Landmark attracting eye of Little Rock?

http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/may/16/wehco-expresses-interest-buying-3-papers/?business/arkansas

For those who don't want to jump, the gist of the story is Wehco Media is exploring a purchase of three papers -- Norfolk, Roanoke and Greensboro. Wehco owns Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock.

My two cents: This would be a good move in my opinion. Little Rock's paper offers excellent coverage, even if the design is a bit jumbled. The paper is surprisingly large for a city that size (and it is the state's paper of record).

The downside: If Wehco buys these three papers and it turns into a case of McClatchy buying Knight-Ridder. (In other words, let the cutbacks start flying!).

 

Last I hear, the Landmark folks didn't think someone would buy the metro division whole. The community papers I believe are being brokered in a separate transaction.

The story didn't mention Annapolis, so I'm guessing the BalSun will end up with that property.

Sounds cautiously promising, at least in the sense that I don't recall a lot of hue and cry with Wehco that you would with MediaNews or Gannett.

 

I''m aware that the community papers are going in a separate deal. However, would Baltimore also try to get the Carroll County paper in Westminster along with Annapolis?

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure now that's the two the Sun have expressed interest in. Had forgotten about Carroll County.

 

Do the Landmark papers have unions in the newsroom or anywhere else?
If they do, that will be a deal-breaker, unless they can bust the unions with the purchase.

 

No union at the Virginian-Pilot, which is the flagship paper for Landmark. And where spinchter muscles are clenched tightly as folks try to guess who will get the ax first.