Silicon Valley Insider — which seems to take a shine to anonymous-source media analysis — reports that Star Tribune publisher Chris Harte has submitted a bid for Texas' Austin American Statesman.

The source for this one is also who-the-hell-knows, who says three other bidders are up against Harte. None of the quartet offered more than $50 million, "based mostly on the Statesman's real estate value." That's been the trend lately at papers such as the recently sold San Diego Union-Tribune.

Last month, the Statesman has reported that Harte (who for now is a 4 percent Strib owner) was part of a consortium that included a former Austin mayor as well as a Statesman ex-editor. The paper, which has aggressively covered its own sale, has not confirmed the most recent bids, nor the Insider's claim that current owners Cox Newspapers will hang onto the paper because of the low price.

[Hat tip: R.I.]