Picture this scenario: Sometime in 2007, Rupert Murdoch will buy Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Co. Inc. as a companion-piece to Fox News and bolster his business channel.

Murdoch’s interest is no secret. The speculation returns again in the Los Angeles Times 2007 media landscape predictions published on Tuesday. Here’s a taste of what the paper’s media reporters think will keep the sector busy this year:

- “Apple tries something radical for the U.S. cellular market, selling the [iPod cellphone] without a service plan and promoting it as a sexy fashion accessory. iTunes gets a bump as youths and adults listen to even more music on the go.”

- “NBC Universal Chairman Bob Wright retires early this year, handing the reins to Jeff Zucker, his second in command. … Although steadfast in his support of Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, chairman of NBC Universal parent General Electric Co., conducted a stealth headhunting expedition for Wright’s replacement last year. It was inconclusive, but Immelt clearly has a Plan B.”

- ”Yahoo goes hitching: With its stock drooping, the Internet portal decides that it can’t keep pace with Google without nuptials. Potential partners are plentiful: Time Warner Inc.’s AOL , Microsoft Corp.’s MSN, EBay Inc. and a handful of older media giants eager to bet on Internet content.” The Times further suggests that eBay CEO Meg Whitman could take the top slot at Yahoo if the two companies made a deal.

- “Time Warner Chairman Richard D. Parsons, eyeing a bid for mayor of New York, conducts preliminary polling, scoring well on name recognition, fiscal acumen and leadership skills. But Gotham voters tell pollsters that Parsons is ‘not rich enough’ to be mayor. He retires to his Italian wine villa.”

At least one of the LA Times’ predictions has already been confirmed. The paper says that Walt Disney Co. will start a social-networking site for children. The Wall Street Journal went a step further than predictions on Tuesday, reporting that this will be a key part of the new Disney.com Web site to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show next week.