Microsoft News Tracker

Peter Lauria:

And now for some breaking news from MSNBC: Microsoft doesn’t know jack about media.

Unlike the nascent move towards content creation by competitors Yahoo! and Google, Microsoft raised the last of its media white flags Friday, agreeing to sell a controlling stake in MSNBC to the eponymous other half of the cable news partnership.
…
The MSNBC investment marks another in a long line of failed content forays by Microsoft, which has spent billions, particularly through investments in cable companies, attempting to diversify its revenue stream — but to no avail.

Also mentioned are AT&T Broadband, Slate, and Expedia. There is some backhanded praise for the serendipitous investment in Comcast.