Leo Eyes Dodgers – NAB Skewers TWC $$$ – Poor Philippe

Deals:  One of the latest names to crop up in  LA Dodgers bidding wars comes with a long-time cable connection as Leo Hindery has reportedly teamed with LA mega-rich Tom Barrack to vie for the franchise.  Now the managing partner for InterMedia Partners, Hindery made his cable mark via TCI.  More on the bidding wars from the LA Times.  --- According to Reuters, News Corp., Time Warner and TPG Capital have all placed bids up up to ~$1B for Calik Holding's ATV-Sabah media unit in Turkey.  Calik payed $1.1B for the unit in December 2007.

Money Matters:  While analysts slaver over Time Warner Cable's 4Q results, the NAB sees a golden bullet: The cable op made too much money to complain about retrans, say the broadcasters.  NAB spokesperson Dennis Wharton blasted the cable op's net income increase of 44%, adding, "It's laughable to suggest that broadcasters are responsible for higher cable rates." --- Meanwhile, Wall Street analysts are looking bullish on media companies in general, noting stronger ad sales and online distribution deals among other factors.  SmartMoney has a good company-by-company roundup. 

Company Reports:  Gannett missed 4Q expectations as special charges helped drag its earnings to 0.$49/share v. $0.72/share y/y.  Among the losers on company rolls was the broadcast unit where revenues fell 14.2% on weaker political spending.  Get the company release here. 

Pay:  Poor Philippe Dauman .... The Viacom CEO's 2011 pay came in at just over half of his 2010 take, according to company reports.  Dauman saw $43.1M in total compensation in 2011 v. $84.5M in 2010. 

More News in The Morning BRIDGE ... early tomorrow in your in-box.•

• Thanks: A tough former Marine, fellow Vietnam vet, GI-bill (sort of) attorney, fellow Texan and fellow cable pioneer died a couple weeks ago ... one of those things that make one stop and think a bit.  Jerry Lindauer was one of the very good guys.  Smart.  Good Dad.  Good citizen.  One of the guys who helped build the cable industry into what has become a much, much greater player in the expanded MVPD/communications/information/entertainment world.  Just thought I should say, “Thanks.”

• Ditto?!? ... I don’t often agree with my broadcaster-centric fellow pundit Harry Jessell, but he’s right on about Comcast at NBCU in at least this respect: “OK, no more jokes about Kabletown or the absurdity of running a major broadcast network from some stop on the Acela between New York and Washington. ... Comcast took over NBCUniversal one year ago this Sunday, and so far has been a model owner, at least for the broadcasting end of the business that I follow.”  More from Harry in his TVNewsCheck here.

• Enough-Is-Enough-Dept.: Nice to see a US Attorney agree ... the Middle District of Pennsylvania called off a languishing – for 6 years! – tax indictment against John and Timothy Rigas.  Also nice to see US District Court Judge John E. Jones III agree noting, “As Kenny Rogers sang in his hit song ‘The Gambler,’ ‘You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.’ Today, the Government has appropriately decided to fold ’em, and has blessedly elected to end this aspect of the unfortunate Rigas saga. It is a commendable decision.”

• My Favorite Headline of the Week: From The Huffington Post: “President May Have To Vacate Oval Office Next Year.”  Click on it for the story, though, and the headline elucidates a bit: Oval Office Renovations: White House Source Says President May Have To Vacate Office Next Year.”

• Meanwhile, watch out, “privacy” is going to get hundreds times more complicated, vitriolic and unsolvable.•