I Want You To Want Me: Rupe and Zuckerman Battle Over Newsday

Newsday is reporting that in the wake of Rupert Murdoch’s reported bid to add the Long Island paper to his growing list of New York media holdings New York Daily News publisher Mort Zuckerman is upping his initial offer of a “low” $500 million.

Zuckerman may be drawing some comfort from the numerous hurdles facing Murdoch’s bid, not the least of which is the fact that just yesterday congressional hearings took place that “specifically criticized Murdoch’s reported designs on Newsday” &#151 the Senate Commerce Committee even went so far as to unanimously pass a resolution aimed at “resurrecting a federal cross-ownership restriction of newspapers and broadcast stations in top-20 markets.” Oh snap!

Still, Murdoch seems to have Tribune chief executive Sam Zell (Newsday is part of the Tribune Co. holdings) on his side. According to the article Zell is sympathetic to Murdoch’s “long-standing interest” in Newsday “and would like to please him, if possible.”
That’s very sweet. Something tells us he may be alone in that sentiment.

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