Three media moguls have apparently set their caps for Tribune Company's Newsday, the Long Island daily, according to insiders. The interested trio are Rupert Murdoch, head of News Corp. and owner of the New York Post; Mort Zuckerman, real estate developer and owner of The New York Daily News; and James Dolan, whose family controls Cablevision. The sale process is described as a "soft auction" wherein bankers approach a select group of buyers and could lead to various kinds of deals. Murdoch, for one, is considering a deal that would create a joint venture between the Post and …

Boxing promoter Don King was in a Florida court this week as part of his battle with cable sports behemoth ESPN, which he alleges defamed him in a 2004 documentary, portraying him as a con artist. Attorneys for ESPN, a unit of Disney, have tried to get King's $2.5 billion suit thrown out but the judge wants time to deliberate. King, known for his flamboyant personality and big hair, has promoted Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. Three years ago, he sued ESPN over statements made in a "SportsCentury" documentary, claiming the program included false and damaging statements. And …

Coming onto its fifth anniversary, MSNBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann," will hit the big Peacock with a special edition to be broadcast on NBC March 30. The network special is aimed at showing what more than 1 million MSNBC viewers see each night and to further promote the fast-growing show. March to date, "Countdown" is averaging 402,000 adults 25 to 54, an 82% increase over last year, and holds a 9% lead over CNN's Election Center at the same time slot. It also leads CNN in total viewers with 1.1 million vs. 1.07 million. "Countdown" rolled out …

Consumer magazines posted the highest increase in advertising revenue share of non-digital media categories in 2007, according to new data from TNS Media Intelligence. Last year, consumer magazine ad share hit nearly 18.5%, up from 17.5% in 2006. Meanwhile, U.S. Internet online display advertising also saw a share growth of one point -- from 6.4% to 7.4% -- while outdoor got a slight increase. That means consumer magazine advertising share is up about 2% since 2004, a bump the Magazine Publishers of America attributes to aggressive magazine marketing and advertising campaigns under a program it launched in 2005.

The History Channel has dropped the beginning and end of its long held moniker and now wants to be known as "History." Says Nancy Dubuc, the network's executive vice president, "Our brand is, in the media landscape, synonymous with the genre of history, so I don't think it's presumptuous of us to call ourselves History." She adds that many viewers already refer to it that way and that using "Channel" drags down its efforts to establish the brand in other media like the Internet. The net has also changed its "H" logo to make it look bolder and …

FSN Detroit has locked in to long-term contracts with three local pro sports teams, signing deals with the National Basketball Association's Pistons, baseball's Tigers and the Red Wings of the NHL. Terms were not disclosed, but the agreements give FSN exclusivity on all of the clubs' local telecasts and some published reports put the combined value at over $1 billion. Insiders say the pacts each run for at least 10 years. The FSN Detroit program lineup will now include more than 300 games annually among the three teams, with most in high-definition format. "The size and scope …