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Fate of Rocky Mountain News to be announced

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by MileHigh, Feb 26, 2009.

  1. Mystery Meat II

    Mystery Meat II Well-Known Member

    Odd that this thread would pop up today of all days, because today is the fifth anniversary of my old paper's inaugural edition. We got shut down almost three years ago, or a few weeks before the Rocky and P-I went down swinging. Wotta world, right?
     
  2. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Only bring it up because it's been three years since the announcement/shutdown/going into the fetal position. Yes, crazy it's been three years. Lots of former co-workers remembering the day. I'm guessing there's still no regret for the move from Cincinnati, but it'd be interesting to hear what Boehne and company would say with 20/20 hindsight, especially since Scripps made a return in the past year by buying the local ABC TV affiliate.

    Anyway, just marking the day/the end of my longtime newspaper career. Carry on.
     
  3. steveu

    steveu Well-Known Member

    I MISS THE ROCKY. MileHigh, I read your competition from time to time online and it just is not the same. You guys kicked ass, and I hope everyone that was there over the years realizes it. :)
     
  4. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    I think Boehne would say that the stock price has gone from 1.18 to 9.64 since Scripps closed the Rocky and that makes it a good decision.

    My sketchy understanding of the finances of the joint venture were that if the News had survived- and only one paper in Denver was going to- that the remaining company would be on the hook for 150M of debt on the presses. So Scripps bailed. They did not think the Denver print market was worth 150M. And I don't think the Denver Post would bring 150M in a sale now so so far Scripps got that right.

    Scripps clearly thinks that televisions stations are better investment than print because they require less capital and are less vulnerable to competition from the Internet. Again, so far they have been right, at least economically.

    And I don't mean to sound dismissive of the personal hardship the closure caused your colleaugues, their families and you. It has been enormous. I read the poll that the former editor had up asking if people were better or worse off two years after the closure. A large percentage were clearly putting on a brave face. I realize that it has been hard.
     
  5. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    I would not disagree with this assessment, and even three years ago, I understood it. I didn't like it, but understood it. Oh, well. Onward and upward.
     
  6. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    How many of the people on that staff "retired" after the Rocky closed? It seems like there were a lot of people on that staff, whose bylines I haven't seen since the place closed...
     
  7. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    The Post just axed two columnists who were brought over when the Rocky closed.

    Business/Around the Town columnist Penny Parker and Mike Littwin, who was the Rocky's metro columnist (and before that a sports columnist). Mike was brought in as a metro columnist then got bumped back to the editorial pages.

    http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2012/03/penny_parker_mike_littwin_denver_post_laid_off.php
     
  8. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Littwin was a great sports columnist back in the day.
     
  9. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    His last column ... was a sports column. Grew up reading him in the L.A. Times.

    Sigh.
     
  10. steveu

    steveu Well-Known Member

    This just pisses me off. The Denver Post can be a good paper when it wants (its sports coverage is still good), but this just strikes me as throwing the baby out with the bath water and alienating even more subscribers.

    Oh, and I STILL miss the Rocky.
     
  11. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Penny Parker told Michael Roberts -- and I'm hearing rumblings -- that more layoffs could be coming today. This after 19 buyouts late last year.
     
  12. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I'm guessing both Parker and Littwin were both exempt. I don't think The Post has gotten rid of anyone who was union yet. A bunch have taken buyouts, but if that remains the case, the people there most likely to take the hit would be the middle managers, columnists or maybe they have a beat writer who is exempt.
     
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