The Columbus Dispatch: Dispatch sold to NY company
- Thread starter Double-Shift Lasse
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KeithBWhittington
Going North
per the Columbus dispatch' twitter, the Dispatch Media group has been sold by Wolfe along with the three processing facilities in and around town to a NY group. Wolfe will continue to own rest of empire.
Interested to see if this means people are out of jobs or that CBJ coverage may have new slants on it
@dispatchalerts
Doubt anything would happen in the short term, it will likely be a glacial process and the changes may be extremely minimal, but newsworthy, nonetheless
Interested to see if this means people are out of jobs or that CBJ coverage may have new slants on it
@dispatchalerts
Doubt anything would happen in the short term, it will likely be a glacial process and the changes may be extremely minimal, but newsworthy, nonetheless
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Double-Shift Lasse
Just post better
This is big news but largely OT to the forum. Let's have a dedicated thread (for now) and see what comes of it.
KeithBWhittington
Going North
Interesting too that FSO just laid off 3(?) ppl that cover the jackets, right? I think this bodes ill for fans that enjoy the coverage
SuperGenius
For Duty & Humanity!
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Letter from Wolfe:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/03/letter-from-the-publisher.html
This only involves print publications. It would seem the Dispatch Media Company that owns WBNS, etc still exists. Ever the optimist, I can see this as good news for the Dispatch in the long run - probably less so for its employees.
Perspective on the buyer:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/03/10/meet-newspaper-industry-biggest-deal-maker/vV6D7uqAo7ssLPaIPk58oL/story.html
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/06/03/letter-from-the-publisher.html
This only involves print publications. It would seem the Dispatch Media Company that owns WBNS, etc still exists. Ever the optimist, I can see this as good news for the Dispatch in the long run - probably less so for its employees.
Perspective on the buyer:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/03/10/meet-newspaper-industry-biggest-deal-maker/vV6D7uqAo7ssLPaIPk58oL/story.html
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SuperGenius
For Duty & Humanity!
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I don't think we know any numbers on Columbus. The '3' mentioned were in other cities.
Viqsi
"that chick from Ohio"
Holy ****.
Well, I guess the odds just went up on all those folks who disdain guys like Portzline and Mitchell getting a first-hand confirmation of the old saying "you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone".
Well, I guess the odds just went up on all those folks who disdain guys like Portzline and Mitchell getting a first-hand confirmation of the old saying "you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone".
KeithBWhittington
Going North
Regardless, this move really only has bad news potential for the jackets. maybe it's very minimal, but I don't expect a print media group based in New York to have the Same, let's say, dedication, to a middlingly pro hockey team that the company that, by proxy, owns a portion of said would have.
I don't expect Portzline or Mitchell to lose their jobs overnight, but I can see this as an opportunity for some of the local, mostly-reputable blogs that cover this team.
How much of a wake call up this should be to the team and CBJ community can be debated. But you know what would erase a few doubts? Victories on the ice, a lot of them
I don't expect Portzline or Mitchell to lose their jobs overnight, but I can see this as an opportunity for some of the local, mostly-reputable blogs that cover this team.
How much of a wake call up this should be to the team and CBJ community can be debated. But you know what would erase a few doubts? Victories on the ice, a lot of them
Arch City Zach
Registered User
Rick Gethin was let go, I know that much, he posted it on a his Facebook page.
SuperGenius
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I'm not sure I understand what you're concerned about. A lot of newspapers cover teamsthey don't own. We may even see an improvement in coverage. I don't know why it would be less, however.
CBJWerenski8
Formerly CBJWennberg10 (RIP Kivi)
- Jun 13, 2009
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I don't see the big deal when it comes to coverage of the Blue Jackets...As long as Porty, Arace, and Mitchell still have jobs then we'll still get our fair share of content.
Because people don't sell businesses that are making tons of money.
Because people who are buying business want to recoup their investment they look for things to cut. 3 people to cover a team that the local sports talk radio station is barely interested in, sounds like something that could be done cheaper with the wire services...
SuperGenius
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Very true, but people don't buy businesses that are losing money to keep losing money. The answer isn't always cuts - although there certainly will be some trimming. They could also just have a new strategy in mind that helps them grow out of the situation the Dispatch has been in for some time.
Read the piece about the owner - I don't see him going to wire services for a pro franchise. They may go to a single writer who shares the CBJ beat with something else, of course, but I don't see them cutting it altogether. I guess we'll see.
Double-Shift Lasse
Just post better
No layoffs for 90 days. That, combined with it's the offseason, means we won't likely see any change in coverage until camp-ish. Unless, of course, one of those writers gets out early on his own.
lol, what? Happens all the time.
We'll see what happens; hopefully there won't be a drop in coverage.
It's not really relevant here (we all know newspapers are on the way out) - but the above statement isn't necessarily true. Plenty of people sell businesses that are making money - say Google or Microsoft offers you a huge lump sum for your business. Some owners are tired and want to get out of the day-to-day operations. Doesn't mean their business sucks.
No, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple buy companies that have marketshare, not profit.
Facebook paid 2Billion for Oculus Rift, a company which hasn't produced a consumer product yet. They definitely didn't buy the profit.
Google paid 1Billion for Waze, a company which provided a free mapping app. They didn't buy the profit.
The last company I worked for, we were often approached by small business owners looking to sell to our company. Many looking to retire, or get out of the business. In every case the deal was done to increase our products offered, or our distribution footprint. In every case the business was losing money or barely breaking even.
In this case, you have a company in New York, realizing it can increase it's marketshare. Now they can tell advertisers that if you advertise with them, you can reach readers in Central Ohio. They're also already paying for wire services, so they can push those reports to additional papers without dramatically increasing their costs.
Name some, I'm genuinely curious. It should be easy to do if it happens all the time.
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EspenK
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Those of you who don't see changes ahead at the Dispatch are the optimist's optimist. I will be amazed if we still have Porty, Shawn and Arace a year from now. I'd guess they will continue to have one guy to cover the Jackets but that guy will have to cover other things as well.
They aren't going to make money by increasing the coverage; they will make money by cutting costs.
They aren't going to make money by increasing the coverage; they will make money by cutting costs.
SuperGenius
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I absolutely believe changes are coming. I just doubt I notice much of a difference in the net result. Will Joe reader? Perhaps.
CBJSlash
Registered User
Not necessarily. I've sold a very profitable business in the past five years. Not necessarily just to retire (I'm 30). It happens quite often. Big fish eat small fish. I do agree marketshare is the big motivator in most transactions though. Talent acquisition is a big motivator too. Big companies love employees with an entrepreneurial spirit.
I am wondering, and hoping, that the editorial focus might shift a little more toward center with the new ownership. I stopped subscribing after the political/social coverage became so one sided (IMO). It was the coverage of one particular SB that put me over the edge. Hoping for a more reasonable balance.
Poor Dispatch employees.
RE: The future of Blue Jackets coverage. Have a few friends who work for the Dispatch who have assured me that Sports coverage was far and away the most popular content. I doubt the content level drops off significantly.
CBJSlash
Registered User
Reading about the company that purchased them, definitely intriguing.
I think streamlining advertising and I'd predict a model where they could possible charge for access to ALL of their newspapers in the future. The Dispatch probably saw that their internet subscriber model was not working.
You watched SBNation form by plucking blogs (SBNation mind you is valued at 400 million dollars). Imagine plucking newspapers. Significant financial backing behind this group. The Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune and USA Today types can survive on subscribers and ads, most other papers will struggle.
I wouldn't expect huge cuts in the future as far as the writers/editors, particularly in the sports sector. Anyone employed in the printing area is totally screwed.
I think streamlining advertising and I'd predict a model where they could possible charge for access to ALL of their newspapers in the future. The Dispatch probably saw that their internet subscriber model was not working.
You watched SBNation form by plucking blogs (SBNation mind you is valued at 400 million dollars). Imagine plucking newspapers. Significant financial backing behind this group. The Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune and USA Today types can survive on subscribers and ads, most other papers will struggle.
I wouldn't expect huge cuts in the future as far as the writers/editors, particularly in the sports sector. Anyone employed in the printing area is totally screwed.
