Old rumors and speculation around media industry consolidation are swirling again. And why not? Since leaving KRI at the end of June, I've watched my stock slide a good 15% from its May peak. TimeWarner is bidding $4.6B to buy MGM. Sure, Tribune appears to have had a setback on cross-media ownership (in the same city)... but as with many other things, the future may well depend on the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections.