Mo'guls, mo' problems

Travis Armstrong editorial page editor at Santa Barbara News-Press, owner Wendy McCaw lackey, has been fired.

Barney Brantingham at the Santa Barbara Independent sums up the decline:

Since then about 100 people have quit or been fired for union activity-illegally fired, according to a judge's decision. McCaw has spent millions battling the newsroom unionization brought on by her own behavior that fateful summer of discontent. Reporters and others felt they needed a union to help protect them against what they considered a tyrannical, capricious owner. The paper is now a hollow husk of what it was then, not only an instrument of McCaw's libertarian-style ideology but a vehicle of vengeance against anyone on whom she fixes an angry eye.

Find the whole piece here.

Previously on FBLA:

This video is of Andy Bichlbaum, from the group Yes Men. The group with ties to the Barbie Liberation Organization, who switched the voice recordings on GI Joes and Barbies in 1993. Anyway, this is video of him impersonating a spokesperson for the US Chamber of Commerce, the country's largest business lobby when the real one Eric Wohlschlegel interrupts.

Video via our sister blog PRNewser.

After the break, an interview with Kate Sheppard from Mother Jones who's featured at the end of the video.

continued...

Yesterday LA Observed published an open letter to Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the FOX Network. The letter was written by Mark Sudock, a senior editor at Fox 11, who is deeply dismayed by the massive layoffs the station is facing.

Mr. Murdoch, I am one of many proud members of the KTTV news team. As one who has been aboard since Fox acquired KTTV Los Angeles from MetroMedia, I have been gratified to participate in the growth of this news organization.

As you know, sir, KTTV has been an impressive flagship station in the Fox Station Group. Year after year, we stay number one with both network and local product. Mornings, we deliver a full five and a half hours of live television. We do it with style and we do it with class. We then catch our breath and from the mid-day through the late night hours, we competently deliver another three and a half hours of original programming over the air and on the web.

Today our product and our staff is the gold standard. We who work for you hear this constantly. The envy is palpable.

Now, Mr. Murdoch, I am appealing to you personally, as approximately one-hundred and seventeen dedicated workers face layoffs beginning on September 10th.

continued...

We were wondering what all those popping noises were this morning: They're the sounds of LAT staffer's heads exploding.

From Broadcast Union News:

While the numbed survivors of Sam Zell's ill advised Tribune take over struggle with higher health care premiums, loss of pensions, reduced pay and work hours, those overseeing this wreckage have told the bankruptcy judge that if they don't get more executive compensation, things will get really bad.

"Incentivizing employees is essential to Tribune's future success," Tribune's chief operating officer and its chief administrative officer wrote this month to a federal bankruptcy judge, seeking the court's approval of a plan to pay up to $69.9 million in management bonuses. "We must continue motivating our people to overcome obstacles, achieve our performance goals and take the company to the next level," they explained.

The objection was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on Tuesday, according to a copy of the motion.

Pop.

Sitrick & Co. does PR for Freedom Communications, Inc.

Mike Sitrick is also the PR guy for Dr. Henry Nicholas III, the former Broadcom exec facing multiple federal criminal charges in connection with alleged stock options fraud and drug offenses in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

The Orange County Register is owned by Freedom and is covering Nicholas' criminal case.

Here's the Vanity Fair piece titled "Dr. Nicholas and Mr. Hyde":

Now Nicholas, who in the past couldn't be silenced (he once proudly announced, "I am a media-relations nightmare!," and he was), has been shut down by his lawyers. He would not comment for this story.

Indeed.

Jill Sobule sings,"You said you got a secret plan, you hired Glenn Beck and ruin the Republicans."

We like Sobule. She volunteers at Write Girl, which makes her totally awesome.

Via Sobule's Huffpo blog

Previously on FBLA: Merry Christmas From the Family

Platinum Equity Founder, Chairman and CEO is Tom Gores (pictured). Much easier on the eyes than Zell. Much.

Anyway, the family owned San Diego Union-Tribune is now the property of a Beverly Hills investment firm. The purchase has now been finalized.

Thomas Kupper reports:

In the statement, Paul Bridwell [new Union-Tribune's chief restructuring officer] said his immediate priorities would be to improve the newspaper's financial performance and to work with senior management to develop a long-term plan for growth.

The deal brings to a close more than 80 years of San Diego newspaper ownership by the Copley family of La Jolla. Former Union-Tribune parent The Copley Press Inc. had been seeking a buyer for the paper since July amid a nationwide decline in newspaper advertising.

Platinum has not publicly spelled out its plans for the Union-Tribune.

But we won't be shocked if it's layoffs. Layoffs are how fixers fix newspapers. We're just guessing.

Now we're going to have "Why oh why! Delilah!" in our head all day.

Kevin Bacon and wife Kyra Sedgwick (who is now with "The Closer" definitely the bread-winner in that household) were taken by Bernie Madoff and his $50 billion Wall Street swindle, New York mag reports.

They join an illustrious list of such Hollywood royalty as Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

But FBLA can't figure out how much BacWick might have lost. Maybe "The Closer" is taking off. We know it's not $50 billion. "The Closer" ratings aren't that good.

Former Disney chieftain Michael Eisner has terminated his talk show on CNBC of his own volition, the New York Post's Peter Lauria discloses.

The show only drew about 100,000 viewers (not great, by even CNBC standards).

But Eisner seems to be able to call the shots, even though he was deposed as Disney king years ago.

The Business Sheet has composed a list of media big wigs that have lost the most money this year.

Oh to have loved and lost...better than never loving at all? Or something?

Anyway, spoiler alert - Sam Zell is number seven on the list of twenty-four notable losers:

LOSS: As Much As $315 Million

During last year's LBO boom, real estate mogul Sam Zell used $8.2 billion in debt to purchase multimedia company and Cubs owner Tribune Co. The deal was largely financed by employee contributions to a company stock plan and gullible banks. In December, the $13-billion-in-debt Tribune filed for bankruptcy. Zell could lose some of his $315 million investment.

Rupert Murdoch is number three at $3.95 billion. And the rest of the 'make yourself feel better but not really' list is here.