Boston ponders future of Globe (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Boston Glob ^ | April 8, 2009 | Keith O'Brien

[abb]

With The New York Times Co. threatening to close The Boston Globe if the Globe's unions don't accept $20 million in concessions, the fate of the paper has become a conversation starter - and stopper - among those near the nexus of power and money in this town. Who, the question goes, might be lining up to buy the newspaper and possibly stave off a shutdown?

"A lot of people ask me whether I'm going to figure out a way to buy it," said Ben Taylor, former publisher of the Globe. But Taylor, like others thought to be considering the Globe's future these days, just shakes his head. "I tell them exactly what I've told you. I'm not even sure it's for sale, and I'm not actively pursuing anything here."

Speculation runs rampant, and down predictable paths: to members of the extended Taylor family or others connected to their era of Globe ownership; to some who voiced interest in the past, such as former Boston advertising maven Jack Connors, who says he's not currently involved in any discussions about purchasing the Globe. Other names crop up, but denials beget denials, or total silence.

"It's been very, very low-key conversation, nothing of a concrete nature," said John Fish, chief executive of Suffolk Construction Co., who's heard whispers about interested buyers in recent days, but is not considering buying the Globe himself.

The question is seen as, at least, premature, given that the Times's ultimatum to Globe unions has yet to play out. And still, the hope lingers, said Steve Grossman, a Newton resident, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and major local philanthropist, that some well-heeled Bostonian - or a group of them - will make sure the Globe doesn't close down.

snip

[abb]

Looks like they're on life support.

[abb]

ping

[abb]

http://www.observer.com/2009/media/times-beacon-hill-anyone?page=all
The Times of Beacon Hill, Anyone?

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1164243&srvc=business&position=recent
Closing Globe would mean Times pays big

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view/2009_04_07_Times_pimps__pillages_Globe/
Times pimps, pillages Globe

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/04/08/newsstand_prices_going_up/
Newsstand prices going up

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/04/08/readers_have_a_say_in_saving_your_paper/
Readers, have a say in saving your paper

[edzo4]

dont worry they raised the price so they will make more money every time they sell a paper

Bwhahahahahahahahahaha

[EQAndyBuzz]

“With The New York Times Co. threatening to close The Boston Globe if the Globe’s unions don’t accept $20 million in concessions, the fate of the paper has become a conversation starter - and stopper - among those near the nexus of power and money in this town. Who, the question goes, might be lining up to buy the newspaper and possibly stave off a shutdown?”

In other news:

With General Motors threatening to declare Chapter 11 protection if the UAW doesn’t accept $20 billion in concessions, the fate of the car maker has become a conversation starter - and stopper - among those near the nexus of power and money in this town. Who, the question goes, might be lining up to buy the automotive giant and possibly stave off a shutdown?

Wonder why we don’t see that news article anywhere?

[abb]

http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/04/what-was-missing-from-singletons-ap-speech/
What was missing from Singleton’s AP speech?

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/outofline/2009/04/mourning_paper.html
Mourning paper

http://www.niemanlab.org/
Five tips on charging for content from Alan Murray of WSJ.com

http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/
Pruitt to NAA: “Game Is On the Line”

http://cancelthebee.blogspot.com/
Look for another round of layoffs at McClatchy in June... company is on verge of violating debt covenants

[JohnD9207]

Sell it to Hugo Obama...imagine a the Country’s First ‘peoples party rag’

[uncitizen]

Looks like they're on life support.

They're brain dead anyway. Pull the plug.

[abb]

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=103656
Hear This: Online Radio Audience Doubles Since 2005

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=103658
FCC’s McDowell: Cross-Ownership Could Save Newspapers

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/business/media/08pay.html
They Pay for Cable, Music and Extra Bags. How About News?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/business/media/08adco.html
Magazines Blur Line Between Ad and Article

[Gaffer]

"A lot of people ask me whether I'm going to figure out a way to buy it," said Ben Taylor, former publisher of the Globe.

Pray tell me...why would anyone want to buy a used-up tired-out old whore that they could get anytime for next to a liberal-inspired nothing? NYT is the greylady whore of them all and has NO credibility with "real Americans" (or value, desireousness or anything near that to me. It is laughable even in the thought that the NYT could even command a whore's price for ANY period of time.

[Moonman62]

Who, the question goes, might be lining up to buy the newspaper and possibly stave off a shutdown?

Somebody with a lot of money suffering from temporary insanity.

[Grampa Dave]

A lot of the elite libs’s wealth has been impacted with the economic melt down.

So many of them are not in a financial position to bail out the Globux Hystericus or the NY Slimes.

Watch for more comments about TARPing the MSM to save them with our tax $’s.

[abb]

I’m thinking they waited to long to get in line. They’re SOL.

[raccoonradio]

Two of the comments re: that article

>>Raising prices in a recession, that will certainly drive up sales. At least the Globe is consistent, they also believe in raising taxes during a recession. Both reduce economic activity. The paper will soon be a thing of the past having died by its own sword.

and
>>So,soon you will see folks poaching home delivery papers from neighbors and others only reading the paper in the library. Others will hit the newsmachines and take four for one and give them out at work, or sell them. Good bye to liberal news.

Yesterday's Bound and Gagged comic, which runs in Boston in the Herald. It says the Times but it may as well be the Globe-Democrat:

[CaptainAmiigaf]

Well, I still have a bottle of wine chilling. To be opened when I hear the GLUB is gone. GONE-—do you hear-—GONE!

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Howard Kurtz in today's WAPost says he thinks this is a negotiating tactic by the Times, and that the Herald is more likely to go under than the Globe. He also thinks that the SF Chronicle publisher is bluffing too. We shall see, I guess.

[Eighth Square]

Wonder if his highness will, on behalf of normal Americans, apologize for their complete lack of interest in this subject?

[abb]

http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/08/news/companies/whitford_globe.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009040811
New York vs. Boston: Now it’s personal

http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/dontquoteme/archive/2009/04/08/a-modest-proposal-transform-the-times-globe-relationship.aspx
A modest proposal: Transform the Times-Globe relationship

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003960187
Frankel and Raines: ‘NY Times’ Needs to Reinvent Itself, Again

[abb]

http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=161447
Editor to Oprah: Tell Fans to Support Papers, Not to Ax Subscriptions

[ken5050]

If I were the Globe unions, I’d point out the fact that the $20 million annually in cuts being sought is about the same amount that the Times is paying each year to Slim..so they should call on Slim to waive his interest payments...