Layoffs at The Star

[dangerboy]

They obviously don't understand what their purpose is.  I guess they are content to shrivel up and die an increasingly less slow death.

The problem is not with the Star, it's with their owners, McClatchy.  That company has enormous, crippling corporate debt and their newspapers are cutting expenses to help the mother ship lower that debt.  The Star itself is still making a profit, but not enough to feed the corporate beast.

[Mr. Cranky]

The problem is not with the Star, it's with their owners, McClatchy.  That company has enormous, crippling corporate debt and their newspapers are cutting expenses to help the mother ship lower that debt.  The Star itself is still making a profit, but not enough to feed the corporate beast.

[glow=red,2,300]FINALLY. [/glow]  Somebody gets it. Combine that with businesses reluctant to advertise because of the economy and, well, that's what The Star's management has to deal with. They are trying to weather the storm like every other business.

Why doesn't McClatchy just declare bankruptcy already? 

Because they probably have enough cashflow to think they can handle it and are trying to avoid it like crazy, because most companies don't emerge from bankruptcy.

There's still money to be made printing a newspaper, because there are still people who like it in that form and want it delivered to their door, and there are still advertisers who want to reach those people because they have money.

Believe it or not. And telling the NEWSPAPERS ARE DEAD crowd this is like talking into a sewer.

[lock+load]

Because they probably have enough cashflow to think they can handle it and are trying to avoid it like crazy, because most companies don't emerge from bankruptcy.

The problem is their current plan has them headed for irrelevancy.  McClatchy itself might not emerge from a bankruptcy, but the individual papers would, and isn't that the business.  Declare bankruptcy, break the papers up and emerge debt free ready to tackle the changing newspaper market.  Sounds like a better plan to me than continuing to cut, cut, cut until there is nothing left to sell OR read.

[beautyfromashes]

I said a year ago that building the Star press was the dumbest thing ever because print newpapers would start dying and got roundly dismissed.  Well, look what's happening now.  Of course, now I'm excited about the new aquarium that will so close to P&L and SC.  It could be the best one in the country. 

[dangerboy]

Also keep in mind that as readers of the print versions of newspapers are plummeting, readers of the online versions are soaring.  Newspapers are reaching far more readers than in the past.  The biggest problem is that they waited 10 years before they started trying to figure out a new business model to make money off of the new readers.  Now it's too late for many.

[Sportster]

Here's the list as of 8:40 tonight according to Bottom Line Communications.


Eric Palmer, Deputy Business Editor
    DeAnn Smith, Investigative Reporter
    Rick Alm, Gambling & Tourism Reporter
    David Hayes, Technology/Internet Reporter
    Malcolm Garcia, Reporter
    Don Allmon, IT
    Greg Peters, Photo Desk
Katie Middleton, Northland Editor
Jim Pedley, Motor Sports Writer
John Mark Eberhart, Books Editor
Ward Triplett, Wire Editor (credit Pitch)
Robert Folsom, Features Copy Editor
David Boyce, Sports Reporter
Mike Fitzgerald, Asst. Sports Editor

Stephen Winn- Deputy Editorial Page Editor
Trudy Hurley- Editorial Assistant
Kirk Weber- Night City Editor
Dennis Boone- Jackson County Editor
Russ Pulley- Independence Bureau Reporter
Bill Graham, Platte County Reporter/Columnist
Tom Dolphens, Asst. Mng. Editor
Terrel Harris, (Unknown)
Beth Jordan, Copy Editor
Georgann Norton, Copy Editor
Nick Poirier, (Unknown)
Kent Pulliam, Sports Reporter
Samantha Branson, Copy Editor

MADE PART-TIME WITH CUTS IN PAY & BENEFITS
Robert  Butler, Movie Critic
Mike Hendricks, Columnist
Steve Penn, Columnist
Carol Powers, Deputy Features Editor
Alice Thorson, Art Critic
Robert Trussell, Theater Critic
Donna Vestal, Business Editor
=================

Night shift should be gettin in soon. That list of 34 will grow overnight.

Sportster
...black day for dailies

[GRID]

I thought the Star has about the same number of subscribers, it's the loss of ad revenue and the fact that McClatchy owns them that is killing them.  Nobody looks at the paper anymore to buy a house, a car, etc.  It's all craigs list, ebay etc. You can’t even get movie times in the paper anymore.  All they had was the retail ads and when economy crashed, they took most the bigger papers that depend so much on ads, with them.  The weakest papers are already folding.  The only paper worth a shit in this town is the Business Journal.  I think the Star get most of its new from the BJ and this forum. 

The Star would have made it through this, but McClatchy is turning the paper into a joke.  The Star is a tiny paper now and even long time readers like myself miss it less and less everyday.

[KCFutbol]

You can’t even get movie times in the paper anymore.

I got the time for the movie my wife and I attended last Friday evening in the Star.

[LenexatoKCMO]

I said a year ago that building the Star press was the dumbest thing ever because print newpapers would start dying and got roundly dismissed.  Well, look what's happening now.  Of course, now I'm excited about the new aquarium that will so close to P&L and SC.  It could be the best one in the country. 

Pretty sure the press is one of the more profitable parts of the operation - they print all sorts of shit for contract jobs. 

[beautyfromashes]

Pretty sure the press is one of the more profitable parts of the operation - they print all sorts of shit for contract jobs. 

For now.  In 10 years this will be the new acquarium.

[LenexatoKCMO]

For now.  In 10 years this will be the new acquarium.

Are people going to stop sending me junk mail cupon flier BS?  They print more than just newspapers.  Also, smaller, local papers like the ones they print under contract are generally predicted to be much more resistent to pressure - they are printing news that can't be had from other sources and their readership tends to be the least interested in online access. 

[DaveKCMO]

only AMC has stopped printing movie times daily, but they still place an ad (which makes no sense).

regardless, everyone is watching seattle because they are actually doing something besides laying off. if they succeed, expect all major "non-national" dailies (which would exclude NYT, WaPo, and WSJ) to follow.

[beautyfromashes]

Are people going to stop sending me junk mail cupon flier BS? 

Yes, it will be replaced by something called spam.  Oh, and the post office will be obsoleted in my lifetime.

[GRID]

only AMC has stopped printing movie times daily, but they still place an ad (which makes no sense).

regardless, everyone is watching seattle because they are actually doing something besides laying off. if they succeed, expect all major "non-national" dailies (which would exclude NYT, WaPo, and WSJ) to follow.

I think it’s a pain in the ass, the amc website is horrible and my pda won’t even pull it up.  So many times, we end up at Dickson or Cinemark.  Why would the largest chain in the city not put the times in the paper?  I know when we travel, it makes things easier as well to just buy a paper if you want to find a movie time and theater.  How much does it cost to put the times in the paper?  That’s just a pet peeve of mine.

That wasn’t Seattle’s major paper that went all digital.

A lot of two paper towns are going one paper, but is really any serious threat of a major paper in a one paper town stopping the presses?

[chrizow]

I think it’s a pain in the ass, the amc website is horrible and my pda won’t even pull it up.  So many times, we end up at Dickson or Cinemark.  Why would the largest chain in the city not put the times in the paper?  I know when we travel, it makes things easier as well to just buy a paper if you want to find a movie time and theater. 

yahoo movies will give you all the showtimes in any city, and it's blackberry-friendly.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Yes, it will be replaced by something called spam.  Oh, and the post office will be obsoleted in my lifetime.

Doubtful - it is a hell of a lot easier to completely filter your email box than it is your mail box.  With email filters, you never even see what is getting thrown out - with hard mail you at least have to look at the envelope and decide what you don't want.  Hell we are supposedly living in the worst credit crisis in modern history and I still get at least 2-3 credit card apps per day.  Plus, the post office will get a federal subsidy before it ever shuts down - who is going to have the political balls to try and layoff a few hundred thousand unionized federal employees?

[LenexatoKCMO]

I think it’s a pain in the ass, the amc website is horrible and my pda won’t even pull it up.  So many times, we end up at Dickson or Cinemark.  Why would the largest chain in the city not put the times in the paper?  I know when we travel, it makes things easier as well to just buy a paper if you want to find a movie time and theater.  How much does it cost to put the times in the paper?  That’s just a pet peeve of mine.

I would wager that it isn't a cost issue - I suspect they just want the online flexibility.  As mentioned earlier, they still advertise heavily without the times.  They have started making the schedules much more complicated - it used to be the same rigid show times pretty much everyday whereas now it seems to jump around more.  Printing a schedule in the paper kind of limits what they can do and forces them to keep it very simple. 

[GRID]

yahoo movies will give you all the showtimes in any city, and it's blackberry-friendly.

Cool, thanks, I will try that. 

This is way off topic, but what mobile sites do people recommend for following sporting scores like the NCAA tournament, royals and chiefs?  I know there are a lot of sites out there, but most seem slow and clumsy to me.

Maybe I just need a better phone.

[WSPanic]

Cool, thanks, I will try that. 

This is way off topic, but what mobile sites do people recommend for following sporting scores like the NCAA tournament, royals and chiefs?  I know there are a lot of sites out there, but most seem slow and clumsy to me.

Maybe I just need a better phone.

ESPN mobile works really well on my phone. I have a new phone this year, so I'm curious if MLB.com or CBSsportsline.com (for NCAAs) mobile sites work any better.

[DaveKCMO]

I think it’s a pain in the ass, the amc website is horrible and my pda won’t even pull it up.  So many times, we end up at Dickson or Cinemark.  Why would the largest chain in the city not put the times in the paper?  I know when we travel, it makes things easier as well to just buy a paper if you want to find a movie time and theater.  How much does it cost to put the times in the paper?  That’s just a pet peeve of mine.

That wasn’t Seattle’s major paper that went all digital.

A lot of two paper towns are going one paper, but is really any serious threat of a major paper in a one paper town stopping the presses?

1. use pocket express (go to pxme.us on your phone). movie times are built in.
2. the P-I was the #2 daily. it was considered a major paper and is owned by a major media conglomerate (hearst), it's just not #1 in the market. people in the industry are watching them very closely to see if they can create a model others can copy.