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The Bancroft-o-Meter: Death to Rupert?

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Photo: Getty Images

Movement on the Bancroft-o-Meter! The Journal’s Matthew Karnitschnig breaks the news this afternoon that the group of Bancroft trusts managed by a Denver law firm — as opposed to the bulk of the trusts, controlled by a Boston firm — will vote against the proposed sale to News Corporation. This is sort of a big deal, as the Denver-controlled votes were thought to be in favor of the Murdoch offer. Indeed, if we’re doing our math right — and we’re by no means certain we are — with the Denver 9.1 percent of votes against Murdoch, combined with Christopher Bancroft’s 15 percent, which are definitely against, and Jane Cox MacElree’s 15 percent, which according to Wednesday’s Journal article are likely against (she’s the one who cried at the family meeting Tuesday while invoking Danny Pearl), 49.1 percent of votes are against the deal. Throw in the Ottaway family’s 7 percent, a definite no, and that puts 56.1 percent of Dow Jones votes against the Murdoch deal at the moment. Doesn’t it?

UPDATE: No, it doesn’t. And we’re really bad at math. 15+15+9.1 = 39.1, not 49.1. So we’re at 46.1 percent against now. Wow we’re embarrassed.

Key Bancroft Family Trust to Vote Against News Corp. Bid for Dow Jones [WSJ]
Earlier: Today’s Bancroft-o-Meter: Lukewarm, Maybe?

The Bancroft-o-Meter: Death to Rupert?