Maybe I just missed it before, but I noticed a CNBC screen shot today that said something about it being a service of NBC and Dow Jones. If the video image was new, then I guess it could be a reminder to Rupert and everyone else that CNBC has a stake in this deal whether he likes it or not. Initially, I just assumed it has been there all along and chalked the ignorance up to my constant attempts to tune out as much tv crap as I can. But then I saw a news stream on Bloomberg reminding me about the NBC and News Corp partnership to compete with Google. Seems there are some strange bedfellows in the media business despite the attacks on Murdoch from liberal press and from Fox towards CNBC. I can almost hear the refrain from “Kumbayah” and I started dreaming….

If News Corp. and the Bancroft family finally come to agreement, there’s still the matter of CNBC’s contract with Dow Jones that runs through 2012. We’ve been hearing about the new Fox Business channel for over two years and despite all the postponements (what’s the holdup?), I am not sure the US needs another channel to feed us with financial news (ask CNNfn).

And yet, I keep thinking about that CNBC screenshot and cannot help but wonder if it wouldn’t just make more sense for Rupert to acquire CNBC and avoid the whole mess of the Dow Jones partnership. It certainly would make the dog-eat-dog world (no offense to the canines) of financial journalism be less of a fight. Competing with CNBC to take away viewers may seem like a great challenge for the Fox Business Channel, but I doubt it will be an easy or immediately profitable one. Buy CNBC and resolve the MSNBC mess and things look a lot cleaner. Hey, the suggestion for GE to sell off NBC and its media holdings has been bouncing around for a while so don’t blame me. But since I am at this shameless dreamworld of speculation and rumoring that I hate, I might as well remind anyone that has forgotten that Roger Ailes ran CNBC from 1993-1996. As for regulatory issues, I am leaving those out for now.

Okay - enough of my rant. If it never happens, remind me the next time to keep my mouth shut. If it does, ask me what I think should happen to Bloomberg, especially if Mayor Mike decides to run for President.