route when seeking new online properties to swallow. If Newscorp lands LinkedIn, there is no doubt they will gel it with Myspace. They can even use the site to look for new talent and run ads based on the industry someone works in. Oh man the possibilities. Will this be Fox Interactive (FIM) head Peter Levinsohn's shot at major kudos like his cousin former FIM Prexy Ross Levinsohn got and continues to get for landing myspace and causing Tom Freston his job? Anyway, for now both News Corp and LinkedIn claim there are no talks going on between them. Is Rupert Murdoch eyeing LinkedIn? [Telegraph]

Will NBC Universal let DreamWorks get away from them again over money? GE's pockets are too deep to allow this to happen

-SDH Jeff Zucker, if he is smart, has another shot at adding some major wattage at Universal Studios. DreamWorks which has been unhappy with its deal at the Viacom owned Paramount mainly due to oldman Sumner's vicious mouth, wants out of that marriage and will only do a deal with News Corp's 20th Century Fox or NBC Universal's Universal Studios ,but there is a catch. The DreamWorks team is seeking $600 million to $700 million a year which insiders say may hold up any deal from happening. Jeff Zucker needs to let his boss, GE CEO Jeff Immelt know that he cannot let this deal get away from them a second time. Because Rupert Murdoch is known for swooping in and offering more than what a seller is asking leading to a win, just ask Tom Freston. Jeff Zucker needs to Tell Immelt to back off and cut the check so he can secure DreamWorks and its legendary founders. “These DreamWorks guys are the A-Rods of the movie business,” said Harold L. Vogel, an independent media analyst. “They have megawatt personalities and great track records, but almost nobody can afford to pay them.” Discontented, DreamWorks Is in Talks to Join NBC [NYT]

Why did rupert murdoch unload $360 million worth of news corp shares?

-MARTY Well to give to his children of course. Some of us here wouldn't mind being a Murdoch this Christmas. What the hell are his kids, mainly the ones old enough to spend it going to do with all that money? They are getting like $60 million each. We know what we would do! and it includes a lot of booze, women, fast cars and weed. Yeah we would be on a show called "True Hollywood train wrecks" The cash pay-out follows a $600m bonanza received by the siblings in February - at the time the biggest distribution of Mr Murdoch's fortune. Proceeds from the sale of 17.5m class A shares are expected to be equally split among the children. Some could go to Mr Murdoch himself. "The sale was part of the Murdoch family's normal financial planning," a News Corp spokesman said. Pay-out for Murdoch family [FT]

News corp, the evil republican media empire?

-By YOSH We all know that News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch is a huge Republican backer. We all know that he uses his print properties, specifically his newspapers to make sure the republican message gets out. But are News Corp's Republican ties waste deep to the point where a senior executive allegedly tried to talk deposed Regan Books head Judith Regan into hiding her past intimate relationship with disgraced former NYC police commissioner Bernie Kerik to protect the presidential aspirations of Rudy Giuliani? What else has News Corp done or doing to protect the Republican agenda? How will Dow Jones and it's properties play into this? One-time book publishing powerhouse Judith Regan filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit Tuesday saying her former employers asked her to lie to federal investigators about Bernard Kerik, the former police commissioner who was once her lover, and tried to destroy her reputation.Regan, who worked for HarperCollins Publishers LLC, said the smear campaign stems from her past intimate relationship with Kerik, who was police commissioner under former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and from the political agenda of News Corp., the parent company of HarperCollins. Regan Files $100M Suit Against Publisher [Huff Wires]

and now this morning's worth mentioning media business news

-BY YOSH Will David Karp by the next dotcom millionaire? David Karp, the 21-year-old brains behind Tumblr, a site that allows users to create Web logs in just 10 seconds, is a fresh face of the rising wave of New York dotcom entrepreneurs No deal for Rosie O at MSNBC Two days after NBC acknowledged that it was talking to Rosie O’Donnell about a possible show on MSNBC, those conversations have stalled, with no immediate prospect of being revived, an executive of the network said last night. News Corp earnings off by 13% Rupert Murdoch can't wait to get his hands on DowJones Mr. Murdoch said that he saw several opportunities for building up The Journal’s overseas presence, but that the top priority was to get the paper “as we like it,” adding that “we can improve it, absolutely.” He declined to elaborate, however, on what specific changes he had in mind. The New York post joins us all in telling Jeff Bewkes what his priorities are at Time Warner Time Warner's third-quarter results underscored why CEO-designate Jeff Bewkes is expected to take a long, hard look at AOL and Time Inc. - those units were the only two of the company's five divisions that didn't report revenue growth

and now this morning's worth mentioning media business news

TIME WARNER CABLE SUBSCRIBERS DROPPING LIKE IRAQI CIVILIANS The company lost a net 83,000 subscribers during the quarter, mainly due to difficulties in its Los Angeles and Dallas markets, which it acquired last year from bankrupt Adelphia Communications Corp. The losses brought its subscriber total to 13.3 million. NEWS CORP MAY THROW A BANCROFT A BONE Rupert Murdoch will make the Bancroft family feel important when the deal closes on his DowJones takeover. Natalie Bancroft, a member of the family that is selling Dow Jones & Co Inc for $5.6 billion, will join the News Corp board allegedly. VIACOM GETTING INDIAN MONEY FOR IT'S NEW INDIAN CHANNEL IN INDIA Indian media company Network18 said on Wednesday it would invest $90.5 million over three years in its joint venture with Viacom Inc, which will launch a Hindi-language general entertainment channel in India next year. RDA'S NEW FOODY AD NETWORK FOR FOODIES The Reader’s Digest Association is set to announce later today its Food Advertising Network@RDA, featuring a self-serve Web advertising service called AdWizard@RDA. The AdWizard allows marketers to create, track, and accordingly alter display ads in real-time across RDA’s Food and Entertaining Affinity, including Every Day with Rachael Ray, Taste of Home, Chef’s Catalog and Allrecipes.com. The project is geared mostly towards small to medium-sized companies. -YOSH

When the Zuck attacks

NBC Universal's little big man, Jeff Zucker has been stepping up his attacks on News Corp's newbie business network saying that the network has had no impact whatsoever. Yeah both NBC Uni and News Corp may be in bed together with their Internet venture Hulu.com but that isn't stopping either side from firing shots at one another. The battle between NBC and Fox ratcheted up Monday when NBC chief Jeff Zucker waved aside Fox Business Network's chances of competing with CNBC, and Fox responded by firing back at Zucker. "We seem to be doing two different things," Zucker told reporters at a breakfast Q&A with the New Yorker's media writer, Ken Auletta. "CNBC is a serious financial news network. From what we've seen from Fox, it's not as investor focused, not as financially focused." Zucker dismissed the financial implications of FBN for NBC. "From a business standpoint it's had no impact," Zucker said of the new News Corp. channel. The Hollywood Reporter could have come up with a better headline though instead of recycling one that has been used by many. Fox Business Network gets Zucker-punched [THR]

The potential fall guy: For Hulu.com boss Jason Kilar, it's make or break time

NBC Universal and News Corp's under hyped online media venture Hulu.com has secretly launched what they refer to as a test for select registered "Huluers". Despite all the negative yapping about the new venture, Hulu chief Jason Kilar is focused on making sure, the company doesn't live up to the negative predictions made across the web. But we all know, if it does indeed live up to the negativity, Kilar will no doubt go down in flames. Mr. Kilar says that although some of the same shows are also available free to viewers on sites like NBC.com and Fox.com, Hulu has a unique agenda: to marry the largest collection of professionally-produced video to the widest audience possible. “We don’t have to worry about showing TV schedules or letting fans get to know the actors,” he said. “All we have to worry about is the video.” Hulu Readies Its Online TV, Dodging the Insults [NYT]

Note to FCC member Michael Copps: News Corp already has that influence you are soooo worried about, dummy

So, as usual there is always someone at the FCC trying to play hero. This time it's Commission member Michael Copps, who apparently woke up one morning and said to himself "Holy shit, that Rupert guy is too powerful" But what Mr. Copps doesn't know is that he is like a little too late. Copps is concerned that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, now the baddest motherfucker in media, will have their hands in too many pots. ``It will create a single company with enormous influence over politics, art and culture across the nation and especially in the New York area,'' Copps said today in a letter to FCC Chairboy Kevin Martin, a Republican. Copps, one of two Democrats on the five-member panel, said the deal shouldn't proceed until the FCC studies the potential impact on competition, diversity and local-broadcast obligations in the New York market. The Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of an antitrust waiting period in August. FCC's Copps Wants Review of News Corp.-Dow Jones Deal [Bloomberg]

Hulu Lu Ya: NBC & Newscorp set Halloween eve, eve date for launch of new web video venture

NBC and News Corp will greet Halloween this year with the launch of their surprisingly under hyped online video venture Hulu.com two days before. Both companies are hoping to squeeze online video giant Youtube by attracting users to Hulu.com for all News Corp and NBC programming. Was this venture under hyped due to lingering doubts among NBC and News Corp brass? Or are they playing the under promise and over deliver card? Techcrunch.com got the scoop: Launching a video Website can be hard—even if it is just a private beta. Now, says our source, Hulu is gunning for a private beta launch next Monday, so that it can still meet CEO Jason Kilar’s self-imposed October deadline. That date could slip until the following Wednesday and technically be considered on-time, of course, but Kilar probably wants to avoid the trick-or-treat jokes. We’re still waiting for our invites. Hulu Set to Launch on Monday [Techcrunch]

The king looks to expand his reach yet again

The real king of all media, Rupert Murdoch is looking to expand his reach oversees via Turkey. The company is said to be kicking the tires on media companies in Turkey, specifically the atv television station and the Sabah newspaper. Rupert Murdoch seems to be the only media mogul who believes in newspapers. Clearly this is the secret to his success, controlling the very vehicle that reports on you and your company. "We can compete better if we have more assets,'' said Al Parsons, head of the company's European television operations, said in an interview in Warsaw today. ``We are looking at what's being offered." News Corp. Is `Looking at' Turkish Media Assets, Executive Says [Bloomberg]

Morning Wire: And now this morning's worthy media news

NBC, not wanting to send traffic anyone else's way, quietly killed it's year old Youtube channel as they do finally prepping for the launch of Hulu.com their online video venture with news Corp. [NYP] The New York times recognized a little jump in profits during their third quarter report.[NYT] So if no one really knows for sure how many hits their websites are getting, aren't advertisers being naive? [NYT] Rupert Murdoch has become quite the celebrity [News] Is Fox Business taking away some eyes from CNBC, or are business news fiends going through what we call "The New New Syndrome"? Jeff Zucker we're sure is hoping its the latter [MN]

Rupert Murdoch: We are working this web thingy

The real king of all media, King Rupert said that News Corp's web business is booming, the company's stock price continues to outperform other media stocks and the greedy bastards on Wall Street are taking notice. No one can deny the facts about News Corp's roll in the current race to digital supremacy among big media companies. It was News Corp, thanks to former Fox Interactive head Ross levinsohn who jump started the social networking craze among big media, costing Tom Freston his job. It is News Corp who now has people like Les Moonves and Phil Dauman of Viacom and Judy McGrath, once our favorite to be Viacom Prexy, spending big to show how Internet savvy they are. So Murdoch can stand on a podium and say, I shaped the current digital model big media is moving to. And on top of all this, he is so humble. What a fucking guy? "We have a long way to go, but we're starting to be rewarded for our efforts to transform ourselves into a company for the digital age," Mr Murdoch said. He said Fox Interactive Media's Internet portfolio reached more than 160 million people globally. News Corp nets a win [Herald Sun]

Will NBC Universal and News Corp's HULU.com be another flash in the pan like NBC's NBBC.com?

NBC Universal and News Corp are probably putting the final touches on their soon to be launched online video joint venture, Hulu.com. Both companies are the latest big media players attempting to keep audiences from running to Youtube to see their programming by creating a video destination of their own. Viacom made every single episode of "The Daily Show" available online at the newly launched Thedailyshow.com. But back to Hulu. This won't be NBC's first run at an online video venture. A year ago with much fanfare NBC launched a mediocre site called NBBC.com. The site has since vanished into thin air. The venture was a flop right out of the gate due to it overly corporate look and discription (see image below). Online video ventures need to have a welcoming image sans the corporate lingo. Audiences and most advertisers could care less about that. It was an attempt to interact with NBC's audience but it turned out that NBC's audience didn't want to interact with them, and around that time there was a little site called Youtube smoking up the place. So will News Corp's involvement make a difference this time around? We think so. With News Corp's Myspace, if the right people are in charge of this new venture, it can make some noise. But it won't be an issue for the folks at Youtube, because at Youtube, the audience runs the show. EARLIER: Fresh Off The Wires: NBC Launches "NBBC"

Mr. Peacock: Jeff Zucker is focused on building, not speculations, though some of them may be true, we think

NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker is 8 months into the gig and he is fearless. He isn't worried about Rupert Murdoch's over hyped business network and he isn't worried about GE selling off his division. We guess this is the attitude one develops when they've beaten something like cancer. Zucker is hell bent on pushing NBCU to its limits, digitizing its content and reaping the rewards for his masters at GE. He is excited about this month's launch of NBCU's and Newscorp's online venture HULU.com and shares lessons learned from the failure of NBC's earlier digital effort NBCi during a sit down with USA Today. Q: Does CNBC's new rival, Fox Business Network, affect your forecast? A: There've been many competitors in this space — the Financial News Network, CNNfn, Bloomberg — all of whom were bigger than this competitor. The only thing that's different is the amount of media attention that's involved because it's Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. Zucker works on rebuilding NBC [USAT]

Is Fox Business already playing dirty?

NBC Universal's CNBC had ads scheduled to run on the front page of Marketwatch.com today. But then out of the blue, the agency what bought the ad space on behalf of CNBC got word from the folks at Marketwatch.com that they won't be able to run the ads after all. Hmmm? Is it a coincidence that, Marketwatch.com is owned by DowJones which is about to be taken over by Rupert Murdoch, whose new business network launches today? Is this the doings of Newscorp? Does Murdoch and company already have their hands in the DowJones pot? If this is the case, then no one should be surprised due to the fact that Fox Business Chairman and long time Murdoch lieutenant Roger Ailes is known for riding dirty! In early September, CNBC negotiated and signed a contract with Dow Jones to buy advertising that was to run today on two Dow Jones Web sites, MarketWatch and The Wall Street Journal site. Last Tuesday night, CNBC’s ad buyers received a call from a Dow Jones representative saying that those ads could not run today, the first day of Fox’s competing channel. In the case of MarketWatch, CNBC had bought both an introduction ad for the site — meaning that every user on the site today would have seen an ad for CNBC before getting to the MarketWatch home page — as well as what is called a “road block” of ads — meaning CNBC would have been the exclusive advertiser on the site’s home page today. Can Fox Win Its Frontal Assault Against CNBC? [NYT]

The "F" in Fox Business is for Fiorina, and we guess Fare?

Fox Business is about to put Carli Fiorina where she loves to be, back in the spotlight. Rupert Murdoch's soon to be launched business news channel is still working at beefing up its on air personalities. The latest member of the Fox Business family is non other than the former fame whore CEO of Hewlett Packard Carleton Fiorina. Fox has not made clear what her exact roll at the new network is, which usually means they are still trying to figure it out and her hire was more about publicity. However we are looking forward to hearing what the former corporate exec has to say. "We are proud to have her join FBN as a contributor," Kevin Magee, Fox News' executive vice president, said in a statement. "Carly Fiorina is one of the foremost business leaders of our time." Fiorina joins new Fox business channel [AP]

Rupert Murdoch beefing up his new business network for attack on CNBC

Rupert Murdoch is building up the troop levels at his Fox Business Network for an all out invasion of CNBC's territory. The soon to be launched network under the command of long time Murdoch, general Roger Ailes has been somewhat under the radar during preparations leaving its competitors guessing and wondering when and where the attack will come from. Its probably kinda like the way Saddam felt the days leading up to the start of the Iraq war. No? Well we're sure NBC Universal Chief Jeff Zucker is bracing himself.

Digital Media: Does traditional media get it, or putting on an Oscar worthy performance?

-SDH Visit the corporate website of any of the big media companies and what you will come across is their none-stop effort in showing that they are digitally literate. Time Warner's 2007 corporate profile has several pages dedicated to explaining how they are taking advantage of the digital movement. But does Time Warner and its competitors like News Corp, Disney, NBC Universal and others really get it? Or are they simply trying to remain relevant by acting like they do? It’s only recently that the digital race among these media companies began. Before that it was all about traditional media, like print, networks, cable etc. During that time, some of the mentioned companies weren't paying attention to this thing called digital media. Now it’s all the craze. Even some clueless shareholders during earnings calls want to know what is being done to monetize traditional content via digital distribution. Yeah! Like they have a clue! In the media business, it takes one or two bold media bigs, like a Rupert Murdoch to make a move and then the rest will follow. He set off a rat race when he shocked the media world and dropped big money on social networking site Myspace, beating out slow movers like at then Viacom CEO Tom Freston. Hell, Murdoch can be credited for sparking the digital race in big media. In the past few years companies like NBC Universal dropped big money to get their feet in the digital pool. CBS' little big man Les Moonves has also been on a digital media shopping spree as well. Snapping up any and everything they can sell ads on. NBC Universal acquired ivillage.com for a reported $600 Mil and so far they have yet to benefit from their big balled acquisition. An attempt to build a television show of the same name fell flat, but is said to be getting a makeover for a second round. There is even word that NBC's digital head that lacks experience in that field, Beth Comstock is on the way out. Big media continues to run through the digital media door with blindfolds on and their fat wallets. But the truth is, it’s like sitting in a room of people where someone just told a joke and the whole room erupts in laughter. You didn't get the joke, but you decide to burst out in laughter anyway because everyone else is holding their stomachs on the floor.

Thats like buying an Enzo and not being able to drive it, or something like that

-SDH Only an idiot would think Rupert Murdoch doesn't have the Bancroft family by the balls with the $5 Billion he has dangling in front of their faces. And only an idiot would think old Rupe will do a deal and not have full control at the wheel. Then again sometimes one has to sacrifice when they really want something. It looks like the Bancrofts who turned over negotiations to the DowJones board will sell but under one condition.......The Wall Street Journal can't be touched. Will Rupe accept these terms and get the deal done, or will he send it back with a big "I Don't Think So" written across it? The Bancroft's proposal calls for a Special Committee on Editorial and Journalistic Integrity and would limit News Corp.'s ability to control the Wall Street Journal brand. Dow Jones submits plan for editorial independence: report: [Reuters][

Just like we thought. The whole DowJones thing is turning into one big circus

We really thought that this DowJones News Corp thing would have gotten done with a touch of class sans the publicity hungry bids, but at some point someone would have pulled one out of their ass and that point came today. Brad Greenspan (no relation to former fed chief Allen) threw his hat in the wring for a shot at the DowJones title. Who is this man you ask? Well he's one of the guys current DowJones front runner Rupert Murdoch made rich when he shelled out over $500 Million for Myspace. This could be Greenspan's way of getting under Rupe's skin. Then again Rupert can buy Greenspan again along with DowJones. MySpace founder seeks Dow Jones stake [CNNmoney]

Rupert Murdoch continues to audition for DowJones

They say the man always wins and according to many, he is about to win yet again. Rupert Murdoch is said to be thisclose to seducing the Bancroft family into selling their company to him. It has been a long and perhaps painful audition for Rupe but we think Simon Cowell would have given him the thumbs up. The Bancroft family is starting to realize that Rupe's offer is as generous as they come as one unidentified Bancroft family member puts it all into perspective. You may love your house, but if someone offers you twice what it’s worth, you have to at least listen to the offer — no matter how much you like or dislike the buyer.” This just proves yet again that money talks and bull............well you know the rest! Dow Jones, Murdoch and an Enticing ‘Kiss’ [NYT]

Bancroft family will consider being tricked into selling out to Rupert Murdoch

The Bancroft family who controls DowJones will act as if they are weighing other options but will really be considering Rupert Murdoch's offer to buy them out. Of course there are some, especially in the newsrooms who are hoping a deal doesn't happen because they know what will happen the moment the ink dries on the agreement. So will the Bancrofts bite after behaving as though they weren't blown away by Rupe's generous offer? The family earlier on Thursday said it would meet Murdoch, a softening of its earlier opposition to his $60-per-share offer for the company. Sure you will Bancrofts, sure you will!! Dow Jones to consider Murdoch bid, other offers [Reuters]

Love Fox's American Idol? Buy stock in News Corp and capitalize on Sanjaya

Laura Goldman encourages you individuals out their who play the stock market to dump some cash on News Corp stock so you too can get some of that Idol love. Not sure if many stock market players would bite but the numbers do speak very loud across the board. It is the number one watched show in the coveted 18-49 age group for the third year in a row. 33 million viewers have tuned into “American Idol” each week for the sixth season of the show. In the present era of infinite media choices, capturing an audience of over 30 million viewers on a weekly basis is the equivalent of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in high heels. News Corp: How to Capitalize on American Idol Ratings [SeekingAlpha]

All Hail: King Rupert just got even more Kinglier

-SHOMARI HINES Rupert Murdoch may have finally gotten John Malone off his back for good. Rupert and Malone's camp agreed some months ago that they would do a swap deal which would see John Malone's Liberty Media taking control of Direct TV in exchange for Liberty's very threatening 16.3 percent stake in News Corp. The exchange will fluff up the Murdoch family’s stake in the News Corporation to 38 percent, from 31 percent, resulting in worry free days and nights and care free walks without having to look over their backs. “Murdoch solidifies his family’s voting control and helps the stock with the huge effective share buyback,” said David C. Joyce, an analyst at Miller Tabak & Company in New York. The transaction, which needs approval from the Federal Communications Commission, may be completed by midyear, the companies said in December.Liberty will get a 38.5 percent controlling stake in DirecTV, the largest American satellite TV company, and three local Fox sports channels. Liberty will also receive $588 million in cash, up from $550 million under the initial December agreement. Hmm, wonder how long FCC Chairboy Kevin Martin will take on this one? News Corp. Shareholders Accept Liberty Deal [NYT]

Poll: Naming names

At this point we guess the big question is what will the name of the new site be? Do they even have a name already or are they still throwing out names. Being our usual generous and caring selves we wanted to throw some ideas out there to the NBC and New Corp team and have you our readers vote on which name you think is best for the new venture. So make sure you vote for the one you like if any, and we will publish the results a week from today, even though they will probably announce the name by then. So without further adieu, possible names for NBC & News Corp’s new online video venture. WHICH IS THE COOLEST NAME FOR THE NEW VENTURE ZUCKED CHERNIN DOUBLE N THE RUPE VAD 2N DREAMSTREAM FLIKT UNIFOX NBSEE

Media Brief: America's most trustworthy companies doesn't include any of the big four in media

-SHOMARI HINES Apparently the folks at Forbes didn't think America's leading media companies like Time Warner, Disney, News Corp and Viacom were trustworthy enough to make their list. Instead the list is saturated with companies we've never heard of and some that were some how placed under the wrong industry category. We kinda understand why Newscorp wouldn't make the list but Playboy over Disney? We're sure there are reasons though. Entercom, Hearst-Argyle, Playboy and Washington Post are on the list of the 100 American companies that show the highest degree of "fair dealing to stakeholders," according to Audit Integrity, an independent Los Angeles firm that does research on corporate governance best practice. America's Most Trustworthy Companies [Forbes]

NBC Uni and News Corp moving forward with their Youtube killer!

-SHOMARI HINES After what we're sure was much debate, both NBC and News Corp will move forward with their plan to launch a Youtube killer. A press conference is scheduled for this afternoon however News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch will not be the one speaking on behalf of News Corp's roll in the deal, instead he is sending his number two Pete Chernin. We guess Rupe feels like he is above Jeff Zucker even if he is the CEO of NBC Universal. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the new venture could launch this summer and provide “an advertiser-friendly destination” for NBC's Heroes and The Office, and Fox’s Family Guy and 24. The newspaper reported that the companies also plan to sell downloads of movies from Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox. Isn't this new venture a rival of other video sites like Veoh and Revver as well? Why do we always forget about these guys? In other words, NBC and News Corp will have to get through them before they can even put a dent in Youtube. News Corp., NBC to Launch YouTube Rival [News MultiChannel]

Video Wire: Fox News and guests attack Black America

Is it true? Does Fox News have no love for Black America or are they just saying what's on their mind? Everyone knows Rupert Murdoch is all about the Republican Party and uses his many media vehicles to promote his Republican views, is this one of his many views as well?

Google stands alone

-Shomari Hines Fortune has published their "Most Admired Companies to Work For" list and we are kinda shocked well kinda, that Google (currently being sued along with its Youtube unit by media giant Viacom) is the only media-esque company in the top 20. Well we all know why that is but are we to believe that America's traditional media companies aren't admired enough to be in the top 20? We would at least accept News Corp. America's Most Admired Companies [Fortune]

Peter Levinsohn getting the hang of this interactive Prexy thing

We could be wrong but we think this is the first major push Fox Interactive Media (FIM) has announced since former FIM chief Ross Levinsohn's cousin Ross Levinsohn was handed the top job. We don't think we have ever read comments from Pete either but he recently made some at the Bear Stearns media conference. Pete sounds up beat and positive about FIM's future. MySpace, the Internet's biggest social network, currently offers episodes of News Corp.'s Fox-owned shows a day after the initial broadcast, but not much from other companies. "We're in very active negotiations with all the media companies to create the most robust video offering on the Web," Peter Levinsohn, president of Fox Interactive Media, said at the Bear Stearns media conference. Fox Interactive in distribution talks other media [Reuters]

Myspace bringing out the bulls

-Shomari Hines Rupert Murdoch's Fox Interactive unit is looking good in the eyes of greedy investors thanks to that little website called Myspace. Peter Levinsohn we hope you're not taking credit for this though. According to a report released on March 6 by Merrill Lynch, the firm anticipates that News Corp. will enjoy operating income growth in the double-digit realm over the next several years, outpacing several of the company’s peers - driven in large part by the surging ad prospects for MySpace. Up until recently, Merrill said it had not incorporated Fox Interactive Media (FIM) in its valuations, but based on the division’s recent performance, “we are now increasingly confident that News Corp. will be successful in monetizing its online presence,” says the report. Merrill Bullish on Fox Interactive Media [Mediaweek]

Headline Screenshot: Chad Hurley how could you let this happen dude?

The heat just got turned up a notch on Youtube CEO Chad Hurley. Not only did he and his underlings drag their asses on filtering software to block pirated video clips, News Corp beat them to the punch installing filter software on Myspace.com which only recently introduced their video feature. Until MySpace's announcement yesterday of a pilot program to stop such clips from appearing on its site, both it and YouTube argued they had the right to let the content stay on their sites unless media companies made a formal request that it to be removed. The move by MySpace to crack down on pirated material itself "lets media companies say, 'Look, it's your job to track down unauthorized material," said Josh Bernoff, an analyst with Forrester Research. YOUTUBE TO FEEL HEAT FROM NEW MYSPACE FILTER [NYP]

News Corp down with the Bronx

We have no idea if he has ever been to The Bronx or even know what, or where it, is but Rupert Murdoch reportedly wants to get into the Bronx news business. After devouring 28 community newspapers in Brooklyn and Queens, the New York Post still has an appetite for local media properties.Sources say that executives from the News Corp.-owned paper are in talks to acquire the Bronx Times Reporter, one of the borough's leading publishers of community weeklies. News Corp. has made no secret of its interest in owning more weekly papers. In September, it acquired the Courier-Life chain in Brooklyn and the Times Ledger newspapers in Queens, for a reported $16 million. News Corp. in talks to acquire Bronx papers [NYB]

Youtube continues to get tongue lashings from media's elite

Youtube can't seem to catch a break from getting lashed out against by some of the media industry's top players. Two of the most vocal have been Rupert Murdoch and newly crowned media big shot Jeff Zucker. Both men are accusing Google and Youtube of not doing enough to crack down on illegal videos being uploaded. Rupert also wants to know, where the hell is the money in Youtube. "How do you monetize it," asked Murdoch, whose social-networking site MySpace offers its own video player. "If you interrupt the flow of videos with commercials, (YouTube viewers) are going to go with (MySpace) or somewhere else." "YouTube needs to prove that it will implement its filtering technology across its online platform. It's proven it can do it when it wants to," Zucker said. "They have the capability. The question is whether they have the will." Murdoch the latest media mogul to take on YouTube [Cnet]

News Corp's planned Business news channel to be all lovey dovey with corporate america

This is exactly why Rupert Murdoch's soon to be launched Fox Business News won't be around long enough to make NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker sweat. Rupe and company are planning to be sweet on corporations unlike their soon to be rivals at CNBC. CNBC's lack of sweetness on Corporations (with the exception of Ms. "Money Honey" and the Citi guy) is exactly why they are who they are today. That and because they really have no competition. No one has ever accused CNBC, the cable TV home of Jim Cramer, Larry Kudlow and Maria Bartiromo, of being antibusiness. Until now. Yesterday, Rupert Murdoch confirmed one of the worst kept secrets in the media industry, that the News Corporation will start a long-awaited business news channel in the fourth quarter of this year. In doing so, he also took a shot at CNBC, the leading television business news outlet, vowing that the new channel would be friendlier to corporations. Fox to Begin a ‘More Business Friendly’ News Channel [NYT]

That annoying buzz is back again about News Corp's best kept secret

Rupert Murdoch continues to tease analysts and media followers about his long awaited Fox Business News Channel that will eventually fail. Over the past year or so, buzz about the channel has went up and down, even claiming one victim, a national newspaper that reported a launch was imminent when it wasn't. That could have been News Corp's plan the whole time in an effort to keep the buzz out there especially for its only would-be rival CNBC to hear. So when exactly will this business channel launch. They already did a carriage deal with Time Warner, now all they have to do is pull the curtains back and say Tadaaaa! The latest bout of mixed signals came Wednesday, with Murdoch and Chernin hinting that an announcement was close if not exactly imminent. Murdoch said during News Corp.'s latest quarterly earnings conference call that there will be an announcement "in the next week."But Chernin seemed to back off a bit, saying that the announcement should happen "soon" but declining to be more specific.Addressing the launch date, Murdoch tied it to the early fall, with Chernin saying only that it will happen "in the latter part of the calendar year." Murdoch renews Fox Business Channel buzz [Reuters]

Analysts attempt to predict Rupe and Barry's next move as they yap about their companies today

Suddenly Rupert Murdoch is an Internet big shot along side long time Internet big shots like Barry Diller. Analysts are speculating about what their next moves will be even if they love News Corp more than they do Diller's Interactive Corp. The head honchos of IAC/InterActiveCorp and News Corp appear to believe that the ability to deliver content and interact with audiences offers a strategically prescient opportunity. That's probably why we will see luminaries Barry Diller, chairman of IACI, and Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp., each delivering keynote addresses at The McGraw-Hill Companies' 2007 Media Summit in New York City today and tomorrow, say Standard & Poor's analysts. Diller and Murdoch Work the Web [Businessweek]

King Rupe to spread the love among his kids

Media king Rupert Murdoch, reportedly will glaze the pockets of his kids with $100 million each of News Corp stock. We only hope the stock remains steady or that gift will go to shits really quick. The filings show that Lachlan Murdoch, Mr Murdoch's eldest son, received a sixth of the shares. Rupert Murdoch received two-sixths on behalf of his young daughters, Chloe and Grace, by his wife Wendi.A News Corp spokesman confirmed that his other children - Prudence, James and Elisabeth - had received the same share, although these were not specifically disclosed. Murdoch gives $600m to his children [FT]

Roo-Pert Murdoch

Sticking to their plan to take over the world, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has dropped some cash on the Internet/technology table again this time in a company called Roo which supplies online video technology to publishers and advertisers. Through the new agreement, News Corp. will receive 5 percent interest in Roo shares, with the potential to receive another 5 percent if specific revenue benchmarks are met by the broadband-focused company, which like Brightcove and others has been an early leader in helping publishers deliver video content to the Web while also helping advertisers aggregate online video inventory. This deal will solidify an existing relationship between the News Corp. and Roo, which already syndicates content from Fox News Channel and several News Corp.-owned U.K. Properties. Hey Roo guys, at the end of the short day, you will be 100% owned by Rupe and company. Make no mistake about it. A Leap Forward: News Corp. to Invest in Roo [Mediaweek]

You're up Ross!

OK so Tom Freston kinda resurfaced with his investment in Plum TV after being canned from Viacom for missing the Myspace boat. Now we're waiting for the man who ultimately cost Tom Freston his job former Fox Interactive Media boss Ross Levinsohn to make his next move. We're thinking something Internet related of course but we are itching to know what. There is no doubt that his former bosses at News Corp are also watching the wires closely for any big news because believe it or not they want to know what he's doing as much as we do. They may never admit but they do. Remember he was the man who got News Corp deep into the web game and they have taken the ball and running with it all the way. Being our usual generous selves we thought we would put together a list of Internet properties Ross Levinsohn should probably kick the tires on with his deep pocketed buddies if he isn't already kicking them. Digg.com- Your old boss was reportedly sniffing around this Facebook-Wait they are asking for as much as, or more than what youtube sold for Heavy.com WallStrip.com Break.com DailyCandy.com These just came to mind. We think they're pretty cool sites. If not, there is probably a gig with Yahoo! Since showing former media head Lloyd Braun the door they haven't named a replacement to our knowledge!

Rupe 2.0. How many stories like this do we have to read before they get the point that we got the point?

We don't know and we can't put our finger on it, but we're so sure we read something like the story on News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch in the current issue of Forbes already. You know about his plans to remake News Corp into this new era digital -esque media company and blah blah blah. We're sure there are some new mentions like Myspace China and News Corp's recent finger in the whole pain in the ass Tribune madness though. But in late 2004 Murdoch and Chernin, watching the resurrection of Yahoo, the rise of Google and the shift of ad dollars to the Web, jumped back in. The best way to access the power of the Internet, they decided, was by inserting yourself where users already congregate. They were heavily influenced by the success of FoxSports, a once unexceptional Web site, after it cut a deal for prominent placement on Microsoft's msn network--and then saw traffic leap from 2.2 million to 10.4 million visitors per month. The two asked a group led by FoxSports manager Ross Levinsohn to round up a list of Web properties likely to be available. He came back with three targets: MySpace, then owned by a marketing outfit called Intermix; ign; and a site Chernin won't identify. Yo Ross!, we sure hope you're getting some kind of lifetime cut out of all the money Myspace is bringing and will bring to News Corp. One thing's for sure, they (Rupe & Pete) are really enjoying your work. Murdoch 2.0 [Forbes]

We wouldn't be surprised if they're also sniffing her office panties

5 Weeks after telling Judith Regan "Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya" News Corp's book unit has yet to return her personal effect that she left behind in her office. Rupe's underlings are snooping so deep, that not even the report cards of Judith's kids are safe from prying eyes. "They have her financial statements, her will, her divorce papers, photographs of her children, unopened Christmas gifts, even her clothing," said the source. It is perhaps understandable that Regan, who brought $80 million a year in business to the Murdoch empire, would have so many private articles in her office. When she was summarily escorted out without warning Dec. 15, "it was by two armed sheriffs, who only let her take her purse," the source claims. Pinup emotions surface in wake of Regan's firing [NYDN]

Its King Rupe to the rescue

And we thought no one was interested in the foster child of the newspaper industry. But out of no where comes News Corp ruler Rupert Murdoch throwing his hat in the ring, well kinda. Rupe is actually teaming up with the chandler family who decided after all this time that they wanted to hold on to their company. News Corp. is believed to be particularly interested in acquiring a small stake in Tribune's Long Island newspaper Newsday, which could combine certain back-office operations with The Post, resulting in significant cost savings. A deal with Newsday could also result in advertising cross-selling in the metro market. NEWS CORP. JOINS CHANDLERS IN PAPER CHASE [NYP]

MySpace to distribute Amber alerts for kids kidnapped by someone they met on Myspace

It is cruelly ironic that the folks at Myspace announced that the website will now distribute amber alerts for missing children. This from the same website being sued by families who claim their kids were kidnapped and/or abused by some sick fuck they met on the site. MySpace, a News Corp. unit, is teaming with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to distribute the alerts, which are triggered by law-enforcement officials.The online alerts, which will begin Tuesday, will be sent to all users in the ZIP codes where it was issued. They will appear in a small text box at the top of a user's portfolio. The user can click on the box for more information, including a photo of the missing child and a description of the suspect. MySpace to distribute Amber alerts [BW]

Myspace turned out to be the social networking site that lead to and will probably lead to more kidnappings

With all their so called policing, five teenage Myspace members were kidnapped and/or raped by shit bags they met on the site. The truth is that no matter what Fox Interactive Media says they have or will put in place, they can't police over a hundred million people. However we won't sit here and shit on Myspace alone. The parent's of these young girls also needs to be shitted on because of their lack of policing their own children. Kids under the age of 18 should not have computers in their bedrooms. MySpace Inc., and its parent company, News Corp., have been sued in California state court by four families who allege that their minor daughters were solicited online and then sexually abused by adult MySpace users, according to the law firms representing the families. Families from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina filed separate suits Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging negligence, recklessness, fraud, and negligent misrepresentation by the companies. The families are represented by the law firms of Barry & Loewy LLP, of Austin, Tex., and Arnold & Itkin LLP, of Houston. MySpace, News Corp., Sued by Families Whose Daughters Were Assaulted [PR Newswire]

Fresh News: Erasing Regan

Finally real breaking news.......News Corp's HarperCollins is de-Reganing itself by killing the Regan Books name and renaming the imprint "HC". "We feel our authors will be best served by being integrated into HarperCollins," Michael Morrison, president and group publisher of Harper/Morrow said Wednesday in a statement. "Our talented, dedicated staff will work hard to ensure a seamless transition." ReganBooks renamed [AP]

Fresh News: Fox News will now spread the Republican agenda via your cell phones

OK so maybe this wasn't worth the whole "Breaking News" treatment, but we just wanted to try out our new breaking news graphic to see how it looks. Hey at least we're being honest right? Fox News Channel plans to sell subscriptions to a service that lets mobile users access a live audio feed of its cable channel, the News Corp.-owned network announced Wednesday.The service -- which Fox News is offering through a deal with Single Touch Interactive -- will initially roll out on AT&T’s Cingular service and will cost $2.99 per month. Fox News Offers Mobile Audio Feed [NM]

Myspace users will get the chance to tell President Bush, what they really think

News Corp's Myspace is encouraging their millions of users to speak their minds via a contest called “MyState of the Union". Judges for the contest include former Senate Majority Leader Dr. Bill Frist and John Podesta, former White House Chief of Staff. On January 22nd, the day before the President delivers his own State if the Union, the winner will be chosen and will be receiving a prize package with an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. MySpace Announces “State of the Union” [Adotas]

American Idol is Fox's steroid

The folks over at News Corp's Fox may be last among the majors (we thought is was NBC) but King Rupe's network is about to inject it's usual dose of Idol steroids to help push it back to the head of the class, or so they hope. Fox sorely needs "American Idol" to do well. According to data from Nielsen Media Research, Fox was in fourth place in the overall primetimes ratings race, as well as in the battle for the critical 18-49 year old demographic that advertisers crave, through the first sixteen weeks of the 2006-2007 TV season. This is familiar territory for Fox though. The company was in fourth with 18-49 year olds at this time last year and still went on to win the 18-49 ratings race for the second consecutive season, largely due to "American Idol." "Idol" fatigue? Think again [CNN Money]

Say it Aint So King Rupe

Is Rupert Murdoch really losing his kinglyness in media due to his known habit of pushing his opinions and views via his many media outlets? According to an article by Rik Kirkland this very well may be the road King Rupe is headed down. Rupert Murdoch Is the World’s Most Powerful Media Mogul. Not for long. The chairman and CEO of News Corp., who likes to view himself as an antiestablishment rebel, is today the ultimate insider. No other media executive has as much personal clout with world leaders, in part because none so willingly uses his moguldom to reward friends and punish enemies. Murdoch has helped elect—or defeat—at least two British prime ministers, several New York City mayors, and numerous American presidents, among others. He is also the ultimate global capitalist, an Australian-turned-American whose real home is his jet. With News Corp.’s ability to beam satellite programming to 40 million subscribers across the Americas, Asia, and Europe, along with its Fox movie and TV studios and cable network, newspapers from Hong Kong to New York, several book publishers, and a burgeoning Internet division, no other media company can claim greater global reach. Nearly half of News Corp.’s $25 billion in revenues last year came from outside the United States. Wonder what Rupe did to this guy? Think Again: Rupert Murdoch [Foreigne Policy]

Some Really Good Slogans For King Rupe's New Fox Business Channel

Since Rupert Murdoch paid no attention to our suggestions for 2007, we have no choice but to fold under the "If You Can't Beat em Join em" law. So He landed a deal with Time Warner's cable unit to carry his new Fox Business News channel instantly granting Rupe access to 23 million homes. However we are not sure what kind of slogans Rupe and company may have for the new channel, so we wanted to throw some possible slogans out there to......you know lend a helping hand. We know Rupe's Fox News's controversial slogan is "Fair & Balanced", so we wanted to play off of that as well as come up with some original stuff too. So with no further yip yap, here are possible slogans for FOX Business News. Fair & Balanced Self Promotion Fair & Balanced Sabotage OutFoxing The Rest One Sided Home of Cavuto An Eye On Our Corporate Competitors That's the best we could come up with right now. But that doesn't mean the suggestions have to stop. You too can send us your slogans for the New Fox Business News channel.

King Rupe Doing One of Our To Do's, Not To Do

LOOKS like King Rupe and company are moving full speed ahead with a challenger for NBC Universal's CNBC business news channel. Fox Business News will get access to 23 Million homes via a carriage deal with Time Warner to report their one sided style news to investors, and execs as they wake up in their million dollar homes. Guess Rupe didn't agree with one of the not to do's we suggested for his company. Well At least Neil Cavuto will finally have a place to call home. While a date for the launch still hasn't been revealed, News Corp. Chairman-CEO Rupert Murdoch has said the business channel will launch in 2007. Roger Ailes, Fox News chairman-CEO, has said he would not launch the business service -- the idea for which was first raised in 2004 -- until he had enough distribution partners lined up. News Corp., Time Warner Sign Carriage Deal for Business Channel [Ad Age]

Conde Net set to launch hang out for teen girls

Not sure if we get this, but Conde Nast's internet unit is planning to launch what is being called their answer to News Corp's Myspace. We didn't even know Myspace asked a question. Flip.com will offer girls a forum to create "flip books": multimedia scrapbooks of photographs, home-made music videos and other postings. CondeNet hopes to tap into the same creative flair that girls show when they decorate their school lockers or textbooks. The site is Conde Nast's answer to News Corp.'s MySpace, which -- along with similiar sites such as Facebook -- is drawing millions of young users and has made it difficult for magazine publishers to keep teenagers' attention. Flip is scheduled to debut in February, but 200,000 girls will be invited to a test launch today. To Lure Teens to Its Latest Web Site,Conde Nast Turns to the 'Flip Squad' [WSJ]

King Rupe's Christmas snooze fest

King Rupe may be king of media, but according to a spy at News Corp's Christmas gathering, his parties aint all that..........kinda. from Gawker: Freelancers were most explicitly NOT invited to the News Corp. party Friday at the Hilton -- but of course I got in anyway! Though still waiting for the pictorial evidence herewith my review: The theme: Airport lounge, down to girls passing out peanuts and a line that materialized outside the Hilton at 6 p.m. but still took a good half-hour to negotiate. No one was asked to take off their shoes. The crowd: Very bridge, very tunnel. Diversity the NYT can only dream about. Never seen so many badly dressed women in one place. Think prom night in Las Vegas. Most of the guys in nice suits, and clearly happy to be able to be getting their ladyfriends tanked on free Cosmos prior to moving on when the joint shut at 11. The food: The "Europe" section of the party had the best chow -- fish and chips, baked ziti, fabulous pastries, under a 16-piece orchestra playing lugubrious Mozart ... there were ice pops in the "Latin America" section, but "Australia" ran out of shrimp way too early. The entertainment: My free henna tattoo still looks pretty good, and we all loved those two sistahs belting out "Proud Mary" on the karaoke stage in the "Asia" room. Rupert Murdoch was glimpsed, and I was thrilled to shake hands with News Corp's newest millionaires -- the two gents who sold their Brooklyn and Queens weeklies to the Man earlier this year. [Clifford Luster of TimesLedger and Steven Blank of Courier-Life. -- ed.] The Conversation: The question on most lips was whether you, too, had got the festive goodie bag, delivered to your workplace prior to the party. And yes, everybody did get the same thing: a DVD of the "Devil Wears Prada," a lightbulb, and a book, in a plastic bag. Apparently, if you're hosting 8,000 to 10,000 you've got to cut corners somewhere. But this was forgiven. After all, it's Christmas! News Corp. Holiday Party: Snooze Alarm [Gawker]

Big media determined to develop a Youtube killer

Some big media firms like News Corp, CBS, NBC Universal and others, are said to be close to announcing a website that they hope will shake up Youtube's hold on internet video. That’s just like big media isn't it? First they call you a flash in the pan, and then they try to be just like you. Whether or not the new venture goes ahead — and such a collaboration among these companies would be nearly unprecedented — the flurry of activity around its creation underscores the complex and high-stakes dance that media companies are having with new online outlets for their wares, and the potent combination of Google and YouTube in particular. Executives from the companies have been in intense negotiations over the ownership and management structure of the new entity — which is as yet unnamed — and the talks could continue until the end of the year or fall apart entirely. “They really want to do it,” one executive briefed on the talks said of the partners involved. However, this executive predicted, doubting the ability of the competitors to play well together: “Ten minutes after they do it they’ll want to kill themselves.” Of course they won't play well together. Its all about who has the biggest dick remember? Old Model Versus a Speedster [NYT]