Earlier: Questions for Publisher Hunke to answer.
Please post your reactions in the comments section, below. USAT Watch is an occasional progress report on a high-profile reorganization launched in August 2010 to boost advertising and readership at Gannett's struggling marquee daily.
Micek comes across as a real pro. Energetic applause when she was done
ReplyDeleteNever heard this guy Beusse present before. His plan is big time and USA Today is right in the middle. Verrry aggressive plan. This is unprecedented. How do I get on that team?
ReplyDeleteDetails, please:
ReplyDelete1. Did Micek talk about her views on marketing? A specific plan for USAT?
2. What is Beusse's "big time" plan? What makes it unprecedented?
Beusse, "Make this the best sports platform on the planet." Not a bad goal! This guy should be running USAT!!!! The audience is digging it!
ReplyDeleteJim honest to gosh it's just refreshing to hear enthusiasm and see a vision. Beusse and Micek speak, act, sound different. Traditionalists won't like any of it. But folks looking for a new direction may just give then the benefit of the doubt.
ReplyDeleteI'm cross-posting the following from this related post:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous@4:45 p.m. wrote: "The meeting is On! Ellwood promises better communication and more transparency. New marketing woman follows with lots of buzzwords. Sports guy BEusse is very impressive. The rudd davis deflates room with lots of nonsensical mmarketing words. He is out of his league. More to come,,,,,"
Tom Beusse named president of USA TODAY Sports Media Group
ReplyDeleteMcLean, VA -- Tom Beusse has been named to the newly created position of president of USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Beusse will be responsible for overseeing business and strategy for national sports initiatives across USA TODAY, as well as Gannett’s 82 daily newspaper properties, 23 broadcast television stations, HighSchoolSports.net and BNQT.com. He will be headquartered at Gannett’s New York City offices. The announcement was made today by USA TODAY President and Publisher David L. Hunke.
“Tom is a seasoned media executive and we are excited about the experience he brings to Gannett,” said Dave Hunke. “His leadership will provide us with the vision to help grow our national sports initiatives.”
Beusse joins USA TODAY with more 20 years of experience ranging from digital start-ups to some of the most well-known media brands in the country. He most recently was president and CEO of Westwood One, Inc., a publicly owned content syndication company focused largely on network and local radio. Prior to Westwood One, he was president of Time4 Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner. In his role, he was responsible for 18 consumer brands including GOLF Magazine, This Old House and Warren Miller Entertainment. Prior to that, he spent five years as president of magazine publishing at Rodale, Inc.
His previous experience includes serving as senior vice president of sales and marketing for Broadband Sports. Beusse spent seven years in various advertising sales management roles at Sports Illustrated from 1992 – 1999 after starting his career at Young & Rubicam advertising.
Beusse is a graduate of Ithaca College with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and advertising/public relations. He and his wife, Sharon, and four children reside in New Canaan, CT.
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is an international news and information company operating on multiple platforms including the Internet, mobile, newspapers, magazines and TV stations. Gannett is an Internet leader with hundreds of newspaper and TV web sites; CareerBuilder.com, the nation's top employment site; USATODAY.com; and more than 80 local MomsLikeMe.com sites. Gannett publishes 82 daily U.S. newspapers, including USA TODAY, the nation's largest-selling daily newspaper, and more than 600 magazines and other non-dailies including USA WEEKEND. Gannett also operates 23 television stations in 19 U.S. markets. Gannett subsidiary Newsquest is one of the UK's leading regional community news providers, with 17 daily paid-for titles, more than 200 weekly newspapers, magazines and trade publications, and a network of web sites.
As a DSM working the field, the most positive comments I hear regarding USAT is the Sports section. That's great news to hear USAT is building on something that is already strong. There is no daily nationwide print publication that competes in that category.
ReplyDeleteOther meeting attendees are posting comments in this thread.
ReplyDeleteStill nothing announced about Hilton hotels. Did Davidson and Davis save their circulation agreement or not? If not, then we don't think any of this will matter.
ReplyDeletePayne is a straight shooter. People he actually has a blueprint for the future. He wants to give the user a great experience!
ReplyDeletePayne is asking senior executives in the room if they have the courage to make it happen!
ReplyDeleteHilton's agreement was done in July with no change.
ReplyDeleteOne poster said: "Hiring 34 people to develop digital sports."
ReplyDeleteThat's the most significant detail I've seen yet. Can anyone expand on this? What aspects of digital sports? Will these be tech people? Writers/editors? What's the timetable? Is this for a separate, new site?
Michek plan for marketing: details please?
ReplyDelete5:06 that is not true.
ReplyDeleteBuesse is the most experienced media executive in the room. USAT sports has huge potential. When is it launching?
ReplyDeleteJim, lots of talk about new hires but nothing specific for the newsroom that I heard. Hunke repeatedly said they were recruiting. But will they actually be people that produce content? He'll have to show us that. And I doubt it. He was invited to say something to improve morale and give people in the newsroom a reason to stay. He said he was concerned about the departures, but had nothing for the staff on retention, raises, avoiding benefit reductions, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe over under on when the blog starts trashing Busse is October 6. Every one is a genius then they are gutted on here no matter what the actually do.
ReplyDeleteSo is USAT hoping to take on ESPN? They have a great brand and all of their extensions kick butt. Can USAT step up to this level? Details from anyone who attended the meeting?
ReplyDeleteNo discussion of resources to become competitive with ESPN. Speaker offered the fiction that because there are roughly 100 papers and tv stations held by GCI around the country, that means GCI/USA Today has 100 "bureaus."
ReplyDelete"So is USAT hoping to take on ESPN?"
ReplyDeleteOMG, thank you! I haven't laughed that hard in months.
@7:19 p.m., speaking of those "bureaus," WTF?! Seriously? Does the speaker realize how rinky dink some of the sites are? My god, nine of the 10 sites in Wisconsin would have NOTHING to offer, and one site could give up some Packers coverage if they could ever make their deadline.
ReplyDeleteHe used ESPN as an example. Don't you freakin haters listen. Talk about people with personal agendas
ReplyDelete8:14pm, Seriously, yes, that is what he said. Shocking naivete, ignorance, or lying BS? You decide.
ReplyDelete5:26 I do not know Beusse personally.
ReplyDeleteBut he certainly was not "the most experienced media executive in the room'' -- unless most of the senior staff of USA Today wasn't present. (Hunke alone has been in the business 37 years.)
When USAT announced his appointment on Jan. 4, the paper
said in a statement: "He most recently was president and CEO of Westwood One, Inc., a publicly owned content syndication company focused largely on network and local radio."
That appears to be literally true. But it barely hints at a far more interesting story.
Jim he was extremely impressive. He has s real plan that everyone could get their arms around. I think the mire interesting story would be hiw you know him.nplease share.
ReplyDeleteJim knows Gary Beusse.
ReplyDeleteThe newsroom is exhausted, and the meeting didn't help.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to think, other than to say that there were too many buzzwords from the first two presenters (Ellwood and Micek) and too much hoopla going on from the last three to get any real answers during the Q&A.
So I'd like to invite Mr. Hunke to come to the newsroom and please just talk to us. And if he comes on any given Thursday around 3 p.m., we'll serve him a nice big slice of cake from our weekly going-away party.
Micek got applause because she thanked us warmly. It was the polite thing to do. There was silence when Ellwood walked off the podium because, let's be honest, if you aren't fluent in corporate-speak, you had no idea what Ellwood was saying. I sure couldn't tell you.
ReplyDeleteThe three next presenters got applause for their hard work, nifty visuals and enthusiasm. Let's hope it all pans out.
Payne and Beusse were far and away the best. They have a plan and seem to have the experience and knowledge to actually make a go of it. Confidence should be high with those guys. Micek was terrible....no specifics and looked a little out of her league frankly.
ReplyDeleteIs that the best we can expect from Davis? - I sure hope not 'cause he was terrible. Ellwood was almost embarrassing and Hunke was, well, Hunke. Very nervous and defensive at the start and ready to take credit for everything at the end. He clearly realized how most everyone in the room feels about him and his transformation.
As a former employee on the digital side of the house...Gannett is going to remain behind the curve if the current highschoolsports.net staff is allowed to remain onboard.
ReplyDeleteThis time last year, I was working 80 hour work weeks trying to track down why the site was hosed so badly and crashing constantly. As it turns out, the aggressive redesign of the site wasn't something the developers could handle. So to all of you in local markets who are again being directed to tout hss.net this season: BEWARE! If the same staff is still on the payroll, you are in for nothing but headaches. I left the company over their antics. I was a glorified, yet underpaid babysitter for the staff in Pittsburgh/Wheeling.
At 5:00 today(Friday), I'll be headed home to sip cocktails...not jumping on a conference call, monitoring a floundering website.
Buesse IS the most experienced if you consider diversity of experience and skills he brings to the table. Hunke is a lifelong newspaper guy. Who cares about 37 years if you have only seen GANNETT....and can't bring new thinking. Hunke can be credited for trying new things but he clearly had to recruit and allow others to implement.
ReplyDeleteI'm hopeful.