A Crazy Idea


The tech world has, for now, calmed down. Hewlett Packard is settling its spy case, we don't hear nearly as much about stock option scandals, CES is over, and presumably, Apple and Cisco are figuring out what Steve Jobs can call his cool new iPod phone.

So .. let's speculate a bit. Yahoo's recent earnings show that while back on its feet, the company has stumbled of late. Unlike Google, Yahoo doesn't seem to have a crystal clear direction. Search engine? Entertainment company? Content provider? What will Yahoo do to show us a clear vision?

Here's an idea .. admittedly, one whose time has probably passed.

Remember when Yahoo CEO Terry Semel was getting all kinds of heat about what to do next? It was about the same time that Semel's friend Tom Cruise was parting ways with Paramount Studios. This was a perfect opportunity. Cruise, along with partner Paula Wagner, ended up taking the lead at United Artists, once a very powerful Hollywood studio.

But what if Cruise & Wagner took over a newly minted content division at Yahoo? Full control of movies, TV shows, webcasts, whatever, given to a pair known to bring in billions of dollars. Instant web credibility, not to mention a huge platform to promote the next movie for Tom Cruise. Money and celebrity for Yahoo, money and a growing audience for Cruise.

Why not?