Okay, here is an absolutely brilliant idea. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. According to this blurb at The Hollywood Reporter, News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) is interested in doing a sequel to the classic 1987 film Wall Street.

Some of you younger investors out there might not be familiar with the movie, but perhaps you're familiar with the now-famous quote "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." It was uttered by the loathsome Gordon Gekko, whose alliterative name almost oozes corporate scandal and villainy. That character was played by Michael Douglas. Wall Street was directed by Oliver Stone and it portrayed the evil side of capitalism, replete with insider trading and share-price manipulation. It's considered a classic, iconic fictional snapshot of the current zeitgeist at the time: the only thing that mattered was upward mobility and accumulation of as much net worth as conceivable without consideration for the little guy. It came out around the time of the '87 market crash, so it had that going for it.

This is why News Corp. needs to fast-track the project. According to this source from May of last year, a sequel to Wall Street was already in the works. Obviously, the fact that The Hollywood Reporter mentioned the project this week means that execs at Fox feel that the timing for a sequel is approaching an optimal point. In fact, they really should try to get it out into the marketplace as quickly as they can, and hopefully with Michael Douglas reprising his role as Gekko (Douglas' return is not set in stone at this point). Not only could the movie gross a decent amount at the box office, but think of the synergy potential here.

News Corp. is fighting a battle with General Electric's (NYSE: GE) CNBC as we speak. The Fox Business Channel wants to take away as many viewers as possible from the stock-market network. Problem is, CNBC is a very powerful brand in its arena. Of course, that doesn't deter the pit bulls at Fox. If you had to describe the media company with only one word, that word would, by necessity, be a hyphenate: ultra-competitive. In fact, Fox Business Channel recently slammed BloggingStocks' own Jim Cramer in a recent promo (see a piece on this subject by Zac Bissonnette).

It's not that mud-slinging has already begun between financial news network CNBC and the just-launched Fox Business Network, but that's not stopping CNBC host Donny Deutsch from taking a hard look at the newest (and well-funded) kid on the block, courtesy of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NYSE: NWS). In a recent interview with Portfolio.com, Deutsch laid out some pickings on the table, from a ruffle with conservative and feather-fluffer Ann Coulter to how he perceives the newer Fox Business Network as a competitor to the network where he already has a show -- CNBC.

Deutsch's words were kind but firm, saying that the management team in charge of production at CNBC is playing its "A game" to this day and does not plan on stopping. Well, no problem -- but the level of thinking that put CNBC where it is now is not the same level of thinking that will keep it there. Roger Ailes and Fox will see to that. Deutsch says that while Murdoch and Ailes "are not dopes," CNBC has an incredible brand and business model.

Umm, so what? That is not a plan on how it's going to compete with a new network with plenty of cash to run a better business model and become an even bigger brand. I'm not saying Fox will trump all, but harping on current success does not guarantee future success. CNBC is great for many of us (myself included), but so far, I've heard very little on competitive strategy that will stave off the Fox Business Network infection. I hope CNBC has formed one, and it's under way.

After reading this teenager language-laced interview, I hope there is more meat behind CNBC's strategy than goofy analogies and references to how great past success was. I am a fan, yes -- CNBC is a daily watch for me on television. But, I also know when to get serious when a new competitor comes to town. And Fox has come to play all nine innings with a very fresh bench.

Rupert Murdoch will continue his march into the conservative forum of anything and everything today as the fresh-off-the-burner Fox Business Channel launches. Now, Murdoch's Fox News has trumped competitors like CNN for quite a time now in the 24/7 cable news arena, but the hardened question is whether that feat can be pulled off again.

Fox Business looks to be geared towards the informed American consumer and investor rather than the professional investing community, which will set it off from existing networks like CNBC. Due to that, Fox Business appears to have been designed to not compete with the jargon-heavy CNBC -- regardless, the two will compete. Throw the Bloomberg TV in the ring and we have a fight, don't we?

The financial decisions and moves the average American makes continues to be muddled by so many differing pictures, so clarifying that arena and getting to the gut of the business news each day will be a highlight of the new channel. Fox News took a while to become the largest cable news network (no pun intended), and Murdoch is placing his bets now on that same scenario happening with the new business network. After having just snapped up Dow Jones, Murdoch looks to become the media titan with no equal. I wonder if he has squash dates with Ted Turner lined up, or perhaps hair-pulling sessions?

Carly Fiorina, former head of Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ), will be joining the new Fox Business Channel (still in pre-launch) as a contributor. Apparently, Rupert Murdoch's new business venture wants to take some glitz from competitor CNBC, as Fiorina has that in ample supply after gracing magazine covers for six years while at the helm of HP.

It's not that Fiorina did not know how to run a business (far from it), but the needs of a dynamic industry finally caught up with her in 2005 when HP's board ousted her in favor of current CEO and Chairman Mark Hurd. Hurd's done great things in his tenure with HP so far, as his operational finesse and cost control methodology apparently has set HP back on track from quarter after quarter of missteps under Fiorina's leadership. Many believe Fiorina's contribution to Hurd's current success is her lasting legacy at HP. That's fine, as there is probably some truth to that.

Fiorina, probably the most recognized female CEO ever, was more of a showperson than a hard-nosed business executive from many accounts -- something that ended up costing her a job. So when Fox News says that "Carly Fiorina is one of the foremost business leaders of our time," I have to disagree. There are multiple examples of more efficient and successful leaders, even in the last decade. Howard Schultz, Steve Jobs and Jack Welch (to a point, heh) are just a few.

When the Fox Business Channel launches, it will most likely be about glitz and glamour. The loudmouths the network already has in place on the Fox News Channel easily make this a verifiable premonition. We'll wait to see what substance is put forth before making further assessments. But, for someone who has a flair for the dramatic, perhaps Fox is Fiorina's rightful place.

The Associated Press reports that News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox News Network plans to launch Fox Business Network (FBN) to compete with General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal's CNBC on October 15. Will the two really compete? CNBC targets upscale investors while FBN says it's targeting Main Street.

One interesting detail in this article is that Dow Jones & Company's (NYSE: DJ) arrangement with CNBC -- giving it exclusive access to the Wall Street Journal until 2012 -- only covers business-related news. This allows FBN to use Journal coverage of other areas such as Washington and lifestyle topics.

I think CNBC will feel threatened by FBN and continue to respond by offering conservative-leaning and big-business-boosterish coverage. Meanwhile FBN will use its well-practiced brand of Amen Chorus stories that both demonize the enemy -- in this case CNBC -- while appearing to support the voiceless, powerless little guy. If I ran CNBC, I would focus primarily on giving my core audience more of what it wants and not try to imitate FBN through patriotic-sounding stories.

Advertisers will pay a premium to access CNBC's upscale viewers and GE cannot afford to lose those dollars.

Peter Cohan is president of Peter S. Cohan & Associates,. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He owns GE stock, has consulted to News Corp.'s CEO, has appeared as a guest on CNBC and Forbes on Fox, and has no financial interest in Dow Jones.

If someone offers you $1 million in cash for your house that's only worth $450,000, would you take the money? Of course you would. That's the same situation that the Bancroft family was in yesterday with Rupert Murdoch's unsolicited $5 billion offer for Dow Jones & Co. (NYSE: DJ).

The Bancrofts, descendants of the founders of the New York-based publisher, turned Murdoch's incredibly generous offer down, proving that just because you're really rich it doesn't make you smart. The Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column points out that Murdoch's bid valued Dow Jones at a multiple of 40 times 2007 earnings. Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) currently trades at a multiple of 31.

That's right, the Australian-born tycoon gave Dow Jones a valuation BETTER than Google. He offered a 65% premium over Monday's closing price, which as the column points out, surpasses what the company could have gotten from private equity players.

An alliance between News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) and Dow Jones makes sense strategically. The Wall Street Journal would be a good fit alongside other Murdoch properties including Fox News Channel, The New York Post and the yet too be launched Fox Business Channel.

Though there's speculation about other potential buyers, I doubt that any would be willing to pay the price for Dow Jones that Murdoch offered. Murdoch is an especially motivated buyer, having coveted the Journal for years. This deal is more about gaining clout than creating shareholder value.

The Bancrofts seemed to be letting their pride in owning one of the best newspapers in America get in the way of common sense. They better get while the getting is good. Otherwise, they are going to be stuck in the same rut they've been in for years.

News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch has coveted The Wall Street Journal for years. Now, he's trying to turn his dreams into reality.

CNBC is reporting that Murdoch has made a $5 billion bid for Journal parent Dow Jones & Co. (NYSE: DJ), sending the company's shares up into the stratosphere. Shares of other newspaper publishers including the New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT) also surged on the news.

Murdoch isn't really interested in creating shareholder value with this deal though it probably will benefit shareholders. Owning the Journal would give him unbelievable influence to set the world's political agenda. That interests Murdoch almost as much as making money.

The Australian-born billionaire also loves to stick it to what he sees as the liberal-dominated media.

He owns the money-losing conservative New York Post to prove a point to the New York Times. Fox News Channel proves a point to CNN and the new Fox Business Channel proves a point to CNBC. The Wall Street Journal would be a good fit among these properties.

Murdoch wouldn't have dreamed of leaking his offer to CNBC unless he'd gotten some assurances from the Bancroft family, which controls Dow Jones, that they would listen to him. The Bancrofts have grumbled for years about the stock's poor performance but have insisted that Dow Jones remain independent.

The offer on the table, though, may be too good to refuse.

New York Times Chairman Arthur Sulzberger, who has brushed aside shareholder critics, is probably on the phone with is bankers right now.