Has anyone heard about GE selling MSNBC? If so who would the puppet masters be?

[1776Forever]

Does anyone think Rupert may be lurking around the corner?

I heard this speculation on Morning Joe on Friday but hadn't had a chance to post it.

???????? Hmmmmmmm - Makes you wonder doesn't it?

Report on it here:

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/02/ge-in-talks-to-sell-nbc-to-comcast/?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_bloggingstocks

GE in talks to sell NBC to Comcast
Posted Oct 2nd 2009 5:30PM by Connie Madon

General Electric Co. (NYSE GE), owner of the 83 year old peacock NBC, wants to sell part of it to Comcast Corp. (NYSE: CCT), according to Alisa Roth, who reports that GE has entered into negotiations with Comcast to do just that.

Comcast is already the biggest cable operator in the country. If the deal goes through Comcast would own NBS, Bravo, CNBC and MSNBC, and other channels.

But there is a fly in the ointment. Vivendi (OTC: VIVEF ) owns 20% of NBC, and it is not clear whether or not it wants to sell. There could also be antitrust issues because Comcast already operates in so many places. Plus if NBC is up for grabs, other companies could join in the fray.

Under terms of the deal, GE would still retain a minority stake in NBC.


More at link

...........

Just found this:

By SHIRA OVIDE
NEW YORK—News Corp. Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704322004574477352922350392.html

Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch on Friday said the company plans to look at possible opportunities stemming from Comcast Corp.'s potential deal with NBC Universal, but he said the company wasn't in any negotiations.

"We'll have a look at that deal to see what opportunities there are for us," Mr. Murdoch said at News Corp.'s annual meeting when asked about the effect on News Corp. of a Comcast-NBC Universal tie-up. Mr. Murdoch characterized the interest as part of normal business operations.

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

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

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


:shrug:

[imdjh]

1. Mao Says News Bejing China

[AllentownJake]

2. Comcast would get the following properties

* BravoBrands
* CNBCBrands
* ChillerBrands
* Focus FeaturesBrands
* Global NetworksBrands
* MSNBCBrands
* NBC EntertainmentBrands
* NBC NewsBrands
* NBC Sports & OlympicsBrands
* NBC Universal Television GroupBrands
* NBC Universal Television StationsBrands
* OxygenBrands
* SleuthBrands
* SyfyBrands
* TelemundoBrands
* USA NetworkBrands
* Universal HDBrands
* Universal Parks & ResortsBrands
* Universal PicturesBrands
* Universal Studios Home EntertainmentBrands
* Weather ChannelBrands
* iVillageBrands
* mun2Brands

MSNBC is at the bottom of the list of properties they want out of this.

[StreetKnowledge]

3. I doubt it matters much.

Considering MSNBC has made huge strides in terms of viewership since they started running KO, Maddow, Chris Matthews, Big Ed and the like. Why change that? And Comcast is a company which gets shafted every which way by the other media outlets. This might just be a play to get some channels of their own.

[1776Forever]

6. Check my update out - I still think it stinks and I hope it doesn't take our voices out!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704322004574477352922350392.html

[thatsrightimirish]

4. rumor has it that comcast has offered to buy it

I'm not a pro at this but I can't imagine a large cable company being allowed to buy a major network. Am I wrong?

And Ted Turner wants to buy CNN back. If he isn't successful, maybe MSNBC?

[TheWebHead]

5. NBC Universal is on the block

which includes NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, motion picture, theme parks and some local NBC stations. Comcast appears the likely acquirer...

[Hoopla Phil]

7. Rush limpnuts maybe?

[davidwparker]

8. I saw (just a headline) that Ted Turner wanted to run CNN again. Maybe he

would be interested in MSNBC and making a counter to Faux and CNN. Maybe doing all day on the various shows what Rachel does at 9pm eastern.

[dhpgetsit]

9. Just to REALLY PISS OFF the Righties

I would like to see Soros, or even Obama buy MSNBC.

[AllentownJake]

10. How can President Obama buy MSNBC?

[dhpgetsit]

11. I don't know but it would sure piss off the Righties.

[Initech]

12. Didn't stop Burlusconi.