Friday, December 09, 2011

Dec. 5-11 | Your News & Comments: Part 4

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56 comments:

  1. Interesting rumor herd this past week, The Indy Star will be shuttered and get printed in Louisville. The Star need millions off dollars in press upgrades on their aging press and they pay the union press ops way to much. Can't force them to take furlough, its not in contract..makes sense
    Any body know how many KBA units Louisville has, and what type of down time do they have available?

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  2. More on Layoffs, were I work or Publisher s in charge of almost nothing sense GPS went into effect, He's got editorial and Advertising. Do we need publishers at every paper for that..come on

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  3. Didn't they install new presses in Indy in the past 10 years? Isn't that why Richmond, Muncie and other presses were shuttered...because they could print in Indy?

    Louisville hasn't proved that they can print their own paper on time on a regular basis. Now, they want to print another 200K a day? Remember the day after the Derby fiasco 2 years ago?

    So, it sounds like something Gannett would do.

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  4. Good God ... do you ever get the feeling that Gannett just always seems to be flying by the seat of the pants? Is there any grand plan here? Does anyone know what it is?

    Ugh.

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  5. The dedication for the new presses at The Indianapolis Star production center was Sept. 2002. When did Louisville install their new presses?

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  6. Please note: xxxxxxxx, Telesales Account Representative, is no longer with The News-Press.
    Should you field an advertising call for her please forward to Ext. xxxx and I will be happy to help. Thank you.

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  7. Good guys fall as jerks stand tall. Beware, if you have been ill or worked at Gannett more than a few years, you'll soon be on the chopping block.

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  8. 4:08...I asked an EE that a couple years back during a round of layoffs. He said, "That's a very good question and I don't have an answer for you."

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  9. Didn't know if anyone heard yet, but Metromix has been axed http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19498855

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  10. re: 5:29...I just saw this too! Metromix is dead. Too bad, it was working alright here in Denver.

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  11. 3:59 My thought exactly..but they do need millions in press upgrades in Indy from a great source. Will GPS want to invest this much cash..You right, if it sounds like a bad idea, it a Gannett idea:)

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  12. All pressman at Florida Today received notices this afternoon that production is being shipped to Orlando from Brevard. They will all be laid off by April 1. So much for the $1 million in new press upgrades that were installed by Gannett at Florida Today just three years ago. It's looking more and more that Gannett is going to shutter this newspaper in 2012.

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  13. Layoffs again at Florida Today? What about all the big changes that the executive editor said are working and bringing back lost subscribers in droves?

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  14. The problem with Indy is that they have too much real estate. The Star owns an entire city block downtown, plus the production center with a fair amount of land on the west side. The downtown buildings are old, rather empty, and in dire need of renovation. The old buildings must cost an absolute fortune to heat and cool.

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  15. The property in Indy is in need of a good, thorough cleaning!

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  16. My thought on Indy as well. as far as Florida Today, I would be hard pressed to print that thing on time and have so much trouble every night they never get it out the door until noon. I would stick it to them big time. F--k the aholes who run this company...suck them for every penny of OT every day until it shuts down

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  17. 6:06 please don't be so simple the tower addition was just over six years ago and there are no press operators in the building in the afternoon. Unfortunately the employee assistance program is no longer available to you.

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  18. This is exactly what Gannett would want to happen here. Infighting and a break in unity. So stop criticizing each other. You're only letting them win.

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  19. About Florida Today...
    Not sure if there is any truth to this, but I seem to recollect, that the Orlando Sentinel, the future print site of Florida Today, got denied twice for protection from their creditors, while they are trying to solve their financial problems.
    My suggestion is not to turn out the lights in the pressroom at Florida Today just yet.

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  20. 6:17 Right on Point..place is a shithole mess, it is ripe for the pickens,shtter down crotcy

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  21. "The downtown buildings are old, rather empty, and in dire need of renovation. The old buildings must cost an absolute fortune to heat and cool.

    "In need of a good, thorough cleaning!"

    Sounds like some of the Wisconsin buildings.

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  22. I always wonder what the advertisers and other guests think of The Star when they visit, especially if they see the restrooms or some of the conference rooms. Not a good impression.

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  23. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  24. 4:13, so? I person no longer employees could be a result of many things - for example underperformance.

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  25. The Orlando Sentinel has it's own problems getting the paper out, the press looks nice but she is worn out...1982 Metroliner, 1985 Headliner, Newsliner towers added in 1998 and also not running very well....rolls per break average is about 20

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  26. Circ layoffs in Rochester today. More to follow Friday in new pub division. Look out, the axe is falling!

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  27. 9:36 If a Gannett employee is underperforming they are are promoted, not terminated.

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  28. 9:36 So true. Underperformers with the ability to shamelessly self-promote rise to the top.

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  29. 10:06, you are very wrong. The axe has fallen on many underperforming reps at my site which has made the revenue problem worse if you ask me.

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  30. So will the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Today still be separate papers or comined into one? Anyone have a clue as to how the distribution will happen? And where? And with who?

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  31. If Gannett were smart they'd ride new or old presses as far as possible. In today's world quality has it's place but it's not A-1......as you've seen their use of wire, bloggers and submitted information.

    Gannett kills me.....snooty better-than-though expectations from every employee 5 years ago....now they'll settle for any submitted article and photo (non-color corrected at that) they can get their hands on.

    Managers use to act as if complexity = quality and success. Welcome to small town America newspapering.....albeit 5 years late!

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  32. We have not started to print the Orlando Sentinel yet. I will be sure to keep you informed 11:18

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  33. 3:39- It's good to see that our friends at the GPC have discovered the blog.

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  34. Three (that I know of) let go at AZ Republic yesterday. One of them was a very personable, capable and out-going woman... she left in tears. This isn't sitting well with people who knew her in Production. Gannett, in its own cool and calculating way, is sewing the seeds of its own demise, one employee at a time.

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  35. 10:06 - well said! This has been the Gannett culture for at least ten years, and it was born and bred in Corporate.

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  36. 6:06 what else is new, isn't The Orlando Sentinnel a non- gannett site.
    watch out!

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  37. As Gannett consolidates printing, I'm wondering whether the Arizona Republic will end up being printed in Tucson or the Tucson paper will end up being printed in Phoenix. It's just a two-hour drive. The Republic's unionized workforce could be a factor in the decision.

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  38. Maryam Banikarim labeled as one of ten "Disrupters" by Fast Company.

    http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/161/creative-business-people

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  39. Got Gracia's email today ... we are positioning "Gannett as a pacesetter in our industry – and people are starting to take notice."
    Well, isn't THAT special ... people are "starting to take notice" of the biggest freaking newspaper chain in the country.

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  40. 10:41, we don't have the press capacity to print the Republic in Tucson. Our press also has taken on a lot of job work for other publications and we've brought other pubs that we were having printed in house, which has saved a lot of money. The press capacity means we can't print the Republic, and the job work means moving Tucson printing to Phoenix would lose a lot of revenue.

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  41. Any more news on the small-time publishers being laid off?

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  42. Anonymous 12/09/2011 11:46 AM said...

    ""Got Gracia's email today ... we are positioning "Gannett as a pacesetter in our industry – and people are starting to take notice.""

    eh yah, especially the Unemployment Offices!

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  43. 9:36, Usually when there are underachievers being promoted, it's a good indication of possible qui pro quo (this for that) exchanges in the work place. If any one should ever witness those types of illegal "offers" being exchanged, report it to the highest possible authority to project the rights of all people within the workplace.

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  44. Question on the first quarter furloughs: Are design center employees included in the furlough?

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  45. Martore is right when she says of Gannett, "people are starting to take notice."

    We are recognized as one of the worst employers in the nation. Quite an honor.

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  46. I worked at many, and traveled to more, Gannett newspapers in my years with the company. I made a point of never using the restrooms, if I could help it. Des Moines was one of the worst; Indy one of the more tolerable.

    During visits, publishers often invited me to use their private restrooms. They were always quite clean and many included showers.

    I love where I work now. I make half the salary but the bathrooms are clean and the people care about each other.

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  47. Actually, "qui pro quo" would be about a slave trade that exchanges people for things, no wouldn't it?

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  48. 2:04 Well said. Gannett treats their employees with the same care and respect as they do their properties.

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  49. Quid pro quo means the exchange of a personal favor from one employee to another employee for the promise of career advancement or additional favors... It is legal jargon, which is often used in cases where an employees has offered themselves in sexual solicitation or has given sexual demands or threats. So, that's what "quid pro quo" means.

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  50. 6:06 or Jim- is this an april fools or real- please confirm. Florida Today to print at the Orlando Sentinnel , notices given to press guys, out by April 1?

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  51. The press capacity means we can't print the Republic, and the job work means moving Tucson printing to Phoenix would lose a lot of revenue.

    Loss of job work means nothing! One place (mine)threw out a couple of daily products and others to shut the place down. We were making money hand over fist, but it didn't matter.

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  52. 3:02 I'm anxiously awaiting the same confirmation. For now, I'm treating that information about a printing shift to Orlando bullshit.

    But now, I think Florida Today would have reported this, as other papers have in the past.

    Just FYI: FLAT and the Sentinel are about 80 minutes apart, drive-wise. Here's a map.

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  53. There are some super disgustingly dirty bathrooms at Wisconsin sites, too.

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  54. 2:43 Really?

    Quid pro quo in its normal and accepted use has nothing to do with promise of additional favors or advancement. It simply means an equal exchange.

    Favor for a favor, something for something, tit for tat.

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  55. Talked to someone this afternoon and they said no such notices were handed out as far as they knew, and they would know. This kind of rumor has persisted since USA moved. Doesn't make sense with what's gone on here the last few months but a lot of things Gannett does is off the wall.

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  56. 3:25,
    I hope your not condoning those types of exchanges. You may want to read the the statement again, so that you fully understand the verbiage in context. The internet is full of legal-information, so that you may educate yourself on the subject matter.

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