NEW YORK, April 25 (UPI) -- The owner of the New York Daily News has matched an offer by Rupert Murdoch to buy Newsday, a newspaper headquartered on Long Island, The New York Times said.
Mortimer B. Zuckerman offered $580 million for Newsday -- the same amount Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. offered. The News Corp. offer for a controlling interest in Newsday, which is owned by Tribune Co., was first reported Tuesday.
Citing a source briefed on the matter, The Times said Zuckerman was expected to try to persuade Tribune Co. executives to accept his bid because it can be completed more quickly and is less likely to face regulatory complications.
Murdoch's bid is likely to face scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission, The Times reported. However, a spokesman for News Corp. told the newspaper there were "no regulatory risks to our deal."
The News Corp. deal calls for the Tribune Co., led by Chairman Sam Zell, to retain partial ownership of Newsday's operation and real estate, the Chicago Tribune reported this week.
News Corp. owns a variety of media outlets including the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal.
