“General Electric Co. and Microsoft Corp. were in discussions in recent weeks to combine Dow Jones & Co. with some portions of GE’s NBC Universal, parrying a bid by News Corp., but the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement,” Monday’e WSJ reveals.

The two companies’ last television partnership resulted in MSNBC. “GE’s interest shows that it is wrestling with how to confront News Corp.’s fledgling business-news channel,” the story continues…