In a move that came sooner than expected Bob Gremillion, a longtime Tribune Co. executive, has been named interim publisher of the Chicago Tribune effective Monday. This comes in the wake of Scott Smith announcing earlier this month that he was stepping down after thirty years at the paper, though at the time he signaled that he would stay on until a replacement could be found.

Gremillion, who says he no intention of staying in the position permanently, currently oversees "six smaller dailies," which are apparently "intended to be the laboratories for radical journalistic and operational change at the debt-ridden company." Radical change being the dose of "reality" currently being inflicted by Sam Zell on Tribune companies in the form of reduced employees and pages.