USA Today Publisher Craig Moon's surprise retirement announcement yesterday spotlights how much 85-year-old Florida retiree Al Neuharth (left) still calls the shots, nearly 20 years after he left Gannett. From today's Wall Street Journal: "Founder Al Neuharth, who still writes a weekly column for the paper, said he found out in a call Tuesday morning from Mr. Moon and Gannett Chief Executive Craig Dubow. 'It would be unfair to say I expected that news,' Mr. Neuharth said. 'But things happen. People retire.'"Moon told the Journal that USA Today has lost 100,000 subscribers from a recession-related slowdown in travel. The story didn't mention December's 33% single-copy price increase, to $1, however. As of Sept. 30, USAT's circulation was 2,293,310 vs. 2,293,137 a year before, Deutsche Bank says.
'It would be unfair to say I expected that news,' Mr. Neuharth said. 'But things happen. People retire.'
ReplyDeleteOld Al hasn't retired 'cause things happen. Always has his finger in everything.
But that's unfair of me to say. Grin.
Meanwhile over at the Freedom Forum, is there freedom under Al's rule?
Here's what I don't get: Neuharth's parting retirement gesture was a $650 million "fuck you" to stockholders, when he got the board of directors to buy out Freedom Forum's GCI shares -- or else.
ReplyDeleteSo, why does management continue to kiss his ring? Will he be seated in the VIP section at next month's annual meeting -- as he was last year?
Jim: To say, as you have, that Al Neuharth "still calls the shots" at Usat is so ludicrous that it makes you look foolish.
ReplyDeleteAl is occasionally consulted or told about big changes, as a courtesy to the man who started the paper.
But he is totally out of the loop on what really goes on here. To say he "calls the shots" in any way is just plain wrong and adds to the hysterical over-the-top say-anything-who-can-stop-us atmosphere at this often very useful blog.
We expect better of you, Jim, than you deciding something is true and then repeating it because it sounds good or makes you look like an insider.
Al decidedly does not call any shots here, and most people in both towers, I bet, don't even know who he is or was.
"... and most people in both towers, I bet, don't even know who he is or was."
ReplyDeleteThat has GOT to be one of the dumbs things I've read. Most people don't know who Paul Miller is or was.
For those who don't know: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/23/us/paul-miller-84-former-chairman-of-gannett-and-the-ap-is-dead.html
Al doesn't need to call every shot 'cause he's made sure he has the right people in place to do his bidding. All he has to do is call a couple of shoots.
Your right 12:51 -Im' the only thing he'll be fomous for.
ReplyDeleteHey Jim,
ReplyDeleteBy the response from 12:51 I think you finally got a response from Tara!! haha!!! What a bunch of crap! Only a "corporate type" could sling it like that....."most people in both towers don't know who Al is"??? They don't read their own paper???
You think this is bad? You should see all the ass-kissing that Dangerous Doug still gets!
ReplyDelete