Tribune in the Blogs

Zell's bells - Opinion LA
Some local reaction to that media-company purchase you may have read about.

LAT in 90 Navel-Gazing Seconds - Fishbowl LA
Tim Rutten is an Angry, Angry Man: We're going long-form today, to print the best part of Tim Rutten's column in its entirety:

Tribune Sale: What It Means - KTLA
In the short term, you'll probably see no changes. The KTLA Morning Show and Prime News will be there, trying to find and tell the compelling stories in Southern California, as always.
What happens over the long term? Well, hopefully, with the Tribune Co. under private ownership, the company can benefit. No longer will we have to live up to Wall Street expectations of ever-increasing profit margins. Perhaps we can adjust to the big changes taking place in the media business. Maybe a way can be found to earn more money from news content on the internet.

Two key questions on Tribune sale - LA Biz Observed
What is the status of Tribune CEO Dennis FitzSimons? The Tribune press release artfully notes that he'll remain on the board, but will he be running the show? There's really no indication, one way or another. Zell is not about to make a change near term (the deal won't even close until the end of the year), but once the dust settles, might Zell consider bringing on a fresher pair of eyes? (Well, isn't it obvious?) And in an ESOP structure, what exactly will be the CEO's role?

Zell/Trib Analysis: Be Afraid. Very Afraid - Deadline Hollywood
When you think about it, what went down with the Tribune Co. and Sam Zell is not unlike an episode of The Sopranos. Or maybe I just have Tony on the brain because the series begins its death rattle this Sunday.