Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Quotable: What new publishers say at first

"We weren't looking to purchase it and then cut costs; we were looking to build a business."

-- Cablevision Systems CEO James Dolan, on his cable TV company's $650 million deal for Newsday.

6 comments:

  1. Dolan is just another suit. He surrounds himself with the same suck-ups as Gannett. I don't see any genious here. But considering how the newspaper media types have screwed around with Long Island, anything would be an improvement.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gag orders for Gannett's publishers. Maybe Dolan will be more forthcoming with some real honesty and business acumen.

    In today's Florida piece in Editor and Publisher, the story does not quote one Gannett executive. The Florida economy went from boon to bust, yet no interview with any of the Gannett properties.

    No comment. Is Gannett in the news reporting business?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jim, how about some clarification from Tara or Donovan...or HR?

    Who will make the decision on an individual level about who goes and who stays at the five New Jersey papers?

    One person in news makes $60,000 with 26 years of service. They get the full years salary and benefits.

    One person in circulation makes $40,000 with 15 years service. They get 30 weeks of salary and benefits.

    And if the buyouts don't equal 166 in employee count, who determines the layoffs?

    The layoffs...I assume that only means unemployment comp with no severance and no medical.

    The deck favors layoffs. Yet the buyouts at least give one some income to live on for the year. Yet at age 55 the prospects of future work...frankly, they suck.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dolan ought to buy Westchester. The same economies fit for that market. And save hundreds of people there from more water torture. Death by demise.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There is no bigger testimony to a morale problem than a company whose employees are rooting for the Dolans to take over.
    Non-New Yorkers may not realize it, but the Dolans have destroyed proud sports franchises that play in Madison Square Garden.
    They are uniformly hated by anyone halfway familiar with the Knicks and Rangers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gannett's reputation is so soiled they are one cut above the Journal Register Company.

    Maybe Gannett ought to try to run a sports franchise. They clearly have failed on the newspaper side.

    ReplyDelete

Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.