Since it appears the rumored DirecTV/DISH partnership won't come to fruition, the recent idea is that AT&T might be sliding into position to acquire DirecTV and all those HD channels. Multichannel News cited an analyst report issuing a buy rating on Liberty Entertainment shares, based on an increased probability of AT&T snapping up a piece of the satcaster, if DirecTV doesn't buy Liberty first. Enough maybes, coulds and probablys for you? Still, there's no need to wait if you want some DirecTV in your triple play right now.

DirecTV and DISH Network trying to get together again? That's the idea according to the Wall Street Journal, apparently in response to DISH making "a major strategic shift" after losing 25,000 subscribers in Q2. Of course the last time these two tried U + me = Us back in 2001, regulators put the smackdown on the idea, but apparently DISH CEO Charlie Ergen thinks things may be different now. We can see how a 90% drop in subscriber growth (and a blown satellite or two) could cause anyone to reevaluate things, but as our extensive experience watching daytime TV proves, running into a new relationship to escape ones problems never works out long term, but it is interesting to see if either is really willing to stop the constant one-upmanship and concentrate on taking on the cable (& telco) companies together.

[Thanks, Adam]

Looks like some serious movin' and shakin' is going on in Bulgaria, where the nation's two largest cable operators have just announced their intentions to merge. Reportedly, CableTel and Evrokom Cable have "submitted an application with the Commission for the Protection of Competition," since the merger must obviously be approved before it actually goes down. If everything slides through, the newly created company will be under the FN Cable Holding umbrella, controlled by investment fund WarburgPincus. We're also still left without details about the company's new name and its head honcho, though we're sure all those tidbits will filter out once the wedding gets a tad closer to being ratified.

Every bean-counter knows that falling prices and shrinking margins add up to one thing - cost-cutting pressure. Now we get word that JVC and Kenwood are merging underneath a single holding company, aptly named JVC Kenwood Holdings. Hopes are high for the new company, with plans to quadruple profit in three short years by focusing on car and home audio. Expect to see more of this kind of merger/acquisition activity, especially among small- to medium-sized companies as more competition -- especially from South Korea and China -- ramps up. Every JVC share will be exchanged for two shares in the new company, while Kenwood stock will get a 1-for-1 rate. JVC definitely got the better end of the deal, with JVC's president continuing on in that role with the new company. It will be interesting to watch how this might affect Kenwood/Bain Capital bidding for D&M Holdings.

EDIT: the new company will be called JVC Kenwood Holdings, not JVC Holdings. - Thanks, dcny!

In exchange for purchasing 100 percent of 180 Connect's stock at $1.80 per share, DirecTV will take control over one of its largest installers, while in a separate deal, UniTek USA is taking over all of 180 Connects old cable TV servicing units and certain DirecTV installation markets in exchange for Unitek's installation business in several areas. All this swapping and dealing should be complete in the third quarter, when a large number of customers in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Arkansas, Virginia, Hawaii and western Pennsylvania can expect their first DirecTV visit, to come from an actual employee of the company. Check out the PR for all the business details and locations involved and let us know if you think a shakeup from your cable or satellite provider's customer service would be welcomed.

No sooner than chatter began flying over a potential AT&T / EchoStar deal, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. is wondering who actually thought (or still thinks) that this is a match made in heaven. According to media analyst Craig Moffett, "the very notion of an AT&T / EchoStar combination is based on a flawed premise; i.e. that AT&T needs video in order to compete with cable." He went on to say that AT&T is losing phone lines to cable because cable simply "has a marginal cost advantage," and noted that pairing up the two "does nothing to address AT&T's underlying cost problem." Stepping back, we actually see quite a bit of logic in Mr. Moffett's reasoning, and when you mix in the fact that AT&T's U-Verse could pose "a strategic threat to EchoStar," one really wonders how effective a partnership would be.

Joining the growing array of recent acquisitions is Planar and Runco International, as just today Planar has written a check for $36.7 million to take on the assets of privately-held Runco International, Inc. Planar, while not a household name in the home theater biz, managed to hold its own amongst competitors in the HT market, and while the majority of its products catered to the mid-range consumer, we suspect that picking up Runco was the easiest way to launch into the high-end realm. As expected, it looks like the Planar, Runco, and Vidikron brand names will remain as they are, and just as Planar will continue to sell through its current network of distributors, it sure sounds like Runco will remain a niche offering rather than bleeding over towards the mainstream.