Thursday, July 18, 2013

By the numbers | What's up, Des Moines?

It's been a busy week in the land of Gannett newspaper publishers: Corporate announced new hires in Montgomery, Ala., and St. Cloud, Minn. And it created a vacancy for the publisher's job overseeing papers in Lafayette and Opelousas, La.

Hollingsworth
But 2½ months after Laura Hollingsworth was promoted to a newly expanded position at The Tennessean in Nashville, the top job at The Des Moines Register remains unfilled. That's odd, given the Iowa daily's high profile. There ought to be many publishers at smaller GCI papers clawing their way toward Des Moines.

Some key numbers:


2
days since the publisher's job was vacated at The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette and the Daily World in Opelousas


73
days taken to hire a new publisher at St. Cloud Times


77
days since Des Moines publisher's job was vacated


100 69
days taken to hire a new publisher at the Montgomery Advertiser

13 comments:

  1. Fond du Lac is still open.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How long has that job been open?

      Delete
    2. March 25.

      http://fonddulachub.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130326/FON01/303260192

      Delete
  2. Don't expect anyone from Des Moines or Iowa to comment, they have always been afraid of this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brad R. is still going through the interview process. He won't stop talking long enough for them to offer him the job.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My understanding is The Publisher from Lafayette, Indiana, Gary Suisman has been interviewed for the job. Hell, it is not like he has any duties in Indiana. That paper is a rag and circulation is almost in the teens daily. The only reason they are still a float is the commercial printing they bang out with their newer Berliner Press. Good luck in your new gig Gary

    ReplyDelete
  5. To be honest, the longer they leave those positions 'dark', the longer we can hang on to someone who directly drives revenue or content.

    In the old days we would have felt a hole in the community by not sending the publisher to the chicken dinner Rotarian circuit, but all the GM's get to do now is look at spreadsheets and shop Walmart for the cheapest duct tape to keep the place together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your site spends money on NEW duct tape?!?

      Delete
  6. Who needs a publisher when you've got corporate America's most brilliant puppetmasters calling the shots in Virginia.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Montgomery job took 100 days to fill not 69. Martin left on April 8th.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for noticing that. And so much for my fancy-schmancy spreadsheet.

      Delete
  8. No one is jumping at the chance to join the ranks of the bean counting executioners? Surprise, surprise.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey what about Rick Green? He's charismatic, charming and career-minded. (and dood with video!)

    ReplyDelete

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