If News Corp.
Well, no one laughs at Murdoch's ideas anymore -- especially his competition. Murdoch's long-range strategic vision -- of a strong presence in all major global media markets -- is now a reality, as the Federal Communications Commission approved his $6.6 billion purchase of DirecTV.
This is not to imply that leveraging DirectTV will be a cake walk. While it is the No.1 US . satellite-TV provider, there is intense competition and the overall growth rate for satellite growth is slowing.
Then again, DirecTV has been an asset subject to neglect, as its parent, GM Hughes Electronics
Murdoch's competition certainly understands the threat and has been in the process of preemption. For instance, satellite provider EchoStar Communications
Tom Taulli is the author of six books on investing, such as Investing in IPOs (Bloomberg Press), as well as a professor of finance at the USC School of Business (don't worry, he does come out of his ivory tower). You can reach him at[email protected].