Murdoch vs. Microsoft: What's Rupert got to offer?(News)(Rupert Murdoch)

Advertising Age, February, 2008 by Klaassen, Abbey

Byline: ABBEY KLAASSEN

There's one man standing in Steve Ballmer's path to acquiring the most visited site on the internet: Rupert Murdoch. And it's hard to bet against someone who almost always gets what he wants.

Mr. Murdoch is working on a deal that would make News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media assets part of Yahoo in exchange for a 20% stake in the newly combined entity, according to persons familiar with discussions. And though industry watchers are bearish on his ability to out-maneuver Microsoft, it's tough to deny that the two companies offer some nice synergies for marketers.

"If it happens, it takes Yahoo out of a lose-lose proposition into one that almost immediately becomes win-win,'' said Tim Hanlon, exec VP at Publicis Groupe's...