WSJ's slim profits make it vulnerable
Richard Perez-Pena of The New York Times writes that the Wall Street Journal’s slim profits, compared to other papers, is what makes parent company Dow Jones & Co. vulnerable to a takeover offer such as the $5 billion bid from New Corp. Perez-Pena wrote, “In part, The Journal’s recent struggles can be attributed to its […]
Bancrofts split on meeting with Murdoch
Joshua Chaffin of The Financial Times writes that members of the Bancroft family that control Dow Jones & Co., the parent of The Wall Street Journal, are divided about meeting with News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch to discuss his $5 billion bid for the company. Chaffin wrote, “Insiders say some of the 35-odd family members […]
Bancroft family member says he wouldn't take $100/share for Dow Jones
The Wall Street Journal has a story in Saturday’s paper that looks into the Bancroft family that controls Dow Jones & Co., which has received a $5 billion, or $60 a share, bid from News Corp., and quotes one family member as saying he wouldn’t take $100 a share from News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch. […]
Job cuts possible if Reuters and Thomson combine
Keith Reed of the Boston Globe writes that there could be job cuts if the proposed merger between Reuters Group and Thomson Corp. goes through. Reed wrote, “Neither side would comment on the deal’s potential impact on Boston citing the unfinished negotiations, but analysts say there’s a push to get a deal done within weeks. […]
Would there be a weirder marriage than Murdoch and WSJ?
Frank Ahrens of The Washington Post takes a look Thursday at the proposed acquisition of Dow Jones & Co. by News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch and wonders whether The Wall Street Journal’s staffer’s fears are overblown based on what happened after Murdoch bought The Times of London. Ahrens wrote, “It’s hard for some to imagine […]
Dow Jones/News Corp. illustrates why public ownership of papers is bad
Gary Weiss writes on Salon.com that the $5 billion offer by News Corp. to acquire Dow Jones & Co., the parent of The Wall Street Journal, is just another illustration of why public ownership of newspapers has been bad for the journalism business. Weiss wrote, “The reporters at Dow Jones know that you can forget […]
Reuters/Thomson deal could face regulatory hurdles
Aaron Patrick of The Wall Street Journal writes for Wednesday’s paper — available online Tuesday night — that the proposed $17.6 billion deal between Reuters Group Plc and Thomson Corp. could face some regulatory issues because it would eliminate a competitor in the financial information industry. Patrick wrote, “The deal would also likely have to […]
Reuters/Thomson disclose potential merger details
Reuters Group Plc and Thomson Corp. would create a combined company in its proposed $17.6 billion deal that would continue to use the Reuters name for its business news service, according to details from a joint release. Reuters reporter Mark Potter wrote, “The Thomson family, which owns about 70 percent of the Canadian group, would […]
Former Dow Jones CEO Kann writes letter to Bancrofts, saying thanks
Former Dow Jones & Co. CEO Peter Kann, who stepped down from that position at the beginning of 2006, wrote a letter to the Bancroft family that controls a majority of the voting stock in the company to thank them for their opposition to the proposed $5 billion acquisition by News Corp. Kann, who was […]
Buffett: Murdoch's bid for Dow Jones is about ego
Warren Buffett, a large shareholder in the Washington Post Co., said in a press conference Sunday that News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch’s bid for Dow Jones & Co., the parent of The Wall Street Journal, goes beyond economics, according to a Bloomberg story. Jesse Westbrook wrote, “Rupert would even acknowledge that some part of his […]
