This is HUGE

[whometense]

Via Will Pitt's FYI:

Buffett, Soros make cable buys

Buffett's firm doubles holdings in Comcast; Soros buys Time Warner, Echostar.

February 15, 2005: 10:09 AM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Billionaire investors Warren Buffett and George Soros are getting hooked up with cable.

Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway, doubled its holdings in Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable operator to 10 million shares, during the fourth quarter, while it dumped its shares in hospital operator HCA and slashed its holdings in athletic apparel manufacturer Nike.

Soros Fund Management LLC disclosed in its own SEC filing that as of Dec. 31, it owned 2.6 million shares of Time Warner, owner of Time Warner Cable, the nation's No. 2 cable operator, as well as a host of other media properties, including CNN/Money. It had no shares in Time Warner at the end of the third quarter.

Soros's fund also bought 17 million shares of satellite television operator Echostar Communications during the quarter, adding another company it did not own on its earlier report. And it bought 209,272 shares of media conglomerate News Corp., which besides owning a number of broadcast and cable networks recently gained satellite television provider DirecTV.

This really has potential. I am very excited!!!

[TayTay]

1. Well Buffett cane afford it...

after making all that money in the Gillette deal. (Grumble, bad for Massachusetts, grumble, big business selling out regional interests, grumble, outsourcing of and abandonment of manufacturing in the US, grumble.)

EchoStar owns Dish Network which is the first big cable or satellite carrier to pick up the Pentagon Channel. Maybe Soros can get them to give more money to Free Speech TV and add C-Span 3 to Dish network. (I think I am grumbly today, I am seeing glass half-full.) I am hoping that this will be a signal of a more active voice in the News. That would be nice.

BTW, did you see the story that Google employees gave 98% of their political contributions to Democrats last year. This is also very interesting. In 2000, something like 60% of High-Tech pollitical contributions went to Rethugs. In 2004, those numbers were reversed and Kerry benefited. Another tea leaf to be read, sigh!

[whometense]

2. yeah, I did see that.

Here's another MA story, just for you, from one of my favorite MA blogs. I guess it belongs here as Mittens must be up there on the JK hitlist right now:

http://www.pookastew.com/k123/2005/02/mitt-happens.html

Sunday, February 13, 2005
Mitt Happens
In his term as Governor of the Commonwealth, Mitt Romney has kept busy. Early on he spared no effort chasing former Senate President William Bulger out of the presidency of the University of Massachusetts--the office from which Mr. Bulger had attracted vast sums and attention to the school.

Next Governor Romney weighed in on the gay marriage issue, suggesting that civil liberties guaranteed under the state constitution should instead go up for a popular vote.

Now, having amassed a war chest worthy of a 2008 presidential candidate, the governor has decided to give interviews in the national press opposing stem cell research.

All of which leads us to wonder: what ever happened to that "rolodex" Mr. Romney claimed he'd use to bring jobs to Massachusetts?

You remember Massachusetts, don't you? The place with all the biotech companies and universities staffed by people who vacation in Provincetown?

# posted by pookastew @ Sunday, February 13, 2005

[ginnyinWI]

6. atta boy, Soros!

We need people like him! I'm glad we switched back to Time Warner cable from Directv recently. I found out it was Murdoch owned, for one thing, and the cable offers Cspan3, for another. Now Soros is buying stock.

Oh yeah and Google is very blue. They are offering a new email service called "gmail". I signed up today.

Another one: Starbucks gave 100% of their contributions to Kerry. Drink up everyone!

[Vektor]

3. I have been suggesting this

FOR YEARS!
That these guys need to buy up some cable space and launch a news station to counter the right wing BULL SHIT.

I have written them letters on more than one occasion.

MY DREAM IS COMING TO FRUITION.

Ok, well not the one about me, John Kerry, a bottle of pink champagne, some fresh blackberries, and altar boy costume, a nun outfit, and a tube of KY warming Gelee...

The OTHER dream.

[TayTay]

4. I thought that's what Al Gore was doing?

Ahm, not the one with the Gelee, btw. My dream would involve a rocky seacoast in Maine, a thunderstorm, a nice hotel room with a fireplace and some grapes. There would be no need for embrocation. (http://dictionary.reference.com.) However, I fear that I digress.

Where was I? (I have sick-at-home syndrome. My train of thought is fully loaded and ready to go, but the engineer in charge of hooking up the individual cars loaded with separate but related points has called in sick and I am afraid I cannot get this train to proceed. I know my thoughts are there, but they refuse to hook together into anything resembling cohesive thought. Alas.)

Oh, big media. (Yeah!) Right. I'm for some of the big Dem spenders putting some money and stockholder push into fixing big media and making it at least objective again. (Whew!) If Soros and Buffett can do this and can refrain from criticizing the last Dem nominee unduly, then I am ready to be best pals with them. We need their help. (I am miffed with Soros over his criticism of Kerry last week. I did not like that. Perhaps my Kerrybot self was invoked?)

[whometense]

5. I was angry with Soros

too, but like you am ready to let bygones be bygones over the matter as long as he keeps his friggin' mouth shut about JK from now on.

We need the airspace, pure and simple.

[TayTay]

7. Soros' Criticism rubbed me the wrong way

It sounded petulant and sort of childish. (Waa, waa, he didn't do what I wanted so I'm gonna dump on him. Waa, waaa.)

If I've told a billionaire once, I've told them a thousand times, shut up and give us money. Who cares what you think? We just came for the money. I just hate it when they insist on talking. It's so damn irritating. (What makes them think they know anything, It's not like it's their money, oh hell, it is their money. Guess I have to listen. Then maybe they will give us money. Sigh! When I become Supreme Ruler of the Universe, this will have to change. I will form a committee and put this listening to rich, successful people thing under severe advisement.)

[Vektor]

9. Agreed on that -

He needs to shut up with the criticism, put his money where his mouth is, and TAKE ON THE MEDIA WHORES.

[whometense]

11. hahahahaha

It absolutely WAS petulant.

At least he puts the money where his mouth is. Maybe he's been mollified by the Dean-as-chair thing.

[Vektor]

8. No, I can embrocate on my own.

The gelee is so I can have an erotic foot massage.
It's WARMING, ya know! :-)

[TayTay]

10. well, I knew that

I knew about foot massages. I spoke about it only yesterday. (Oh how I would love to give hot foot massages if only I could find the proper emollients.) There, see. I'm with you on this one. We are a united Democratic front when it comes to the value of proper care of the feet and the value of vigorous rubbing on same. We are not arguing, we are in agreement. (Sigh!)