Friday, November 30, 2012

Nov. 26-Dec. 4 | Your News & Comments: Part 4

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41 comments:

  1. Where are these "stealth DealChicken layoffs" happening?

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  2. Don't know about the Deal Chicken layoffs, but I can't even find the feature on the Reno site where I used to work. Gannett was/is famous for coming up with grand, all-hands-on-deck ideas only to pull away the resources after 6 months and let them die a slow death.

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  3. I think you're right -- Deal Chicken is in that slow death phase.

    Gannett always seems to be grasping for a "silver bullet" that will make millions (or maybe it's billions). Time and again, however, it simply hasn't delivered.

    You wonder why stock analysts haven't picked up on this.

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  4. I think people are assuming way too much about the Chicken. They are beefing up the national team and are adding a few more local markets. I dont see Gannett letting this thing die. If anything, they will change the business model to not copy Groupon and just turn it into a couponing website.

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  5. I would like to add my two cents to a print rep who complained about the digital sales reps.

    You are not entitled to anything. You are already handed the keys to the city with all of your inbound leads, your ARS' and accounts that were handed to you which have advertised for 25 years.

    When was the last time you picked up the phone and dialed for NEW business?

    The digital folks have 0 book of business. They will call to get that. If it werent for double dipping NEITHER of you will get paid.

    Stop whining, get off your butt and get some new digital business before the term "print rep" is no longer around.

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    1. Sounds like commentary from the Courier Post.

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  6. Oh, sweet molasses...another "On the Road with Mary B" has arrived in my e-mail. My day has been made.

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  7. Does anyone have a good read on how the Sports Media Group is doing? Are they anywhere near their revenue targets. Jim - would love to see you dig into this.

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  8. Yes, another On the Road e-mail. And Maryam was there for all of it.

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  9. What would we do without our favorite e-mail. And I love the veiled "look what I accomplished" message we're supposed to get from these. All show and no go!

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  10. Maryam is still at the company?

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  11. As predicted, Murcko proved to be an overpaid do-nothing wrong person for the job hire.

    Next.

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    1. 1:38 that is nothing more than advertising envy. She and her team are kicking ass. You are sooooo wrong. Tell us about your successful career. Crickets

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  12. The Project Runway gimmick proved Micek and Banikarim to be exactly what they are: TV PR hucksters. They don't have a clue about news and journalism or handling marketing for a non-TV network.

    Kramer should have stopped it before it became the embarrassment it turned into for USA Today.

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    1. 1;54 you are obviously a hater. No one but you USAT sad sacks give a hoot. It was a fun show nothing more nothing less. It would be nice if you so called Founders would remember that Al created to be the anti NYT. It was always suppose to be what it is. Enough with the eternal hand wringing

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  13. So if everyone is supposed to load their prep sports into hss.net, how come word has circulated that the folks at the Des Moines paper don't/won't use it?

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  14. 1:38,
    Say what you want about Murcko, but she runs circles around the Maryam/Micek combo.

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  15. "So if everyone is supposed to load their prep sports into hss.net, how come word has circulated that the folks at the Des Moines paper don't/won't use it?"

    Excellent question, 2:27, and one I've wondered about, too.

    Gannett spends a ton of money on the highschoolsports site, folds it under the USA Today umbrella, executives at Gannett and USA Today sports dictate that EVERY Gannett property will use it, and yet one of the chain's more visible properties refuses to use it, going with their in-house "High School Insider" instead.

    On top of all that, the new sports editor in Des Moines went there from a job with the USA Today sports department - and they still don't use it.

    Yet another monumental waste of money and a blatant "screw you" from a local site to the people at corporate.

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  16. The fall of the union at Az. Republic is it so.
    The members continue to fight each other,They file charges on each other.it is rumoured that our president of the union will signe any contract as long as it saves her job.and its no secret that our hiring chairman works for the company than his own union brothers

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    1. Two words .... Hostess AFL. Way to put yourself out of work union brothers. You showed them alright.

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  17. In Friday's UT sports Section, there was a small article that mentioned that Louisville beat Rutgers in the Big East Championship game Thursday night. They say in the article they will play in the Orange Bowl. On the back of the Sports Section (Big Layout) they predict Bowl games. They pick Rutgers (who lost last night) to play in the Orange Bowl. Sloppy Sloppy Sloppy!

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  18. Scientists have finally measured the shortest time span ever recorded: the time between Maryam's missive arriving in my in-box, and my deleting it.

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  19. to 11:56
    Well, digital reps didn't exactly start with, as you put it, a 0 book of clients. In the beginning years of web presence, digital ads were sold as a rider to print ads, thus building the groundwork for the digital reps. It was urged to the print reps to sell digital with each and every print ad, sometimes for free with extended contracts, and back then the cost of digital ads were priced at what was a "real" cost and value, not inflated like it is today.
    Now if a digital rep managed to pull in a print ad with a digital ad, do you think the revenue would fall to the print rep?
    The digital reps had plenty of entries in their client book when they started, namely all the print ad customers, and like print reps they also have to search out new revenue.
    In today's economic market, it is a lot easier to sell a digital ad, than it is to drum up new business for print ads, since it is only a fraction the cost of a print ad (easier on new clients to commit to).
    Print ads (and reps) can exist without digital ads, but not the other way around. This may change some time in the distant future, but not yet nor for the foreseeable future.

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  20. Heads up layoffs coming mid December heard it from a GPS general manager today.

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  21. 7:39 not true. You are a LIAR.

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  22. Not sure if 7:39 is correct on timing - but there is consolidation going on which means they are correct about layoffs.

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  23. if phx union decertifies that's just what the company wants ! yea you will get 100% sick pay and 4 weeks vacation, but.... staffing lost (3-4 man crews), layoffs, furloughs, performance reviews for each person, now think about it !
    but no union dues !

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  24. 7:58 I look forward to the next analyst call to see how "kick ass" the ad numbers are.



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  25. AFL web printing and queen Antoinette sleep with the fishs

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  26. You current (should ex by now)employees would be much happier if you just excepted the fact that layoffs will always be part of the Gannett solution.
    You live in constant fear of more layoffs. So much to point that most are in a state of denial.Even the mention of layoffs here creates stress, tension and anger.
    You just don't want it discussed.
    Silence and denial means it won't happen,even though it has been a big part of the Gannett model for a long time.Revenue budgets and goals are not being met,that should be obvious to all at every print location.Do you really believe that Gannett will just suck it up and continue to see profits dive.Don't think so.

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  27. So much for adversity.....
    http://www.desmoinesregister.com/section/CONTACTS10#officers

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  28. That would be diversity...duh...

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  29. This Usa Today sad sack doesnt like much, doesnt care for founders legacy contracts and godzillion new managers to lord over a shrinking cast of producing worker bees, but says she has no problem with Micek and anyone else going on TV to advocate the brand. Lets lighten up a bit. Have you seen the crap people want to read and see on our website?, its reality show and celebrity crap. This is our audience as long as the metrics dweebs who run the place say otherwise. This is what is driving most of the decision making that passes for news judgement, so jist roll with it until the flavor of the moment sours.

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  30. You have to wonder who will run the "senior leadership" team when Martore retires in a few years. golfing dickey? No way. New CFO? Nope. Digital genius Payne? Anyone quoted in the trade press as saying he was "pissed off" about something is too much of a loose cannon.

    So what's the succession plan that any forward thinking board would have in place if Martore had Dubow style health issues?

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  31. Martore doesn't face mandatory retirement until she turns 65, so she's got four more years. Lots can happen in that time.

    Also, you forgot Dave Lougee, president of the broadcasting division. He's only in his mid-50s.

    Plus, out in the field, there are four newspaper group presidents who could be promoted to president of the entire newspaper division, a springboard for the CEO's job.

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  32. hey 9:31, better be some hungry fishes..................thats alotta meat for them to chew on.

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

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  34. Jim, are you forgetting the last broadcast division head elevated to CEO, CRAIG FENCH CHATEAU HATER DUBOW. A complete failure. The company needs someone with publishing/digitsl operational experience.

    As far as waiting four years, look at companies such as HP and Lockheed Martin, and McDonalds, which lose executives to malfeasance and illness unexpectedly. No, smart companies need succession plans in place in case of emergency.

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  35. You dont promote a regional vice president over a division president . Even an incompetent like Dickey. No, they will go for someone outside. If Martore gives a shit, she would start looking now. Nothing lasts forever. Even a dying corpse like Usa Today.

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  36. So there is more consolidation in the mists? Pray tell...who is this group? Layoffs? Are furloughs a thing of the past?

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