It wasn't that long ago that the biggest media deals were made in radio but those numbers were generally in the millions, not billions as in the Microsoft attempt to take over Yahoo Inc. for $41 billion. The only time you see billion attached to radio today is what Sirius and XM would save annually should that merger ever be approved - $7 billion or the possible sale of Clear Channel to Bain which has a sale price of $20 billion...
Yahoo finds itself backed into a corner and none of the choices look very appealing. Should they fight Microsoft's takeover, they could form an alliance with Google to share advertising revenue, pending antitrust clearance. Under that alliance, Yahoo would rely on Google to run its search engine along with the thousands of other Web sites for a steady stream of ad revenue. They could also go private but that could effect almost 5,000 jobs at Yahoo or they could sell about $12.5 billion worth of investments like Alibaba.com and Yahoo Japan. At least they have choices...
The betting by most analysts is that Yahoo will wind up in Microsoft's hands. If they continue to play hard to get, Microsoft will raise their bid. You might wonder why Microsoft is so determined to get Yahoo. CEO Steve Ballmer answers, "the number one thing we're trying to do is increase scale and increase capacity to give ourselves a better chance to be more successful more quickly." Obtaining Yahoo would do that, Steve! Microsoft could sweeten the pot for Yahoo by paying as much as $35 a share, up from $29.33, yesterday's price which was at $19 and change before this proposed takeover was announced. Microsoft's price at closing yesterday was $30.19. Google, which will be dramatically affected should Microsoft take over Yahoo, fell $20.47 to finish at $495.43. It was at $747.24 three months ago...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1921] It's read all over: Reader's Digest hits the newsstands for the first time...
- 1921] The home that Ruth built: The Yankees purchase 20 acres in the Bronx to build Yankee Stadium. The stadium goes up 2 years later in 1923. Eighty-five years later, a new stadium is being built (that will open in 2009): http://youtube.com/watch?v=7LNJqZSi8rU ...
- 1967] Smothered: "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" premieres on CBS-TV. It will switch to NBC and finally ABC before ending in May of 1975...
- 1990] The color of money: Notre Dame becomes the first major college football team to sell its home games to a major TV network - NBC, where it still resides. Here are some 'Fighting Irish' football highlights through the years: http://youtube.com/watch?v=M8KHgkHw-J8 ...
- 1994] Guilty as charged: White separatist Byron De La Beckwith is convicted in Jackson (MS) of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963. De La Beckwith is sentenced to life in prison...1999] Mike Tyson is sentenced to one year in prison for assaulting two people after a car accident in 1998. He's also fined $5,000 and serves two years of probation and community service upon release...2002] A federal grand jury indicts John Walker Lindh on 10 charges, alleging he was trained by Osama bin Laden's network and conspired with the Taliban to kill Americans...
- 1997] Wedding Bells: Investment banker Morgan Stanley announces a $10 billion merger with Dean Witter...
- 2001] Regis gets ripped: Kelly Ripa is announced as Regis Philbin's new co-host. The show is renamed "Live! with Regis and Kelly". Ripa replaces Kathie Lee Gifford. Here are Regis and Kelly interviewing the hottest entertainer at the moment, Miley Cyrus: http://youtube.com/watch?v=lYukbOOOVjM ...
- 2001] This cruise is over: Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman announce their separation...
- 2003] WMD alert: Secretary of State Colin Powell urges the U.N. Security Council to move against Iraq, saying that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was harboring terrorists, claims that later turned out to be false...
- 2006] Super Bowl Sunday: The Pittsburgh Steelers win a record-tying 5th Super Bowl (they tie San Francisco) with a 21-10 win over Seattle...
Music Memory:
- 1998] Live from the White House: Elton John and Stevie Wonder perform at the White House...
Commentary:
Super Bowl XLII was the most watched SB in history. 97.5 million viewers saw the second-most watched TV show ever. That distinction goes to the series finale of "M*A*S*H" in 1983, which drew 106 million viewers...Today is 'Super Tuesday' in 24 states. Get out and vote!!!
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Laurence Maroney (23), Bobby Brown (39), Laura Linney (44), Jennifer Jason Leigh (46), Tim Meadows (47), Barbara Hershey (60), Christopher Guest (60), Al Kooper (64), Roger Staubach (66), Barrett Strong (67) Barrett and "Money" right off the record and then an interview with the Motown singer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5sZTcdrt0g0 , http://youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0ALrRc29Y , Henry Aaron (74), Andrew M. Greeley (80) and Claude King (85), 'Wolverton Mountain": http://youtube.com/watch?v=6OMHxU5kxHQ ...
Timeline Countdown: 5 days until Red Sox pitchers & catchers report, 9 days for every other team, 45 days until the beginning of spring and 50 days until opening day...
