Bancroft family will consider being tricked into selling out to Rupert Murdoch

The Bancroft family who controls DowJones will act as if they are weighing other options but will really be considering Rupert Murdoch's offer to buy them out. Of course there are some, especially in the newsrooms who are hoping a deal doesn't happen because they know what will happen the moment the ink dries on the agreement. So will the Bancrofts bite after behaving as though they weren't blown away by Rupe's generous offer? The family earlier on Thursday said it would meet Murdoch, a softening of its earlier opposition to his $60-per-share offer for the company. Sure you will Bancrofts, sure you will!! Dow Jones to consider Murdoch bid, other offers [Reuters]

Philippe Dogman Dauman would pimp Viacom to Apple

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman is open to opening up Viacom to a content licensing deal with Apple because Apple is in bed with Youtube and Dauman wants to some how join in the fun. Apple said on Wednesday that YouTube's entire video catalog will be made available on its Apple TV set-top box device, which lets consumers view media and listen to music stored on computers directly on their television screens. "We're always vigilant about protecting our copyrights," a Viacom spokesman said. "But we would welcome the opportunity to license our content to Apple as we do with all distributors," he said. Viacom welcomes licensing opportunity from Apple TV [Reuters

Les Moonves' digital build up

Media execs better keep a close eye on CBS big eye Les Moonves because the man is slowly building up CBS's digital capabilities. Last week the company announced that it purchased Wall Street video blog WallStrip.com and now about a week later they are announcing that they are swallowing LastFM.com. How CBS will utilize the site to distribute its content if at all is not yet clear but we're sure Les and company will think of something. After all there is CBS Records. CBS Corp said on Wednesday it had paid $280 million in cash for the popular music social network service Last.fm.CBS said in a statement the online service had more than 15 million active users in more than 200 countries and would fit well with its plans to attract younger viewers and transform it from a content company to an audience company. CBS buys online music network Last.fm [Reuters]

David Pecker sure knows how to point fingers, but he should be standing in front of a mirror when he does it

American Media (AMI) CEO David Pecker will do anything to push the attention off of him and his senior management team. The tabloid boss is said to have ripped AMI Editorial Director Bonnie Fuller a new one after seeing the recent cover of Men's Fitness which carried an overly enhanced image of tennis star Andy Roddick. Pecker is said to have told Fuller she is responsible because she should have caught it before it went to press. You know what. Men’s Fitness didn't do what other magazines aren't doing. So they may have gotten carried away with the size of Andy Roddick's arms but that's not really the big deal here now is it? Pecker's real anger is due to AMI’s in the toilet numbers and this is his attempt to some how throw the blame on Bonnie Fuller for the company's constant lousy quarterly reports. Bonnie, you should get out while the getting is good and let the captain go down with that sinking ship. BONNIE BASHED OVER ARM JOB [NYP]

Smells like Tween Spirit......yeah we know, so not original!

Perhaps both Disney and Nickelodeon should get a cut from all the tween magazines out there keeping their heads above the water thanks to their hit shows. We have to admit that we've never heard of some of these magazines but they seem to be carrying weight in tween circles. We can only imagine the kind of ads that run in these publications. But we have to wonder if parents are OK with their little girls and boys getting kissing tips from grown ups? With a faithful audience in the millions, these magazines for the early teenage years are in overdrive, bolstered by last year’s enthusiasm for new stars from the Disney Channel’s hit “High School Musical,” which made household names not only of Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu, but also of Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Anne Hudgens. Miley Cyrus, the daughter of the singer Billy Ray Cyrus, is the star of the Disney series “Hannah Montana.” OK, so who are these kids? It doesn't matter anyway. Half of them will end up in rehab and at that time we can read all about em. OMG! Cute Boys, Kissing Tips and Lots of Pics, as Magazines Find a Niche [NYT]

Kevin Reilly almost out the door at NBC: Unidentified NBC execs

We never saw this one coming based on the fact that his contract was recently renewed to continue as President of NBC Entertainment. Then again shame on us for thinking a contract means shit in the media/entertainment business. According to some unloyal NBC execs, NBC Universal is reportedly in negotiations to kick Kevin Reilly to the curb and replace him with producer Ben Silverman, who will probably meet the same fate some years down the line. Is this a "We like you Kevin but we Like Ben better" situation? Is Kevin Reilly no longer hitting Jeff Zucker's spot? At the end of the day, all this is to please the sharks at GE and why shouldn't it be? If they're not pleased then that’s Jeff Zucker's ass. Hey Kev call up Les and see what he has open over at CBS. Several executives who have been informed of the discussions said that NBC Universal had started some complex negotiations with Mr. Silverman to take a leadership role in its entertainment operations, including devising new approaches to unite its broadcast, cable and Internet programming divisions. NBC Said to Be in Talks to Remove Program Chief [NYT]

For Black Entertainment Television's Debra Lee we say, It's about time!!!

After seeing other cable nets coming up with hit shows that they should have come up with in the first place, the house that Bob Johnson built, Black Entertainment Television (BET) has discovered a little thing called "Original Programming". For years BET has built its brand on other people's backs, but not anymore. CEO Debra Lee has finally realized that, if BET wants to remain thee destination for African American cable viewers she has to spend some of Sumner Redstone's money. “What we have found over the years is that acquired and licensed programming has not done as well as we would have liked,” Ms. Lee said. “It was very clear that we had to invest more in original programming.” Have no fear, BET's Pexy of Entertainment Reggie Hudlin is here: “I want every black person with a TV watching, and a lot of people with TVs who like black people,” he said. “We want the black audience to start the day with BET and put the remote down at night without switching channels.” That's a tall order Reg but, you never know! At BET, Fighting the Rerun [NYT] EARLIER: Why are other cable networks beating BET to the punch? Their punch

Will American Media ever be Peckerless?

When one is diagnosed with cancer they usually get a treatment called Kemo Therapy to kill or stunt the deadly disease. Some bounce back never to face that challenge again and some aren't as lucky. Well tabloid publisher American Media Inc, home to Star Magazine and the insane Enquire has a serious level of cancer that it won’t seek treatment for. We must be the only ones who think AMI CEO David Pecker and his incompetent underlings need to be removed from the company like the deadly cancer they are. AMI continues to miss financial deadlines and its fiscal quarterly reports remain soaked in red ink. Why won't the board remove Pecker? Even if they have to pay him a fat sum, pay that money to rid the company of this cancer now and avoid having to face it down the line again. AMI needs a fresh face, fresh ideas and someone who is financially competent to lead the company into the black. We give up! We hope Ron Burkle is really kicking the tires on AMI and a deal does happen because without a doubt, Pecker and his yes-men will be gone for good.....we think. Maybe even Bonnie too. Someone save AMI from David Pecker!!!!!! AMI REPORTS MORE RED INK [NYP]

Tom Freston: Viacom operates in some shade of gray

It looks like former Viacom CEO Tom Freston has finally gotten his balls back and is now talking freely about how he feels about his former employer and the way they approach broadcasting. Freston recently sat down with Donny Deutsch host of “The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch,” and told it like he sees it. "Today’s broadcasters, including Viacom, operate in “some shade of gray . . . They have standards, but they’re low.” Cable programming is “getting close” to the bottom of the barrel. In the chase for ratings points . . . sensationalism is like the lowest fruit to grab . . Hey Tom was it getting close to the bottom of the barrel when you were running one of the biggest media firms in the world, or after you got canned? BOTTOM FEEDERS [NYP]

Germans quench their thirst for Long Island blood

So the Germans stormed through the Bookspan offices and left only a few breathing. The Blood Bath has finally come and gone and now the blood spatter on the walls and the floor has now dried to a dark brown crust. Perhaps soon the survivors will all have to put up with the commute to and from the offices of BMG Columbia House at One Penn Plaza? Well to those who perished we say good luck and may you land on your feet when you blow through your severance and your unemployment runs out.

Technology is not our friend

Hi kidz, Yeah its been almost a month since anything has been posted here on MediaWire. Well the truth is everything almost went to shits with the site. We almost lost everything. Though we're sure we've lost some of you, we're hoping you will come back when we're fully up and running again. This tech shit is really a pain in the ass. -MWD