There’s been any number of persons in the basketball world who’d like to silence Frank Isola, but here’s one rather expensive way of doing so ; the NY Post’s Emily Smith reports competing tabloid the New York Daily News is on the radar of Cablevision’s James Dolan, who already has his hooks in Newsday :
A source tells us Dolan’s interest in the tabloid is a natural extension of Cablevision’s current ownership of Newsday. But Dolan and MSG have been locked in a 10-year feud with the News, which could put some of the paper’s editorial staff in a precarious position if he becomes the buyer.
The feud between Dolan and the News dates back to ’05, when the paper backed a plan by former Mayor Mike Bloomberg to build the West Side Stadium. Cablevision, with Dolan as CEO, opposed the move, as the new sports venue would have competed directly with MSG.
On Thursday, Zuckerman announced he was exploring a sale of the loss-making tabloid. He said the move comes after “we were approached about our potential interest in selling.” Dolan was not the person who made that initial approach, we’re told. The Post’s Keith Kelly reported on Saturday that Cablevision has the cash but risks backlash from investors still unhappy about the drag on earnings from the $650 million purchase of Newsday in 2008.