Did you see that Rupert Murdoch is publicly defending Time Warner in its battle with Carl Icahn? In an interview with Newsweek, he said the company was "very well run." Added Murdoch: "I don't know what Icahn thinks he's doing. Icahn has gone out on a limb. Even if he succeeds in getting it broken up — and that would be very sad — I don't think he'd make money out of it."
Murdoch's timing is interesting. Other reports have noted that by year-end, he hopes to launch a new cable channel to compete with CNBC, provided that he can line up large cable operators to carry his new station. It so happens, of course, that Time Warner is one of the largest cable operators in the country.
Is Murdoch simply trying to butter up top Time Warner management so they will carry his fledgling station?
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