By the numbers | High-profile job vacancies

As the second quarter comes to a close today, number of days elapsed since these vacancies were first disclosed:

150

Gannett Chief Financial Officer

(has been Gracia Martore)

84

Gannett Chief Digital Officer

(was Chris Saridakis)

82

CEO, quadrantONE

(was Andy Ellenthal)

Got one that I missed? Post replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

Sponsors | With one day left, I'm at 70% of goal

Today's the last day of the second quarter, a period when I've earned $2,811 from donations and advertising -- about 70% of my quarterly goal.

Of those contributions, a whopping $1,000 came from a single reader. (Thanks, again!) I don't expect a repeat of that sort of generosity, however, so reaching my $4,000 in the quarter starting tomorrow will be even tougher.

With less than 24 hours in the current quarter, here's the breakdown:

• Reader contributions: $1,601
• Advertising: $1,210

I'm trying to earn $4,000 quarterly, mostly through sponsorships of $5 per reader, plus limited ad sales. Please use the "Donate" tool in the green rail, upper right. Or mail cash/checks payable to: Jim Hopkins, 584 Castro St. #823, San Francisco, Calif., 94114-2594.

Gannett shares tumble 6% on broad market rout; stock falls as Dow Jones dives 268 points, or 3%

Gannett's stock closed at $14.04 a share moments ago, diving 91 cents, or 6.1% -- as overall stock markets plunged on an unexpectedly sharp drop in U.S. consumer confidence. It was GCI's lowest closing price since June 4, when shares finished the day at $13.73, according to Google Finance. (Historical GCI prices.)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 268 points, or 2.7%, to 9,871. The broader S&P 500 index ended the day down 33 points, or 3.1%.

Stock markets fell as a drop in domestic consumer confidence added to mounting worries of how a slowdown in China and debt problems in Europe may affect global growth, Dow Jones Newswires says.

"This was a one-two smack for the market and you really just have a huge rush away from risk," Adam Sarhan, chief executive of Sarhan Capital, told Dow Jones. "It's a concern of whether this global economic recovery will continue or if it will be derailed due to a slowdown in China or the ongoing European debt crisis."

Documents: Dubow's GCI stake now worth $6M; answer to a Gannett Blog reader's timely query

With Gannett's stock trading sharply lower today, Anonymous@4:22 p.m. writes: "Hey, Jim. How much common stock does CEO Craig Dubow own (# of shares), and what options does he have or been given since 2007? Just wanted to know."

Good questions! Here's a short-ish answer:

As of March 5, Dubow (left) owned 1,245,756 shares -- a stake he accumulated mostly after he became CEO on July 15, 2005, according to the company's most recent proxy report to shareholders, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (His fifth anniversary as chief executive is in just four weeks!)

Of those shares, however, fully 1,201,125 are in the form of options, the right to buy an identical number of Gannett shares from the company at a fixed price, no matter how high shares trade in the open market. That means he owns just 44,631 of those combined 1,245,756 shares outright. On paper, this smaller block is worth about $636,000, based on today's recent trading price of $14.25 a share.

But that doesn't mean all those 1.2 million options are without value. The board of directors awarded him 500,000 options last year and another 480,000 this year as part of his annual compensation. They were included in a raft of options awarded to the company's top executives.

Last year's 500,000 options can be cashed in -- or exercised -- for just $3.75 a share (the so-called strike price) beginning in four equal annual installment starting this past Feb. 25. If Gannett's stock continued to trade for about where it is today, those options would eventually leave him with a net $5.3 million.

Gannett's SEC documents show Dubow and President Gracia Martore have not exercised any of their options from last year -- unlike other top executives.

This year's 480,000 options carry a higher strike price, however: $15. They are currently worthless, since that strike price is higher than the current market price of $14.25. In any case, these options can't be exercised until starting Feb. 24, 2011.

An important note on Dubow's annual pay: the options listed above are in addition to the combined $7.4 million the board paid him in base salary and bonuses in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Virtually all of that was in cash, too, and came during a period of massive layoffs. (Summary compensation table for those three years.)

Related: stock ownership for all executives and other big investors

Up? Down? Where do you think Gannett shares will be a year from now? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

N.J. papers launch new blog, 'bureau' in cafe

In a new online venture sure to be watched across the company, Gannett's N.J. newspapers are collaborating on a blog reporting area community news. Some of Freehold InJersey's content will be published in print versions of local newspapers.

An introductory post doesn't identity those papers, but it seems likely they will include Gannett's six papers in Central New Jersey: the Asbury Park Press, Courier News at Bridgewater, Courier-Post at Cherry Hill, Home News Tribune at East Brunswick, Daily Record at Parsippany, and The Daily Journal at Vineland.

The new venture's twist: Freehold InJersey has established a tiny satellite bureau in a coffee shop, Zebu Forno, on Main Street in Freehold Borough.

"At a computer workstation surrounded by diners and patrons,'' editors say in a post, "the staff of Freehold InJersey will conduct interviews, work on stories, and produce multimedia content for this groundbreaking website. Passers-by can stop to ask the latest news, share a tip, or learn how to post their own stories to the open-source news site."

The site is published with off-the-shelf Buddy Press software.

Detroit Free Press adding iPhone app, more news

Top editor Paul Anger told readers in a note today that the Detroit Free Press is adding more sports, features and business news -- plus an iPhone application, "soon."

Anger also noted that the paper was adding two new "advertising sections." One is called Working, and "profiles businesses and spotlights job-seekers," he wrote. The other, Celebrations, "debuts with a spotlight on weddings." Unfortunately, Anger's column didn't make clear whether the content would be produced by, say, advertising agencies or by the newsroom. Let's hope it's the former, and not the latter.

Regarding the iPhone app, Anonymous@11:35 p.m. yesterday asks: "Anyone else besides USA Today have one?"

Earlier: Retreating, Detroit papers resume 7-day delivery

Week of June 21-27 | Your News & Comments

Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)

Poll | Did anyone get USA Weekend today?

How many pages did today's magazine have? And if you've got a copy of Parade, I'd like a page count for that rival Sunday supplement, too.

(Posted from my iPhone.)

On the road again: Dubow, Martore, and Dickey

In what sounds like a routine visit, CEO Craig Dubow (left), President Gracia Martore, and U.S. newspaper division President Bob Dickey are expected to drop by upstate New York newspapers on Monday, one of my readers says. I hear they'll visit the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, followed by the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.

Employees have also been invited to Binghamton from the nearby Ithaca Journal and the Elmira Star-Gazette, according to my reader, who's close to one of those two papers.

More intriguing is speculation that the board of directors may take the unusual step of holding its next quarterly meeting away from headquarters at McLean, Va. -- at The Des Moines Register. Wherever it occurs, that meeting, which would consider the next earnings report plus a regular dividend payment, would likely be held on Tuesday, July 27, and Wednesday, July 28.

Anyone else having the pleasure, ahem, of an upcoming visit from the Corporate bigwigs? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

Reasons to be glad you're a Gannett investor

Gannett shares recently traded today for $14.95 a share, up a penny. Troubled oil giant BP traded for $27.58, down $1.16, or 4%.

But over the past three months, GCI has slid only 9%, while BP is down more than 50%, according to Google Finance data, as displayed in the following chart. The broader S&P 500 index is off 7.8% during that same period. (Bigger, live view of chart.)

St. George | In paywalls, 'a nervous, nervous time'

"The point is, somebody’s got to experiment. We’ve got to try stuff."

-- Ted Power, vice president of Gannett’s West Group, speaking about plans to erect a paywall on July 1 at The Spectrum of St. George, Utah. Gannett also will add paywalls at The Greenville News in South Carolina, and at Florida's Tallahassee Democrat.

Q1 profits soared from 2009 at TV broadcasters

First-quarter television station profit margins surged to 35% from 24% a year ago, on a 15% rise in revenue, media investment bank M.C. Alcamo & Co. says in a new analysis.

“The Great Recovery of 2010 is underway, and in broadcasting, it is strong,” said Michael Alcamo, the firm’s president, according to trade journal Radio Business Report/Television Business Report. “Not all broadcasters are recovering equally, however,” he noted. “Some have already shown sharply higher profitability margins, while others will no doubt catch up in coming quarters.”

The trade site's report doesn't detail profitability by company, such as Gannett's 23-station broadcasting division.

Tallahassee | Day 2 of reader reaction to paywall

The most recent comment, No. 434, by reader smalls, on the Tallahassee Democrat's announced plan yesterday to erect a paywall, on July 1:

I stopped getting the printed version of the Democrat because service was horrible and there were many times I didn't even get my paper. I would come to Tallahassee Democrat Online because I liked to see what others thought of the news. The reporting is sub-par at best, and with all the grammatical errors you should just hire my nine year old and she would probably do a better job. Goodbye Democrap! There are way better sites out there that I can get my new from for free and I can print coupons online. There is no way I would pay for this monstrosity that calls itself a newspaper, or its crappy website.

Earlier: Tallahassee Democrat is first of three Gannett papers to announce paywall

Urgent: Utah is second GCI paper to raise paywall

That's according to Tallahassee Democrat Executive Editor Bob Gabordi, who posted that information in a comment on his blog moments ago -- confirming a tip I received last week. The Utah paper is The Spectrum of St. George. A third paper is due to add a wall; its identity has not yet been disclosed, however.

The Democrat announced this morning that it would erect a paywall on July 1.

Sponsors | Thank you, to my new $20 donor!

I've just received a $20 contribution from a Minnesota reader.

With one week left in the quarter, I've reached just 68% of my goal, or $2,703. The breakdown:

• Donations: $1,601
• Advertising: $1,102

I'm trying to earn $4,000 quarterly, mostly through sponsorships of $5 per reader, plus limited ad sales. Please use the "Donate" tool in the green rail, upper right. Or mail cash/checks payable to: Jim Hopkins, 584 Castro St. #823, San Francisco, Calif., 94114-2594.

Urgent: Tallahassee Democrat adds paywall July 1; Web-only access will cost readers $9.95 a month; Florida daily is one of three in GCI making move

Gannett's Tallahassee Democrat said today that it would offer readers three new ways to access news on its website, all going into effect July 1. The daily is the first of Gannett's U.S. community newspapers known to have announced an online pay model, one designed to staunch the loss of revenue to web rivals.

Two other GCI papers are due to adopt a similar model, Democrat Executive Editor Bob Gabordi told a reader in a comment on his blog; he did not identify those papers, and did not provide a timetable, however. A reader told me last week that The Spectrum in St. George, Utah, may be one of the other papers.

The Democrat's new options:

• Web content (digital-only model): For $9.95 per month, readers can subscribe to Tallahassee.com, NoleSports.com, RattlerNews.com and the full suite of Tallahassee.com affiliated websites.
• Single copy and day passes: Copies of the printed Tallahassee Democrat will continue to be sold in vending machines and through local retail outlets. Readers can also get a 24-hour pass on Democrat websites for $2 per day.
• Full-media content/electronic delivery (digital and e-edition): For $14.95 per month, readers get all the websites and the e-edition replica version of the Tallahassee Democrat.

Meanwhile, all current home delivery subscribers, will receive "all of our media, in print delivered to your home or office, online on Tallahassee.com, NoleSports.com, RattlerNews.com and affiliated websites, and through an electronic edition that replicates the print edition on Tallahassee.com."

Although exclusive local and other website content will require a subscription, the paper says, website users will still have free access to all of section fronts, classifieds, local search and shopping channels, including, but not limited to, CareerBuilder.com, Apartments.com, HomeFinder.com, FindItNow.com, MomsLikeMe.com and eHarmony.com.

In a note signed by Gabordi and Publisher Patrick Dorsey, the paper says: "In recent years, some have openly wondered if the type of journalism that has sustained democracy since the American Revolution can survive. We have innovated in how we deliver news, but have operated under an old business model for how we pay for that journalism."

Their note continues: "Today, we are announcing an historic change in how we do business, becoming one of the first community news outlets to take decisive steps toward protecting the journalism so vital to the social and economic well being of our community, now and long into the future."

Readers generally don't like changes, so it's not surprising that most of the more than 125 comments posted on the announcement so far oppose the new subscription model.

For example, reader PuppetPerson wrote at 7:49 a.m.: "You've GOT to provide a lot more than you currently do in order for this to be viable at all. Did you even ask your customers? I doubt many people would pay half that amount when so much is available for free. ESPECIALLY since as a paying customer, we'd still get bombarded with advertising crap -- I thought the advertising was what kept the content free! I don't want to pay and still end up with browser crashes from pop-ups that my pop-up blocker doesn't block!"

Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

[Image: today's paper, Newseum]

For USAT, surprise news ushers in a long summer; Hunke's team now hunts for paper's 'future path'

Summer officially started yesterday, and today's forecast high in McLean, Va., home to USA Today, is a steamy 93 degrees.

But that's not the only reason working conditions have grown even more uncomfortable at Gannett's biggest newspaper. Some 1,500 workers have been left anxious about their future employment since Publisher Dave Hunke (left) surprised a staff meeting last week with news the paper would be reorganized in the weeks ahead.

He did not reveal many particulars -- including, most crucially, a timetable. Anonymous@7 a.m., commenting today with the authority and phrasing of a manager, wrote: "Hunke said the details had not yet been worked out; there are teams working through the details and he is listening to them as they help develop the future path."

Indeed, one Gannett Blog reader said Hunke didn't acknowledge layoffs were part of the deal until well into Thursday's meeting.

"He called them 'involuntary layoffs,' and it didn't even come up until the Q&A session and someone asked if USAT would be hiring more multimedia people,'' Anonymous@8:38 a.m. wrote yesterday. "Either Hunke buried the lede or he has so little regard for us that he just plumb forgot to mention the fact that some of us are going to be laid off, and soon."

Their comment continued: "So if you didn't know you were a fixed cost and actually thought you were a valued employee who helped build the so-called legacy product, that should open your eyes."

Hunke's disclosures weren't much of a surprise to Anonymous@2:35 p.m. today, however. They write: "We have all known there will be a reorganization when Hunke was brought in to deal with the circulation and ad declines. What we don't know is the details, and Hunke was not forthcoming on details at that meeting."

Busted business model?
Whatever the "future path,'' it appears USAT's long-standing business model, one unique among Gannett's 100 dailies, may be broken. Overly dependent on the business travel market, where it fed millions of heavily discounted copies to hotel buyers, the 28-year-old paper continues to be roiled by a downturn in business travel, amid heightened competition with its two national rivals: The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Circulation plunged 14% from a year ago as of the most recent reporting period, the six months ended March 31. Advertising revenue fell 11% during the first quarter, far worse than the overall 8% decline among Gannett's papers, public documents show. One Tuesday last month, the paper's main A section carried only two advertisements.

Hopes for even a small bump in subscription revenue from the new iPad app starting July 4 were dashed when a USAT executive recently acknowledged that Gannett had delayed plans to start charging for the software. Meanwhile, nothing yet has come of speculation that USA Today is negotiating a deal with Wall Street Journal owner News Corp., one that could result in a sharing of advertising sales or news distribution.

Hunke as White Knight
He was brought in to turn around USAT in April 2009. At the time, Hunke was riding a wave of success: As CEO of the Detroit newspaper operation, he had led a major reorganization where the two papers there reduced home delivery to just three advertising-rich days each week. The Gannett-owned Detroit Free Press had won a prestigious Pulitzer Prize for reporting that led to the mayor's resignation, conviction and jail time.

But now, more than a year later, a solution for USAT's woes has proved elusive. His revelation that a reorganization is in the works suggests Corporate is losing patience. Gracia Martore, named Gannett president nearly five months ago, still holds the position of chief financial officer. One can easily imagine that she and Hunke are spending lots of time together as his team of managers develops the new business plan.

Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

[Image: today's paper, Newseum]

GCI said outsourcing reader comment moderation

Gannett may have finally conceded that its newspapers and TV stations are too thinly staffed to do an adequate job moderating often-harsh reader comments posted online, according to one of my readers. So, the company is handing off that work to an outside vendor, this reader was told last week.

"Sites have been given a short time to clear up existing abuse complaints, after which the paid comment handlers will take over,'' my source tells me.

This may explain the following obscure comment posted last week by Anonymous@10:19 a.m.: "What the Pluck? Answer: More work for Deepak and Sahib I'm betting, not Joe and Jane (sorry TOTUS), starting July 1."

Know more about this switchover? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

[Image: today's Desert Sun of Palm Springs, Calif. -- one of 100 newspapers published by Gannett in the U.S. and the U.K., Newseum]

USA Today delays setting iPad app subscriber fee

[USAT is extending free trial for its iPad app, above]

Gannett's biggest newspaper had planned to offer its iPad application for free through July 4, then set a subscription fee after that date. But now Vice President Matt Jones, who's in charge of mobile strategy, tells paidContent that USA Today is delaying its subscription fee plans, and might opt for free access on a permanent basis.

"We think it’s critically important to maintain the leadership position we’ve established: We’re the No. 1 free news app and the No. 5 or 6 free app in general on any given week since April,'' he told paidContent's David Kaplan in a post today. "We’re also looking at potentially keeping it open, because the advertising demand has been so remarkable."

Earlier: Dubow says it's gorgeous, but will they pay for it?

USAT said shrinking D.C. news bureau next year; new, smaller office would house fewer employees

In another cost-cutting move, USA Today is closing its Washington, D.C., bureau next year, a reader says, and replacing it with smaller quarters, when most staffers move to the paper's main offices about 17 miles away at Tyson's Corner, Va. Staff learned about the development at a "big meeting last week,'' my reader says.

It's unclear what will happen to any remaining Washington correspondents for other, larger Gannett newspapers still sharing the existing USAT bureau, however.

The reported disclosure came the same week Publisher Dave Hunke warned staff of plans to reorganize the financially-struggling newspaper this summer, other Gannett Blog readers have said, in comments posted after a Thursday staff meeting. USAT has been roiled by a nearly 14% decline in circulation from a year ago, and an 11% first-quarter drop in ad revenue vs. last year. The paper's losses stem from a steep drop in the business travel market, USA Today's sweet spot.

Week of June 14-20 | Your News & Comments

Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)

With pay freeze over, a question about your raise

The freeze ended for most if not all Gannett employees on April 1, when the U.S. newspaper division -- the company's biggest, with 24,700 employees -- canceled one that had been in effect for a year.

Now, Anonymous@4:58 p.m. asks an excellent question:

Are you getting a raise, and how much is it?*

* (Please express it as a percentage increase.)

Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

USAT | Pop culture, video game blogs honored

USA Today's Pop Candy won the Editor & Publisher EPpy award for best entertainment blog, and the paper's Game Hunters site won for best consumer technology blog, says Brett Molina. He co-edits the video game blog with USAT's Mike Snider. The awards are given by the newspaper trade publication E&P.

Yes, Virginia, WSJ editors do read USA Today

USAT is known for its trend stories, so it was noteworthy this morning when The Wall Street Journal chose an unusual forum -- its editorial page -- to pick apart one such USAT account about the Gulf Oil spill.

The June 8 story: "Oil spills escalated in this decade." The paper found the number of spills from offshore oil rigs and pipelines in U.S. waters "more than quadrupled this decade, a trend that could have served as a warning for the massive leak in the Gulf of Mexico."

Here's the graph the WSJ didn't like: "From the early 1970s through the '90s, offshore rigs and pipelines averaged about four spills per year of at least 50 barrels, according to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). One barrel is equal to 42 gallons. The average annual total surged to more than 17 from 2000 through 2009. From 2005 through 2009, spills averaged 22 a year."

"That sounds ominous," the Journal opines, "so we decided to check Minerals Management Service spill data and see for ourselves. Here's the rest of the story: While the averages reported by USA Today are correct, the paper failed to mention that the numbers were distorted by some outlier years, in particular 2004 (22 spills), 2005 (49 spills) and 2008 (33 spills). It's no coincidence that those were the years of Hurricanes Ivan (2004), Katrina and Rita (2005) and Gustav and Ike (2008)."

Now, depending on your view, the WSJ is providing important context that deflates USAT's trend discovery. Or, the Journal's famously conservative editorial page is once more kissing corporate butt.

[Image: this morning's front page, Newseum]

Google said near paid-content system launch

The search engine giant is reportedly set to launch a paid content system for publishers by year-end, according to an Italian newspaper report cited by tech website paidContent. The new service is dubbed Newspass, according to the La Repubblica report.

"With Newspass," paidContent says, "people will be able to log-in to the sites of participating news publishers using a single login. Publishers will be able to designate what type of payment they want to accept, including subscriptions and micropayments. People who find content from participating publishers in Google search will see a paywall icon next to that content and be able to purchase access directly from there," using Google's Checkout online payment program.

Earlier: In a comment last month, I asked for the Internet equivalent of an E-Z Pass system

USAT | What did Hunke tell the staff meeting?

After yesterday's employee meeting led by USA Today Publisher Dave Hunke, comments here, here, and here -- if accurate -- suggest a long summer ahead.

Blind Item | Hey, batter, batter!

Which Gannett publisher took all their managers to a daytime double-header, according to one of my readers -- leaving the grunts behind to put out the newspaper? (Bonus clue: The grunts at this pub's cheesy daily took a wage cut not so long ago, my tipster says.)

Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

[Photo: legendary gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. Blind item?]

Product designer Victor swaps San Diego for GCI

In a tweet posted just moments ago, Furlough House Swap co-creator Yuri Victor writes: "I'm leaving Gannett to work with an outstanding team at The San Diego Union Tribune. Heck yes!"

Via Facebook, Victor (left) tells me: "My last day at Gannett is the 24th and I'll be starting my new job on July 5th. I wanted to return to news and development. The Union Tribune gave me an opportunity. My title will be Product Design and Development Manager."

Victor came to Gannett in November 2008 as product design and development manager, from The Times of Northwest Indiana, where he was innovation strategist and product development manager.

Among his unofficial Gannett projects, Victor may be best known on Gannett Blog as one of the brains behind last year's clever Furlough House Swap, where employees on unpaid leave could exchange homes for free "furcations."

Related: Victor talks to Visual Editors' Charles Apple about going to Gannett

Know about an interesting personnel change? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

USAT | Founder Al Neuharth would so approve!

[Reality TV star Heidi Montag at Aria CityCenter's pool party]

USA Today doesn't publish Metromix, the entertainment franchise owned by Gannett and Tribune Co., and known for photos of barely dressed clubgoers. But it's not far behind, in an article that's been one of USAT's most popular stories for days and days now (I've lost track): "Adult and topless pools make a splash in Vegas."

Reporting from Vegas, Kitty Bean Yancey writes: "Using the same strategies that have made its nightclubs tabloid-headline hotspots, resorts and club owners are focusing on what they call 'daylife.' It's not about swimming. Adult pools and pool parties are making a splash with reserved cabanas renting for hundreds or thousands daily, pricey bottle service and scantily clad servers awaiting beyond the velvet (or hemp) ropes at the entrance."

Naturally, all the action's in the photo slideshow. (Exhibit A, above.)

Diving into the shallow end, I'm reminded of that famous directive that USA Today founder Al Neuharth handed to editors near the paper's 1982 launch: "When you run a picture of a nice clean-cut all-American girl like this, get her tits above the fold."

Audit | USAT by the numbers: 40 pages, 47 ads

USA Today staffers gather in a meeting tomorrow for an update on the paper's outlook, after a decline in first-quarter ad revenue and a sharp drop in circulation. This is my seventh audit of USAT's page count and advertising. (All my audits.)

I'm struck by the fact that today's front page carries just two stories.

The audit
From this morning's edition, I counted pages and advertisements. I did not include what appeared to be house ads. I did, however, count even the smallest, classified-like display ads, indicated as a number inside parentheses (X). Here's what I found:

A section, 12 pages, 10 ads: Subway, Toyota, BP (!!!),  Profit on Performance, Rosetta Stone, Double Tree, Samsung, Allstate, 1-800-Hotels, Overtons.com

Money, eight pages, nine ads: Sprint, Westin, Garmin, Franchising Today (five), Amazon

Sports, 12 pages, eight ads: ESPN, McCormick & Schmick's, Lowe's, Advance Auto Parts, Bill's Bail Out Riches, Stihl, ProstaleXplus, Letters for Lyrics

Life, eight pages, 20 ads: Frontgate, Marketplace Today (one), Toshiba, Marketplace Today (17)

Sponsors | Thank you, to my $30 donors!

Via snail-mail, I've just received a $25 contribution from a reader in Florida, and $5 from a reader in Northern Virginia, who writes: "Keep tabs on Newseum. [XXXXX] grabs perks like free apartment while business fails." (I've redacted the individual Newseum executive's name, pending further research!)

I'm trying to earn $4,000 quarterly, mostly through sponsorships of $5 per reader, plus limited ad sales. Please use the "Donate" tool in the green rail, upper right. Or mail cash/checks payable to: Jim Hopkins, 584 Castro St. #823, San Francisco, Calif., 94114-2594.

Phoenix | Public records detail rancher's murder; Arizona cowboy was reportedly aiding immigrant

The murder this spring of an Arizona rancher fueled a nationwide political furor over illegal immigration, and became a crucial factor in passage of the state's controversial new immigration law.

Now, The Arizona Republic has used state open-records laws this morning to reveal a surprising twist in the case: Rancher Robert Krentz had apparently come to the aid of an immigrant "in need of help." The paper's report illustrates anew the value of using public documents to uncover exclusive news.

Pensacola | Obama at GCI's ground zero: Part 2

Today's Pensacola News Journal front page shows coverage of a classic big event: a presidential visit -- in this case, in oil spill-beleagured Pensacola, Fla. (Earlier view of online coverage.)

Got a Gannett front page to recommend? Find it in the Newseum's page one database, then post a link in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

Broadcast's WXIA, KARE, WGRZ win Murrow Awards

The three Gannett stations won a combined four 2010 Edward R. Murrow Awards in a national competition sponsored by the Radio Television Digital News Association, the trade group announced today. The prestigious awards honor outstanding achievements in electronic journalism, Corporate noted in a statement today. They're named for the famed U.S. journalist, who first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II.

The winners:

• WXIA at Atlanta; large market/best continuing coverage (11Alive Staff), for "State of the Stimulus"
• KARE at Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.; large market/newscast (KARE 11 News at 10 p.m./KARE 11 News Team), for ""Blizzard Coverage" (12/23/09), and large market/video feature reporting (Boyd Huppert, Jonathan Malat), for "The Tyler Project"
• WGRZ at Buffalo, N.Y.; small market/video sports reporting (Bob Mancuso, Aaron Saykin), for "Baseball Hero"

Amid paywall speculation, is a launch scheduled?

In bits and pieces, I'm hearing more buzz about Gannett's plans to lower paywalls around content at some of its websites. One reader tells me July 1 could bring a wall to three company sites.

With that backdrop, I'm putting out a call for more information from staff at one of the company's smallest, least-discussed newspapers: The Spectrum, in St. George, Utah. Hi, there! What do you know?

Earlier: Departing Chief Digital Officer Chris Saridakis slams paywall strategy

Pensacola | Obama at Gannett's ground zero

The Pensacola News Journal turned over most of its homepage to coverage of President Obama's visit this morning to the nearby city beach, in advance of his Oval Office address to the nation this evening on the Gulf oil spill. Of Gannett's communities, Pensacola is among the closest to the spill's devastation.

Stock | Gannett surges 5% on big market rally

GCI's stock recently traded for $16.62 a share, up 84 cents, or 5.3%, as overall stock markets soared -- a better performance than broader market indicators. Just moments before the close, both the Dow Jones Industrial Average -- up 214 points -- and the S&P 500 Index had climbed more than 2%.

GCI said in content-sharing talks with News Corp.

Regarding a new plan to centralize digital content contracting, the well-known Gannett Blog poster known as "My Boss" says representatives of Gannett, USA Today and News Corp. have been discussing a possible combination of news, advertising and other content operations. News Corp.'s properties include The Wall Street Journal.

I have now confirmed that these talks have, indeed, been underway. I do not know their current status, however. (Updated at 3:54 p.m. ET to reflect my source's belief that these talks cover subjects beyond news content development.) Following are key portions of My Boss' post:

"This is the first step in the eventual News Corp. and Gannett/USA Today paid content agreement. There are some big implications for digital sales for newspapers and USAT. Jack Williams has been meeting with Jon Miller at News Corp. to discuss one delivery mechanism for all local content and for USAT to combine news operations within WSJ and sales within News Corp."

Some context: Any such deal with News Corp. would come amid USA Today's flagging circulation and advertising sales, which have lagged other Gannett newspapers as the U.S. economy struggles to regain its footing after the Great Recession.

Know about a reported USA Today staff meeting on Thursday? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

[Image: today's paper, Newseum]

Broadcasting in new deal to revamp 10 websites

Corporate has just announced a deal with DataSphere Technologies to launch "community-focused" websites that will be integrated within existing sites now run by Gannett TV stations in 10 U.S. markets, including Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

The new sites will feature "hyperlocal news content and include user-generated content about area happenings and events,'' according to Corporate's statement. "Local businesses will benefit from the opportunity to target their potential customers. In addition to powering the community websites, DataSphere will provide existing Gannett broadcasting websites with enhanced functionality, including market-leading site search, coupons, business directory and ad targeting."

Corporate's statement doe not detail the type of editorial and non-editorial content to be added, however, and it doesn't give a timetable for the changes. The statement also raises other questions: Will the new template for the U.S. newspaper sites -- code-named Project Odyssey, and expected to be launched soon -- also be applied to the broadcasting division's sites? If so, how does the DataSphere deal impact that new template?

In addition to Atlanta and D.C., the other markets are Tampa, Fla.,; Sacramento, Calif.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Little Rock, Ark.; Portland, Maine, and Macon, Ga.

Longtime Gannett sports journalist Collins dies

Don Collins (left) worked for Gannett newspapers including USA Today and The Arkansas Gazette, where I first met him. He died last night, according to friends who are remembering him fondly on his Facebook page. I will add more information about him as it becomes available.

Please share any additional information in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com].

[Photo: Southview Baptist Church]

Springfield | On Flag Day, 15 years' worth

The flag is lowered at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo., in this photograph by the Springfield News-Leader's Dean Curtis. For Flag Day, Curtis assembled 15 years' worth of his U.S. flag photos -- 90 in all -- and presented them (with captions for each one!) in a slideshow published today. (Related story.)

Cutlines Only showcases Gannett artwork. Please post your suggestions in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

Louisville | Political coverage, after layoffs

"The newspapers are gutted -- and everybody who is left is doing three other jobs. As a result, it feels like there is little accountability for candidates about what they say."

-- an unidentified Kentucky Democratic strategist quoted by Walter Shapiro, in his column for Politics Daily headlined, "Nikki Haley and Rand Paul races: Where have all the reporters gone?" For nearly ten years ending after the 2004 election, Shapiro wrote a twice-weekly political column for USA Today.

Newspaper division launches Gannett-IRE Blog

The GanIRE site, which debuted June 9, was launched in conjunction with last week's Investigative Reporters and Editors annual conference, in Las Vegas. Some 32 journalists from Gannett's U.S. Community Publishing newspaper division attended the event; the site was created to share information they gathered at the conference.

Week June 7-13 | Your News & Comments: Part 2

Can't find the right spot for your comment? Post it here, in this open forum. Real Time Comments: parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.)

Sponsors | Thank you, to a new $25 donor!

I've just received a $25 contribution from a reader who asks that it be credited to: "a 20-year former Gannettoid who was sucked into the abyss by an overly ambitious, now demised, editor."

I'm trying to earn $4,000 quarterly, mostly through sponsorships of $5 per reader, plus limited ad sales. Please use the "Donate" tool in the green rail, upper right. Or mail cash/checks payable to: Jim Hopkins, 584 Castro St. #823, San Francisco, Calif., 94114-2594.

Urgent: GCI reaches outside for new WXIA-TV GM

Corporate just announced that it has appointed a former Granite Broadcasting executive, John Deushane, as president and general manager of WXIA and WATL of Atlanta. He replaces Bob Walker, who left the NBC affiliate in March for the Weather Channel Cos.

WXIA is one of the broadcasting division's biggest TV stations. Gannett CEO Craig Dubow was its general manager prior to his being named head of the broadcasting division.

Deushane formerly was chief operating officer for Granite Broadcasting from 2002-2009. Corporate's statement does not explain the gap in Deushane's work history, from 2009 to present.

Previously, Deushane was senior vice president of Granite Broadcasting from 1998-2002; president and general manager at KSEE-TV in Fresno, Calif., from 1997-1998; and president and general manager, director of sales, at WEEK-TV in Peoria, Ill., from 1991-1998, the statement says. Earlier, he worked for Price Communications in various positions, including president and general manager at KRCG-TV in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Memo: Gannett centralizing all digital contracting; Digital Ventures chief Williams gains more power

Further centralizing authority over newspaper and TV content, Corporate has notified senior executives that all "content" contracts and licensing agreements will now be handled by Gannett Digital Ventures, according to a memo forwarded to me by a reader. A former USA Today employee has been promoted to a new position managing this new arrangement, according to the memo, which was signed by Gannett Digital Ventures President Jack Williams (left).

The memo has emerged amid speculation that Williams is expanding his reach across Gannett's digital properties in discussions over a new paid content scheme, one that could involve News Corp., owner of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones & Co., according to a Gannett Blog poster. Williams's move follows the departure of Chief Digital Officer Chris Saridakis on April 30. Corporate has not said publicly whether it intends to replace him.

The memo's text

To: Publishers, General Managers, Executive/Managing Editors, News Directors, and Financial Executives
From: Jack Williams
Cc: Gannett Management Committee, Tara Connell, Kate Marymont, Rob Mennie, Saira Stahl, Jeff Webber, Barbara Wall, Craig McKinnis
Date: 6/3/2010
Re: New Company-wide Content Contract Policies and Procedures

As you know from our previous communication, Gannett recently created a company-wide “Content Acquisition and Syndication Committee” in an effort to begin centrally reviewing, coordinating and managing our content contracts and licensing arrangements for all U.S. properties. The purpose and advantages of these efforts include:

1. Leveraging the overall size and negotiating power of Gannett.
2. Consolidating and reducing the overall number of content contracts we maintain by negotiating single, company-wide contracts where today we may have multiple contracts (by unit) covering the same content.
3. Reducing our overall legal exposure and expenses.
4. Gaining better control and understanding of where Gannett’s content is distributed, how we’re compensated for its distribution, and allowing for better strategic planning and decision making going forward.
5. Helping individual units take advantage of content that may already be under contract and available for their use.
6. Providing a central contact point for all requests, questions, and assistance needed related to content contracts.

As discussed previously, to achieve these advantages, we will need to put new policies and procedures in place for:

1. Reviewing all existing content contracts to determine the number and type of contracts Gannett currently has in place as well as the needs and opportunities these imply.
2. How we handle all content contracts going forward.

The first part of this process began with the “Content Contract Survey”, which was sent to all U.S. properties last November. Gannett Legal is now in the process of reviewing all of the contracts gathered as a result of the survey. Since we have questions about some of the responses, or some appear incomplete, during this contract review period, Gannett Legal may need to contact individual units with follow-up questions to gather additional information.

The second part of this process is taking shape now and began with creating a new position within Gannett Digital Ventures to manage these arrangements and contracts: Manager, Content Contracts and Relationships. Craig McKinnis, formerly with USA Today, has moved into this position and will now become the central contact point on all issues relating to content contracts. In addition, the committee has worked on an initial set of Policies and Procedures to be implemented immediately as the new process for handling all of these contracts and relationships going forward. 

Attached you will find the new “Content Contract Policies and Procedures.” For how we will handle all content contracts going forward. Definitions, descriptions and examples of different types of content contracts or agreements are included.

We understand there may be some initial comments, questions and concerns regarding the policies and procedures outlined in this document. This is new to all of us and a work in progress. We anticipate that the procedures and policies will be changed some over time as we work out the best way to handle all of the possible relationships and include that in the policies.  We encourage your feedback and input to help us with this process.  With your cooperation and feedback, we will be able to refine and streamline this process over time.

If at any time you are uncertain on how to proceed with any content contract, partnership or other content agreement, please contact Craig McKinnis at (703) 854-XXXX or via e-mail at XXXXX@gannett.com and he will be available to assist you.

Thank you for your cooperation in implementing and adhering to these new and important procedures – they will make a significant and positive impact on our organization.

Jack Williams
President, Gannett Digital Ventures

[Image: this morning's USA Today, Newseum]

Sponsors | Thank you, Sunshine State donor!

I've just received a $10 contribution from a Florida reader.

I'm trying to earn $4,000 quarterly, mostly through sponsorships of $5 per reader, plus limited ad sales. Please use the "Donate" tool in the green rail, upper right. Or mail cash/checks payable to: Jim Hopkins, 584 Castro St. #823, San Francisco, Calif., 94114-2594.

Page One | Skinny on a really fat story promo

The Indianapolis Star went all out this morning, in its above-the-flag promotion of an inside story about the new iPhone:

Got a Gannett front page to recommend? Find it in the Newseum's page one database, then post a link in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.