The Los Angeles Times - FishbowlNY

FCC Rule Keeping Rupert Murdoch from Buying The Los Angeles Times

Chris O'Shea — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:16:37 +0000

Rupert Murdoch, according to at least one person, wants to buy The Los Angeles Times. A source told The New York Times that the main obstacle to a deal being made is a FCC rule that prevents one company from owning TV stations and newspapers in the same market. News Corporation already owns LA’s KTTV and KCOP, so the LA Times is off limits.

For now, Murdoch must play the waiting game. Julius Genachowski, the FCC’s chairman, just resigned, and he was a supporter of changing that rule. News Corp.’s lawyers have also been making a push, asking the FCC to ”eliminate the cross-ownership rule as a relic from a bygone era.”

Obviously News Corp. wants the rule changed for a reason. Time will tell if that reason ends up being the LA Times.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Newspapers Lease Office Space to Make Extra Cash

Chris O'Shea — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:43:03 +0000

Times are certainly tough for the newspaper industry. So tough, in fact, that many have started leasing out office space to make some extra cash. The New York Times reports that a paper it owns — The Boston Globe — has rented out empty space to startups and even bands:

The projects occupy what looks like a re-created living room, where a colorful mix of young entrepreneurs, gray-haired journalists and bands with names like the Street Dogs and Animal Kingdom pass through. Steps away, Globe reporters and editors pore over articles.

The Globe isn’t the only paper doing this. The Los Angeles Times is getting additional revenue by renting out its space to movie studios. Anyone seen Argo? The newsroom featured in the film is unused LA Times space.

We don’t blame newspapers for doing this, after all, they might as well make use of empty desks. But we draw the line the second a Kevin James movie is allowed to film in one of their offices. There must be ethical standards.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

News Corp. Denies Interest in The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune

Chris O'Shea — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:39:05 +0000

Both The Los Angeles Times and Reuters have said that News Corp is currently in talks to acquire the Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Tribune. And both, according to News Corp., are wrong. “Reports that News Corp. is in discussions with Tribune or the L.A. Times are wholly inaccurate,” Julie Henderson, a spokesperson for the company, told Bloomberg News in an email.

The LA Times reported that News Corp. is in talks with the debt holders of Tribune Company (parent of the LA Times and Chicago Tribune). Those holders will become majority holders of the company when it emerges from bankruptcy.

Reuters has updated their report, saying that their source redacted info. The LA Times is sticking by its claim.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Geraldine Baum, The LA Times’ NY Bureau Chief, Steps Down After 23 Years

Chris O'Shea — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:33:14 +0000

Geraldine Baum, The Los Angeles Times’ New York Bureau Chief since 1989, is stepping down tomorrow. According to a memo Baum sent out to colleagues, she has decided to move on because she wants to take her life in a new direction.

“It’s as simple and complicated and mysterious as this: Although I’ll never stop writing and thinking like a journalist, it’s time for Geraldine 2.0,” wrote Baum. “I leave knowing I did the kind of work that mattered, and I’m grateful that journalists like all of you still do.”

See the complete memo after the jump.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Bankrupt Tribune Company Hands Out $45 Million In Bonuses

Drew Grant — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:11:47 +0000

For the last several months, Sam Zell and Tribune Co. have been petitioning a Delaware court to let them handle their own bankruptcy management instead of handing the company over to creditors. Zell, who bought Tribune in 2007 and then promptly ran it into the ground, has outlined a plan that will get the company that owns papers like The Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Tribune back out of bankruptcy by May.

But now we know why Zell and other top brass at Tribune don’t want to turn management over to the creditors: that way they wouldn’t be able to pay themselves millions of dollars in bonuses after two years when many of their employees went on strike because of job cuts and poor working conditions.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Times Reveals More Tablet Details

Amanda Ernst — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:30:00 +0000

Yesterday, The Los Angeles Times reported that a team from The New York Times had been secretly working with a team from Apple to develop a version of the paper for the tech company’s upcoming tablet device.

Today, an article in the Times lends credence to that claim, because it reveals more details about the as-yet-unrevealed tablet (persistent wireless connection over 3G and WiFi, 10-inch color display screen) and adds that, “The New York Times Company, for example, is developing a version of its newspaper for the tablet, according to a person briefed on the effort, although executives declined to say what sort of deal had been struck.”

The company has also created a new business group in its media group division to lead the charge on “reader applications,” the paper reported. The new segment will be led by Yasmin Namini, senior VP of marketing and circulation, although to continue to divert speculation about the Times work with the tablet, the paper was quick to add, “Executives said the timing was coincidental, prompted not by the Apple device specifically, but by the growing importance to The Times of electronic reading devices in general.”

We won’t have to wait long to see whether or not all this speculation is true — tech reporters are already flocking to Silicon Valley in giddy anticipation of Steve Jobs‘ presentation tomorrow.

Read more: With Apple Tablet, Print Media Hope for a Payday –New York Times

Previously: New York Times Working With Apple?

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

New York Times Working With Apple?

Amanda Ernst — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:40:00 +0000

Ever since the idea of an upcoming Apple tablet device has been circling among tech and media insiders, there has been rumors about The New York Times‘ involvement in the project. In October, editor Bill Keller slipped up, mentioning the paper’s work with Apple in a speech that was supposed to be off the record.

But although the paper, and Keller, have tried to dampen the rumors, they persist, especially as we head towards Apple’s surprise announcement on Wednesday — which everyone assumes will be the introduction of some giant iPod-like tablet device. Today, in an article about the impending tablet, The Los Angeles Times reports that a team from the Times has been working closely with Apple:

“A team from the New York Times has been working in Apple’s Cupertino, Calif., headquarters in recent weeks, developing a large-screen version of the newspaper’s iPhone application that incorporates video for the yet-to-be-unveiled device, according to one person with knowledge of the matter. A Times spokeswoman declined to comment.”

Guess we’ll have to wait until Wednesday to see.

Apple’s rumored tablet may write next chapter in publishing –Los Angeles Times

Previously: Media Scandals: Bill Keller’s Mention Of Apple Tablet, 2010: The Year Of The E-Reader Paradox

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Huffington Post’s Traffic More Than Doubles Year Over Year

Amanda Ernst — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0000

In December 2009, the Huffington Post saw unique visitors climb more than 150 percent from the year before, and without the help of an election to drive readers to the site as well known for its political bloggers as for its broad aggregation.

According to ComScore data released last week, HuffPo had 9.8 million unique visitors last month, compared to 3.8 million in December 2008. This increase could be attributed in part to the site’s launch of a number of new verticals, including HuffPost Sports, which debuted in November. (That month drew 7.9 million unique visitors.)

With numbers like this, the site is quickly climbing past other newspapers’ sites.”It simply validates what we do and reaffirms our goal to become America’s online newspaper,” the Huffington Post’s president Greg Coleman told FishbowlNY.

Coleman, who took over the newly created post in September, said reaction to the numbers internally and among advertisers and marketers has been “through the roof.”

“When I joined, I didn’t know that our numbers were going to shoot up like a rocket,” he added. “When I started, our unique visitors were at about 6.8 million, and now 9.8 million is starting to get right up there, solidly ahead of The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal, and getting close to The New York Times.”

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Ailes’ Job Is Safe, News Corp. Says

Amanda Ernst — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:16:00 +0000

Reacting to Sunday’s New York Times profile, and subsequent opinion columns from Lloyd Grove and Michael Wolff this week, Roger Ailes and Fox News took to The Los Angeles Times today to set the record straight: Ailes is certainly not on the way out at the news net, no matter what a Murdoch relative may have told the NYT.

This week’s Times profile included a quote from Rupert Murdoch‘s son-in-law, British publicist Michael Freud, criticizing Ailes. But to the LA Times, News Corp. president Chase Carey was quick to show support the Fox News chief. “News Corp. is 100 percent behind Roger Ailes,” Carey said. “We hope and expect he will continue to lead Fox News well into the future.”

For his part, Ailes made light of the whole situation. After explaining that he’s never had a problem with any of Murdoch’s children and said he has spoken with Freud’s wife, Elisabeth Murdoch, and her brother James Murdoch, since the profile was published, Ailes said he probably won’t be speaking with Freud. “I’m obviously not going to be invited to his house..with him home anyway,” he said.

Read more: Roger Ailes’ Job Safe, Fox News says –Los Angeles Times

Ailes To Freud: He ‘Needs To See A Psychiatrist’ –TVNewser

Previously: No Matter How Murdoch Feels, Fox News’ Roger Ailes Makes Bank

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

2010: The Year Of The e-Reader Paradox

Drew Grant — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:30:00 +0000

You may have been reading books digitally for over a year now, you may have gotten a Kindle in your stocking this Christmas, or you may still be one of the millions of Americans who don’t see the point in purchasing a giant, clunky device that seemingly performs the same functions as downloading a newspaper’s application on your iPhone or buying a book. But no matter which category you fall into, this will be the year of the e-reader: devices like Apple’s much-anticipated Tablet and Microsoft’s Courier herald its arrival in a siren song for newspaper and magazine publishers. Why else would News Corp. be making deals with Sony for exclusive New York Post digital content, or Hearst be working with Skiff to develop its own device and e-reading platform that promises to “create an entity by publishers, for publishers” with its own advertising model. You know, just what consumers are asking for.

Right now, it seems like what consumers want is just an afterthought. Giving readers a rewarding reading experience is only the honey that will lure advertisers to buy space on digital devices, thus supplementing declining print ad revenues. With the print world taking a nosedive in advertising in 2009, it’s seductive to think that new technology will be the salvation of the (former) print media, bringing the money back while cutting down on overhead (like those pesky union drivers that deliver the papers). But is the e-reader technology really on the side of the news industry?

Josh Benton of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University recently gave a talk at Mediabistro’s ebook Summit on this subject and came to an odd conclusion: e-readers will attract a mainstream audience the moment they become functional Web devices (like a large iPhone, or small laptop!), which will also happen to be the point at which these devices will stop making money for publishers. Not following? Here, we’ll help.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Last Minute Gift Ideas|Rushfield Leaves Gawker|Another List For 2009|Thoughts On Leaving NYT, Set To Verse

Amanda Ernst — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:03:00 +0000

TVNewser: Last minute TV news-related Christmas gift ideas.

The Wrap: Four months after leaving The Los Angeles Times for Gawker, Richard Rushfield has left the blog to join the start-up Digital Entertainment Corporation of America.

Mediaite: What do Arianna Huffington, Roger Ailes and the cast of “The Jersey Shore” all have in common? They’re all among Mediaite.com‘s list of 50 innovators and influencers of 2009.

Tinakelleypoetry’s Blog: Thoughts on leaving The New York Times in verse

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Sony’s E-Reader Poaches Kindle’s Publications

Drew Grant — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:30:08 +0000

The war of the e-readers has already begun, and electronic companies are already gearing up for battle. While Amazon broke out as an early forerunner, threatening to turn all other devices into the Zune knockoffs to the Kindle’s iPod, Sony has a couple weapons in its own arsenal. They’ve managed to score an exclusive deal with News Corp. for a specialized version of The New York Post and MarketWatch.com. Now comes the news that 19 other publications — most of which were previously only available on Kindle — have struck partnerships with Sony’s e-reader as well, including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and the Christian Science Monitor. Even better for Sony, papers like The New York Observer, which don’t have deals with Amazon, have decided to sign on with Sony.

While these partnerships can only create increasing competition between the brands, it will come as a boon to consumers who will now have their pick of devices without the fear of losing content over their choice. With non-exclusive partnerships dominating the market, it will be up the electronic manufacturers to create the most user-friendly device in order to gain customers. Let the best e-reader win!

Read More: Sony ties deals with 19 content partners –Financial Times

Previously: News Corp. Pairs With Sony To Debut Digital New York Post

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Saying Goodbye To E&P

Amanda Ernst — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:30:00 +0000

In an article charting the demise of newspaper industry trade pub Editor & Publisher, The Los Angeles Times blames Web sites like mediabistro.com:

“Online journalism news aggregators such as Romenesko regularly relied on stories by E&P, linking to them for reporting on a new study or analysis of anything relating to the newspaper industry.

But Romenesko and other free sites such as Mediabistro.com also snatched readers and job listings that might have landed in E&P‘s classified section.”

Yes, classified revenues have left print behind for the Internet and everybody wants to read content like that of E&P‘s for free on the Web. But there was nothing stopping its owner Nielsen Co. from selling off the pub to a company that would have kept it alive — even if only as digital version of itself.

We’re sad to see another publication (and its Nielsen-owned sister Kirkus Reviews) close its doors in 2009. We’ll also miss all the scoops and insightful news about our industry. Too bad Nielsen didn’t take WebMediaBrands’ offer to buy E&P earlier this year. We would have welcomed them to the family!

But as the title heads towards closure at the end of the year, various good-byes are sprinkling out from staffers. After the jump, parting words from senior editor Joe Strupp and former cartoonist Steve Greenberg.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

New York Times Launches Local Chicago Edition Today

Drew Grant — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Today saw the premiere issue of the much-discussed Chicago edition of The New York Times. The Times has been encroaching on regional news since it started Bay Area coverage last month, and the launch in Chicago is further indication that Arthur Sulzberger and company are betting the future of journalism is in hyper-local coverage.

But it’s not just the outreach to other cities that has competing publications worried: The Tribune Company, which owns The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times, lost several of its editors to the newly-formed Chicago News Cooperative, the organization now providing content for the Chicago edition of the Times. The co-op will be providing two additional pages of Chicago-based coverage for the Times twice a week, which will be added to the paper for the region.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal launched their own San Francisco edition earlier this month, proving one again: If you bill it, they will come.

Read More: The Times to Begin Chicago Edition on Friday –New York Times

Previously: More Tribune Employees Join Chicago News Cooperative, Tribune Employees To Create Content For NYT In Chicago

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Former Portfolio Editor To Lead Observer

Amanda Ernst — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:30:00 +0000

Former Portfolio top editor Kyle Pope has been picked to take over the reins of The New York Observer from interim editor Tom McGeveran, owner Jared Kushner announced yesterday.

The announcement comes just a week after McGeveran announced that he would be stepping down from his post at the paper, which he as held since longtime editor Peter Kaplan left the pub in May. Pope will be starting at The Observer on Monday, and will work side-by-side with McGeveren for a few weeks to ensure a smooth transition. The December 9 issue will be Pope’s first as editor.

Pope most recently worked as one of two top editors at Condé Nast‘s business glossy until it folded earlier this year. He started his career at The Wall Street Journal, where he won a Pulitzer Prize as part of the paper’s team covering September 11. Pope has also worked as a freelance contributor for The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.

Kyle Pope Is The New Editor Of The Observer — The New York Observer

Earlier: Observer Loses Another Editor

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.