'I Think Murdoch Will Get the New York Times'

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How about Sean Hannity as editor of the New York Times op-ed page?  Maybe O'Reilly and Cavuto in place of Dowd and Krugman as Times columnists?  It might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.  At least, not if Michael Wolff is right.  The Vanity Fair media maven, appearing on CNBC this afternoon, not only said that Rupert Murdoch wants the Gray Lady, but predicted he would get her.  [H/t Gat.]

View video here [via CNBC].

MICHAEL WOLFF: I think that everybody is looking at [the NYT] and waiting for it to kind of go over a brink, to run out of cash, which they're in the process of doing. Or to find itself in a situation where actually, and this is really the key thing, they go looking for a buyer.

A bit later, Wolff, author of a book on Murdoch, mentioned his name as a likely buyer . . .

WOLFF: I think Rupert Murdoch would love the New York Times.  I mean that is finally the capper of his career.  I think that's what he wants.  I believe that's what he will get.  But all that's true about the newspaper business, but you have to add to it price. At some price the New York Times becomes actually a very enviable buy.  And we're getting to that price.

OK, to be serious for a moment, even if Murdoch were to acquire the Times, he would surely staff it with newspaper professionals, as he has done at the Wall Street Journal, not with FNC personalities.  Still, the image of O'Reilly hitting the intercom, yelling "hey Krugman! Bring me another cup of coffee.  And make sure it's hot this time!" is not without a certain appeal.