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Is Media General getting out of the newspaper business?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Uncle.Ruckus, Feb 22, 2012.

  1. Uncle.Ruckus

    Uncle.Ruckus Guest

    Says here they're exploring it.

    http://www.dailymarkets.com/stock/2012/02/22/media-general-exploring-potential-sale-of-newspapers/
     
  2. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    Man, how the mighty have truly fallen.
     
  3. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    I was surprised MG didn't go after my first (and hometown) paper, which was bought by Ogden, I think, a month or so ago. Whoever owns the Pirates.
     
  4. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    I found it on the MG thread, but only after I was told by a friend working there.

    Definitely worth its own thread, IMO.

    Sad state of affairs. Thoughts with my MG friends.
     
  5. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    You know, people at my paper are freaking the fuck out about this ... I'm not ready to panic. Tampa wrote a story saying that individual properties might be up for sale, not necessarily the entire newspaper operations. That may not be a bad thing. I'm willing to wait it out and see what happens.
     
  6. Jake_Taylor

    Jake_Taylor Well-Known Member

    Most people in our shop just kind of shrugged and went back to work.

    Our ME told us that your place and ours have historically been, and currently are, the MG leaders in profit margin. But nobody was quite sure if that makes us the most attractive candidates for potential buyers or too expensive for anyone to purchase.
     
  7. Hoos3725

    Hoos3725 Member

    I agree with this. And is a sale really that bad of a thing? Anyone willing to buy a newspaper means they would invest in it and try to improve it, right?

    Would anyone actually want to buy Tampa?
     
  8. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    If they clean house, it is not a good thing for those currently working there.
     
  9. deskslave

    deskslave Active Member

    If you think people are buying newspapers to improve them, you haven't been paying attention for the past 10 years. See any number of Sam Zell threads, to start with.

    Not saying this is certain impending doom. But just because someone wants to buy a newspaper, that doesn't mean they have the newspaper's best interests as a guiding principle.

    Also, as I posted on the other thread, a friend at one of Halifax's recent buys confirms chatter that they're pursuing Tampa.
     
  10. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    If Halifax simply bought Tampa, that wouldn't be a bad thing for the chain. If Halifax buys the whole chain, obviously, that's a different story.
     
  11. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    You think?
     
  12. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Ask the people at NY Times-owned papers who were recently bought by Halifax how it feels to be bought by another company. The ones who had to, en masse, tell the new owners to take their non-compete-for-two-years-at-any-media-place-they-say-is-a-competitor-even-if-they-fire-you-tomorrow contract and shove it up their asses.
     
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