Murdoch sets deadline

Our favorite acquisitor seems to be taking a cue from the Socal grocery workers: establish some arbitrary date for cutting a deal, take it or leave it. Several weeks back, they set June 19 as the deadline for the three major supermarket chains to come forward with an acceptable offer. They didn't and the contract talks go on. Interviewed today in Warsaw by Reuters, the News Corp. CEO said there are no plans to raise the $5 billion, $60-a-share bid for Dow Jones. "Everything is done. We are just waiting for a final approval of the Bancroft family," he said. "The final approval is in the next two, three week's time or not at all." But does anyone really believe that Murdoch would pull out unless it became very clear that the Bancrofts weren't going to deal - and goodness knows what's happening with the Bancrofts at this point. (Reuters)