Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has joined the Chandler family in its bid for the Tribune Company with an eye on taking a stake in New York's Newsday.

Newsdayis one of Tribune's largest newspapers, along with the Los Angeles Timesand Chicago Tribune. The media group, which put itself up for sale in September, also includes 23 television stations.

A person familiar with the situation said Mr Murdoch wanted to combine back-office and operational functions at Newsday with those of the New York Post, the News Corp tabloid.

Mr Murdoch would likely take a minority stake in a consortium rather than attempt to buy control of Newsday, the source added. Given News Corp's television and newspaper interest in the New York market, the company would be constrained by media ownership rules.

Any deal for Newsday would also hinge on the success of the Chandler consortium's bid for Tribune. The family, which already owns 20 per cent of Tribune and whose forbears built up the Los Angeles Times, pushed the board to consider a sale amid a slump in newspaper shares.

News Corp declined to comment. In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Chandlers said they were in talks with strategic investors about joining the bid.

Tribune, with a market value of about $7.3 billion (€5.6 billion), put itself up for sale last year. Ron Burkle and Eli Broad, two billionaires, have also made offers.