The Denver Business Journal says that billionaire Phil Anschutz is on the short list of potential buyers of the 32 Knight Ridder newspapers. For anyone who still thinks that Anschutz is just a reclusive hockey team owner, in addition to owning a large chunk of downtown Los Angeles and a gazillion movie screens (and financing films like Ray), he's also a reclusive newspaper mogul in the making. Anschutz publishes the San Francisco Examiner and another free paper in Washington, and according to an outside source who should know, he has definite designs on Los Angeles. More than one media prognosticator, asked privately to speculate about the future of L.A. newspapers ten years out, has told me they wouldn't be surprised if Anschutz becomes a player. Not necessarily through an Examiner either. (Tribune Company, pick up the white courtesy phone?...)