If someone is going to cut a deal with Yahoo, it won't be News Corp. At least that's the party line from Chairman Rupert Murdoch, who said the likelihood of his company joining forces with Microsoft for a bid or making a separate pact with Yahoo is "very unlikely."

Speaking at the Allen & Co. retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho, Murdoch also put the kibosh on the rumored return of Microhoo.

"There won't be a deal. There are bad personal feelings," Murdoch said. "In six months, Microsoft will walk away."

That sentiment seems to tack with a BoomTown report that describes Yahoo founder Jerry Yang as resolute in his stance not to let activist investor Carl Icahn seize control of the company's board and revive talks with Microsoft. Earlier this week, Icahn and Microsoft had begun a two-pronged public relations campaign against Yang.  

While Murdoch's words are hard to ignore, it may not be wise to count the mogul out, either. Murdoch, who has made a career out of merging and acquiring media companies, has frequently been known to make public comments discounting the likelihood of a deal only to ultimately strike a bargain down the road.