Bids for the Weather Channel are in, and despite reports that a consortium of NBC Universal, Blackstone Group and Bain Capital are in the lead; sources tell CNBC "talk of a front runner is
premature."
The cable network that reaches 96 million U.S. homes could end up in the hands of NBC, Time Warner or private-equity buyers. Bids are reportedly coming in at about $3.5
billion in stock and debt. So what's the Weather Channel worth?
It's one of the last remaining independent cable assets, and it is a strong vertical brand -- "a go-to destination that transcends the TV format to draw users on the Web and on their mobile phones."