Off the Fence - Can the FT survive against Murdoch's revitalised WSJ?

by Media Week, Media Week 14-Aug-07

YES - Meg Geldens, Analyst, Man Securities

This is a major development and clearly something the FT is watching and
preparing for. But the WSJ has been around for a long time; the FT is
not unused to competition. It will focus even more on its core customer

base: professional financial people operating in global markets. In the

Asian market, there is growing demand for financial news. I don't see
why it all has to go to one player.

NO - Alex DeGroote, Analyst, West LB Panmure

Going head to head with Rupert Murdoch in any market is never advisable.
I would expect the WSJ to be more resourced and more credible. The route
to growth lies overseas for the FT, so anything that compromises that is
never going to be a good thing. First, you defend your existing
franchises and then you target growth opportunities. Realistically,
however, growing in the US will be tough.

NO - Antony Young, President, Optimedia US

My sense is that Murdoch's acquisition of Dow Jones is primarily about a
US play. Strategically, it gives News Corp a better position to go after
the New York Times, provides credibility to help launch the new Fox
business channel and gives a powerful web property in a growing and
premium market. Will the FT, as primarily a single-brand newspaper
owner, have the resources to compete?

YES - Sanjay Shabi, Press director, MediaCom

The FT has always been a complement to the WSJ and I don't see that
changing. It has a stranglehold across Europe, despite being subjected
to a lot of buffeting over the past few years with the advent of
digital, among other things. Also, the Bancroft family has not invested
hugely in the WSJ, which looks uninspired. By all accounts, the new
tabloid format has not proved popular with readers.