RIP Bend Bulletin?

[DanOregon]

Bend Bulletin Must Terminate Employees Before Paper's Sale, Documents State

I'm guessing there will be some re-hires (at a lower-rate of course).

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

It's not just a little apropos that the Blockbuster store outlives the newspaper in Bend.

 

[LanceyHoward]

I think this the same ownership group just bought the Bakersfield paper and immediately outsourced the printing plant. I would guess they want to do the same in Bend. So if that is true the printing plant guys would have to go. Bakersfield also took additional staff cuts.

 

[Dog8Cats]

My understanding is that at the other former Western Communication papers bought by the current high bidder for The Bulletin, virtually all employees (editorial and otherwise) have been retained/rehired/whatever.

How long that remains the case, of course, is another matter.

 

[LanceyHoward]

My understanding is that at the other former Western Communication papers bought by the current high bidder for The Bulletin, virtually all employees (editorial and otherwise) have been retained/rehired/whatever.

How long that remains the case, of course, is another matter.

I believe this is the same group that bought Bakersfield. We have a Bakersfield thread a couple just below this one going. The first posting, saying the newspaper had been sold, was dated June 3.

By July 1 there were posts on the thread that six had been laid off, the printing moved offsite (so the plant workers were presumably axed) and a 42 year veteran sportswriter retired (maybe a coincidence).

 

[HanSenSE]

I believe this is the same group that bought Bakersfield. We have a Bakersfield thread a couple just below this one going. The first posting, saying the newspaper had been sold, was dated June 3.

By July 1 there were posts on the thread that six had been laid off, the printing moved offsite (so the plant workers were presumably axed) and a 42 year veteran sportswriter retired (maybe a coincidence).

Bakersfield was bought by a group called Sound News Media. Bend is being bought by a group called Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers, per the OP in both threads.

 

[LanceyHoward]

Bakersfield was bought by a group called Sound News Media. Bend is being bought by a group called Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers, per the OP in both threads.

A Canadian named Steven Malovich is the face of both groups. So it appears that there is overlap in the new ownership groups. The link describes how Malovich is the head of both the Rhode Island and Bakersfield groups.

Per another psot in the Bakersfield thread.

Who are the mystery investors buying some of California’s last family-owned newspapers?

 

[micropolitan guy]

Bakersfield was bought by a group called Sound News Media. Bend is being bought by a group called Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers, per the OP in both threads.

Bend is one of Woonsocket's larger suburbs, right?

 

[HanSenSE]

Bend is one of Woonsocket's larger suburbs, right?

And a mere 15 minutes away from Lake Tahoe.

 

[DanOregon]

Fun fact, Bend is actually north of North Bend, Oregon. And about 200 miles east.

 

[sgreenwell]

Bakersfield was bought by a group called Sound News Media. Bend is being bought by a group called Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers, per the OP in both threads.

Spent from roughly 2007 to 2019 in the ole RI newspapers biz. At the beginning, RISN was the worst, and by the end, they were the "best" toward employees, almost by default, because Gatehouse had expanded into the area, and the better family papers and publishers had gotten out of the game.

 

[Dog8Cats]

Sold.

East Oregonian Publishers Win Bid For Bend, Redmond Newspapers

 

[DanOregon]

Glad they're going to be locally owned. I'm guessing there will be a bit of a reduction in newstaff - but it shouldn't be too drastic.

 

[Dog8Cats]

"Local" being in state (but five hours away) compared with out of state, yeah.

The distance between The Bulletin and the new owner's other publications, I predict, means the pressroom headcount in Bend will not be substantially affected by the new ownership.

Very little duplication of coverage areas, too, so the "efficiencies" that some new owners try to realize by using content in multiple publications wouldn't appear to be part of the game plan, either.

 

[LanceyHoward]

"Local" being in state (but five hours away) compared with out of state, yeah.

The distance between The Bulletin and the new owner's other publications, I predict, means the pressroom headcount in Bend will not be substantially affected by the new ownership.

Very little duplication of coverage areas, too, so the "efficiencies" that some new owners try to realize by using content in multiple publications wouldn't appear to be part of the game plan, either.

I am curious to see how this works out. Bend appears to be a rapidly growing, thriving community. The population of Deschute County is close to 200,000. If the paper in a community like Bend can't make it then all the other dailies in similar sized or smaller communities are going to go bust.

 

[Dog8Cats]

I am curious to see how this works out. Bend appears to be a rapidly growing, thriving community. The population of Deschute County is close to 200,000. If the paper in a community like Bend then all the other dailies in similar sized or smaller communities are going to go bust.

I've said this before: Market dynamics certainly affected The Bulletin. But remarkably stupid decisions by the longtime cabal that had control of the operation (which must have had incriminating photos of members of the board of directors) contributed in no small way to the demise of the previous ownership.

And yes, Bend is thriving and growing. Median home prices are higher than in Portland. Not enough land in the urban growth boundary to build all of the houses that the demand would support. Low rental vacancy and borderline-criminal rental rates. Of course, the people who want to move there to bike, paddle, ski and golf aren't necessarily going to subscribe to the paper, and they're damn sure not likely to advertise in it.

 

[DanOregon]

All true - but all those visitors probably are looking for a resource to figure out where to eat, grab a brew, see a show, where to shop, what's going on.

 

[Dog8Cats]

All true - but all those visitors probably are looking for a resource to figure out where to eat, grab a brew, see a show, where to shop, what's going on.

... and they find that, like most other people in most other places, via online review sites such as Yelp and Google. These visitors don't beat a trail to the local convenience store to pick up the newspaper.

 

[DanOregon]

I was thinking digital.