Anschutz buys the Oklahoman

[JRoyal]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20110915_12_0_Forove725215

As someone who grew up in Oklahoma, I'm shocked.

 

[chase.colston]

Wow. Just wow.

 

[MileHigh]

But he couldn't be bothered to buy his hometown paper 2 1/2 years ago.

 

[silvercharm]

Not familiar with the situation. Anyone care to guess whether this is good or not-so-good for Oklahoman employees?

 

[SF_Express]

I'm just stunned at all the other things that are part of that deal...You wonder where the paper ranked in the list of assets he wanted.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

But he couldn't be bothered to buy his hometown paper 2 1/2 years ago.

I'm guessing the weekly in Russell, Kan., was a little too pricey for him. ;). I'm pretty shocked. I had no idea the Gaylords were looking to sell, but more shocked a businessman like Anschutz was looking to buy a newspaper.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

But he couldn't be bothered to buy his hometown paper 2 1/2 years ago.

I'm guessing the weekly in Russell, Kan., was a little too pricey for him. ;). I'm pretty shocked. I had no idea the Gaylords were looking to sell, but more shocked a businessman like Anschutz was looking to buy a newspaper.

Tax writeoff?

 

[SoCalDude]

He's already been in bed with the L.A. Times in the Staples Center deal.

 

[printdust]

Oklahoman parent company on the move

For over 108 years the Gaylord and Dickinson families have controlled The Oklahoma Publishing Company, locally known as OPUBCO. According to Christy Everest, Chairman and CEO of OPUBCO, that will change in early October when all of the stock of OPUBCO will be sold to The Anschutz Corporation, owned by Denver-based businessman Philip Anschutz.

Read more: http://newsok.com#ixzz1Y39yTs4O

Any idea of how this will work?

It has to be better than CNHI buying another Oklahoma paper.

 

[MileHigh]

I'm just stunned at all the other things that are part of that deal...You wonder where the paper ranked in the list of assets he wanted.

The Broadmoor appears high on his list.

http://insiderealestatenews.com/2011/09/reporter-notebook-on-the-trail-of-the-anschutz-deal/

 

[steveu]

It looks like the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville isn't on the list... haven't stayed there since a college convention in 1989. But I was VERY impressed by that property.

I have a feeling this transaction could work out better than if another newspaper company bought the Oklahoman. Then again, it could be Sam Zell...

 

[Jake_Taylor]

I have a feeling this transaction could work out better than if another newspaper company bought the Oklahoman. Then again, it could be Sam Zell...

Agree with that, but who knows. People at The Oklahoman seemed to like working for the Gaylords and the sports section and website are damn good. Hopefully none of that changes.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

It looks like the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville isn't on the list... haven't stayed there since a college convention in 1989. But I was VERY impressed by that property.

I have a feeling this transaction could work out better than if another newspaper company bought the Oklahoman. Then again, it could be Sam Zell...

That's part of Gaylord Entertainment Company, a publically-traded (not family-owned) company.

 

[black dude with pompano]

Re: Oklahoman parent company on the move

At first I wondered why Anschutz, who has no background in newspapers nor has ever lived in Oklahoma, would be interested in the Oklahoman.

Then I checked out his political/religious views. Then it all made sense, given the conservative history of the paper.

This could be good news for the Oklahoman folks, though, as long as he doesn't go all nutso on them.

EDIT: Just realized there's already another thread on this. And he also has dabbled in newspapers in the past.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Re: Oklahoman parent company on the move

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/86046/

 

[SF_Express]

Re: Oklahoman parent company on the move

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/86046/

And, in an uncharacteristically snarky aside from me, it's right below this one.

 

[TrooperBari]

Threads merged. Carry on.

 

[JRoyal]

If it's true that Anschutz was looking to get the Broadmoor, I hope that doesn't mean he's going to sell off the Oklahoman to a chain. It may have been conservative, but it was nice living in a state where the two largest papers were family-owned and didn't have to deal with all the chain crap.

 

[chase.colston]

The scariest part for me would be that this guy owns the Examiners in D.C. and San Francisco. Other than that, I don't know how much I'd worry at this point. After the first of the year, that may be a different story. But who knows?

 

[wicked]

The scariest part for me would be that this guy owns the Examiners in D.C. and San Francisco. Other than that, I don't know how much I'd worry at this point. After the first of the year, that may be a different story. But who knows?

In his defense, he plowed significant money into both papers when he first bought them. Both had been cut significantly before those purchases.