Friday Afternoon in the Blogosphere

Union Station Los Angeles

• Los Angeles Times in the 21st century - Wikipedia
• Newspapers join aggregation site - Newsobserver
• Dean Singleton interview about stepping down - Westword
• Crews Extinguish Blaze at RR Donnelley Printing Plant - E&P
• Blockbuster, Tribune, AbitibiBowater: Bankruptcy - Bloomberg
• Johnny Rotten Takes a Ride With the LA Times - Matthew Fleischer
• Sam Zell won't be sorry to get less media attention - Chicago Tribune

Scientology International Dissemination and Distribution Printing Center

The state-of-the-art, 185,000-square-foot Church of Scientology International Dissemination and Distribution Center in Los Angeles is a one-of-a kind printing and production facility. Housing manufacturing, distribution and administration all under one roof, it generates dissemination materials for the more than 9,000 Scientology Churches, Missions and affiliated groups worldwide, enabling these organizations to meet the unprecedented demand for Scientology services and programs.





h/t Richard Horgan from Fishbowl LA

Zell: 'I just don't need to be the media's bitch anymore" - LA Observed

Sam Zell says in a new interview with Forbes
that "A true entrepreneur doesn't have the word
‘failure' in his lexicon. Maybe [a venture] doesn't work out. But no failures." So he can move on from the Tribune debacle without feeling bad, I guess. As for the glare of attention for owning and mismanaging a media company, he didn't like it and won't miss it: "I just don't need to be the media's bitch anymore."

Read the excerpt by following the link below:




Zell: 'I just don't need to be the media's bitch anymore" - LA Observed




Pictured, Los Angeles Times Pressman Victor Banuelos and Sam Zell

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere

Roller specialist Ron Williams is always ready to made repairs to the

presses and is never seen without his drill in hand

• Newspaper, the movie - Gary Scott
• The Globe-Democrat is dead (again) - Daily RFT
• Tribune announces improved results - Mark Lacter
• Independent to stop the presses - Business Report
• Papers expand to Sundays - Glendale News-Press
• Looking back: 2010 newspaper layoffs - Paper Cuts
• The shakeup at MediaNews - Nieman Journalism Lab
• Tribune Co. sees 'challenging' year ahead for revenue - Chicago B.
• Black Mother Jailed For Sending Kids to White School District - Black E.
• MediaNews Shakeup May Trigger Consolidation Wave - Newspaper D.W.

TRIBUNE COMPANY ANNOUNCES 2010 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Consolidated Operating Cash Flow Up 29%

CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2011—Tribune Company today announced financial highlights for 2010.*
“The past year showed substantial improvement over 2009,” said Chandler Bigelow, Tribune’s chief financial officer. “Consolidated operating cash flow in 2010 was approximately $635 million, an increase of more than $140 million compared to full-year 2009.”

Thanks to strong performance across its local television station group, the expansion of local programming and robust political advertising in the fourth quarter, the company’s broadcasting division had an exceptional year in 2010. On the publishing side, despite a difficult environment for print advertising, the rate of decline in both revenue and operating cash flow slowed significantly compared to 2009. At Tribune Publishing’s two largest business units, the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, 2010 full-year operating cash flow was essentially unchanged compared to the previous year.

Other full-year financial highlights for 2010 include:

Consolidated revenue increased one percent compared to 2009. Consolidated operating cash flow margin increased more than four percentage points, to almost 20%, compared to the previous year. Consolidated cash operating expenses decreased four percent compared to 2009.

Tribune’s financial results for 2010 are due, in large part, to the great work of thousands of employees, who continue transforming the company from a collection of newspapers and broadcast stations to a media company with innovative products providing news, information and entertainment across multiple platforms.

The company said that 2011 will remain challenging due to reduced political advertising in broadcasting and continued pressure on print advertising, particularly in the national advertising category.

Late yesterday, Tribune filed its monthly operating report for December 2010 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Memo to Tribune Employees

Romenesko Memos

Tribune says its consolidated operating cash flow in 2010 was approximately $635 million — an increase of more than $140 million compared to full-year 2009. It warns employees that 2011 “will be a challenging year due to a number of factors, including a reduction in political advertising in broadcasting and continued pressure on print advertising.”

Memo to Tribune employees
From: Tribune Communications
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 12:03 PM
Subject: Message from Don, Nils, Tony and Eddy/2010 Financial Highlights

Today we will announce some of the company’s financial highlights for 2010 in the attached press release. As the release makes clear, last year was a significant improvement compared to 2009. The primary reason for that improvement is the hard work of our employees, who continue transforming Tribune into a media company with a variety of innovative news, information and entertainment products available to readers, listeners, viewers and advertisers across multiple platforms. Thank you for making last year a success.

Now it is time to move forward into 2011. This will be a challenging year due to a number of factors, including a reduction in political advertising in broadcasting and continued pressure on print advertising, particularly in the national advertising category. But, there is also a lot of opportunity ahead. We are organized for success, finding new ways to serve our customers, and working together as one company—but we have to continue to work smart, innovate and be efficient.

Thanks again for all you do for Tribune.

Don, Nils, Tony and Eddy

SOURCE: Romenesko

Homeboy Industries

GREAT NEWS - Homeboy Indusrties' Chips & Salsa Now available in all Ralph's Supermarkets. Support our Homeboys and Homegirls. Buy Now.

Take a Taste of Homeboy Home and More Homeboy News

HOMEBOY SALSAS AND TORTILLA STRIPS NOW AVAILABLE AT RALPHS


TODAY Homeboy launches a line of salsas and tortilla strips at all Southern California Ralphs Grocery Stores. Tell your friends in the area, fill your shopping carts, give treats to your office colleagues -- let's empty the shelves!

When you've lunched at Homegirl Cafe, you've tasted Chef Pati Zarate's excellent salsas. Now you can take a taste home with you! You'll find Mango, Pico de Gallo (Hot or Mild), and Chile Verde Salsas with the Homeboy name as you see above. Tortilla strips are the perfect compliment to these outstanding salsas.

Proceeds from the sales of these products will help support our many programs here at Homeboy as we work with the at risk, formerly gang involved and previously incarcerated to find hope and change in their lives.

We are grateful to Ralphs for mentoring us so we may bring these excellent products and our mission to a wide audience.

h/t Brian Quintana

Tribune Announces Outstanding Employee Award Winners For 2010

Syed Akbar with Sam Zell



Tribune Company today announced the winners of its Outstanding Tribune Employee Award for 2010. The program is designed to recognize the achievements and significant contributions of individual employees across the company.

This program recognizes an individual or group of individuals from each of Tribune’s business units, the corporate office and other departments for exemplary performance last year. Employees at the level of the manager or below are eligible. The individuals recognized include security personnel at the Los Angeles Times, whose quick action saved the life of an employee, a reporter who excelled at combining technology with watchdog journalism, and the company’s entire technology help-desk. Award recipients will receive $2,500 and a certificate of appreciation in recognition of their talent, innovation and dedication during 2010. Winning teams will share the $2,500 award.

“Across the country, we have dedicated employees working hard day in and day out,” said Don Liebentritt, Tribune’s co-president. “Recognizing and rewarding these individuals for their outstanding performance is important—on behalf of Tribune’s executive team, I congratulate the winners and thank them for their significant contributions to the company.”

Following is a complete list of the award winners.

TV STATIONS
WPIX-TV Chris Mangan, Campaign Manager/Sales
WGN-TV Pat Curry, Manager/Assignment Desk
KTLA-TV Bridget Meek, Digital Assets Supervisor
KSWB-TV Katie Parish, News Production Manager
KIAH-TV Martin Calvi, Editor
KTXL-TV Karen Hoffman, Administrative Coordinator
WDCW-TV Shannon Days, Promotions Producer
WPHL-TV Efraim Sosa, National Sales Associate
WXMI-TV Chris Koops, Assignment Manager
WSFL-TV Rebecca Pico, Asst Traffic Manager
KRCW-TV Christopher Bilbao, Writer/Producer
WPMT-TV Andy Nitchman, Photo Journalist
KDAF-TV William Jones, Marcos Barbosa, George Chambers, Jr., James Simmons, Les Waters, Gene Peterson, Jude Garcia/Engineering
WTIC/WCCT Jennifer Bernstein, Video Journalist
WGNO/WNOL Harvey Leblanc, Technician/Engineering
WXIN/WTTV Stacey Cutshaw, Asst Chief Engineer
KCPQ/KMYQ Nancy MacDonald, Traffic Coordinator
WGN America Ed Mockus, Senior Manager, Credit and Tower Operations
WGN Radio Judy Tarmino, Accounting Manager

PUBLISHING
Los Angeles Times Syed Akbar and Reginald Morgan, Security Officers
Manuel Castillo, Lead Electrician/Facilities
Chicago Tribune Brian Boyer, Editor of News Applications
Baltimore Sun Justin Fenton, Reporter
Sun Sentinel Terry Ham, Pressroom Team Leader, USA Today Team
Orlando Sentinel Tracey Thomas, Manager of Contracts and other Publications
Hartford Courant Alaine Griffin, Reporter
Helen Ubinas, Columnist
Daily Press Nicole Paitsel, Reporter
Morning Call Melissa Smith, Sales Manager

OTHER DIVISIONS
Tribune Media Services Sheela Chandrasekhara, Manager of Finance and Strategy
Tribune Digital Eric Hill, Manager/Ad Support Trafficking
Tribune 365 Pat Clifton, Client Services Executive
Technology Help Desk Staff
Corporate Office Deno Evans, Supervisor of building engineering

LA Times Editor Responds to the NYT’s Ill-Timed Sideswipe

By Matthew Fleischer from Fishbowl LA


Like most of the LA media world, ourselves included, LA Times editor Geoffrey Mohan was not impressed with the New York Times‘ extremely belated piece on the struggles at the LA Times under Tribune Company ownership. So he decided to let the NYT know about his displeasure, penning a letter to the paper that he CC’d to Romenesko and the Columbia Journalism Review.


A taste:

I was shocked today (1/24/11) to find there are people who gripe about the good
old days in Los Angeles, and I thank the New York Times for visiting our city to
tell us they were here. Equally, I thank you for couching your astonishing
discovery with dismissals of the late accomplishments of the bemoaned Los
Angeles Times.

“Never mind,” Jeremy Peters instructs, that “The [Los Angeles] Times is considered a front-runner to win a Pulitzer Prize this year for its coverage of city officials in Bell who gave themselves enormous salaries, a story that tapped into a growing national outrage over wasteful government spending.

“Or that it still maintains, despite all the bloodletting since the paper was bought in 2000 by the Tribune Company, 13 foreign bureaus, more than any other large metropolitan daily except The Washington Post.

“Or that it is the only big-city daily that still employs a battalion of correspondents stationed in cities across the country.

What matters, apparently, is that a 66-year-old merchant in a “quaint”
neighborhood misses “the old Hollywood starlets and socialites who graced the
society pages.” For that, we are not the “world-class paper” that we used to be.

Read more

Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere

During the downpours of unrelenting rain a few weeks ago the street outside the Olympic Facility were flooded as the storm drains were unable to handle the runoff

• Welcome to the Newspaper Oligopoly - Gawker
• L.A. newspaper exec to step down - O.C. Register
• Who Will Win: Newspapers or WikiLeaks? - Atlantic Wire
• Tribune Creditors Seek Information on Buyout - ABC News
• Murdoch iPad newspaper to launch in next two weeks - Reuters
• Will Tribune Co. Sell its Newspapers Post-Bankruptcy? - The Wrap
• Newspaper Web Sites Reach 62% of Online Population - Media Post
• Tribune Creditors May Be Seeking Too Many Documents - Bloomberg
• Despite Distinctions, Los Angeles Times Loses Standing at Home - NYT
• Tribune Announces Outstanding Employee Award Winners - Red Light Revolt

Army Generals Reveal Findings Of Suicide Study, & The Surgeon's Wife's Critical Eye

"Psychologists will tell you we're putting them (soldiers) under as much stress in a six year period as if they were 80 years old and living their entire life in Seattle, Washington. But what's hopeful is our programs are beginning to work, and our leaders are fully engaged with the problem, and we're getting at the stigma associated with the issue." -GEN Peter Chiarelli

Read the rest on: The Kitchen Dispatch

Mighty Machines: Hot off the Press!

Ever wonder how a newspaper is made? Charlie the printing press is three stories high and as long as a city block! He prints the newspaper, folds it and sends it to customers by truck. Charlie can't do everything himself, he has a team of robots! The machines at the newspaper plant know what teamwork is all about!

Quote Of The Day 1-18-2011

"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."

Quote of the Day

"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."

Gilbert Rangel is waiting for your call

Pictured from the left Paul Stiegelmar, Richard Fromel, and Gilbert Rangel.

Former press room supervisor from the shuttered Chatsworth production facility Gil Rangel is recovering from spinal surgery, and will be in the hospital for many weeks.

Give him a call or send a get well card to our former colleague to help him during this healing process.

Kaiser Hospital

1011 Baldwin Park Blvd.
Baldwin Park, CA.

Room 5220

626.480.4126

Gerry Spector exiting as Tribune Co. COO

By Phil Rosenthal

Tribune Co. Chief Operating Officer Gerry Spector, a long-time associate of real estate billionaire Sam Zell, is leaving the Chicago-based media company he has helped lead since Zell took it private three years ago.

Spector's decision to leave at the end of the year was announced Tuesday by the four-man executive council to whom he has been reporting since October's resignation of Randy Michaels as chief executive of the parent of the Chicago Tribune and other media properties.

"Gerry has been an important part of our success, and he has been a tireless champion of efficiency and innovation across the company," said the announcement to employees from Chicago Tribune Media Group CEO Tony Hunter, Los Angeles Times Media Group CEO Eddy Hartenstein, Tribune Co. Chief Investment Officer Nils Larsen and Don Liebentritt, who is in charge of the company's two-year bid to emerge from Chapter 11bankruptcy.

Continue reading Tower Ticker

Tribune to Debut Windows 7 Mobile Media App

Tribune to Debut Windows 7 Mobile Media Content App at Consumer Electronics Show


Tribune Company will debut its beta version of a new mobile news aggregation application at this week’s 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Called “Mosaic,” the app offers a visually stunning, multi-touch screen designed to enable consumers to personalize and read all of their news via one reader and offer advertisers an innovative digital advertising model to target audiences. Mosaic (www.mosaicbytribune.com) provides quick and easy access to the news, information and entertainment content produced by Tribune’s media outlets, initially including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Sun Sentinel (South Florida) Hartford Courant, The Morning Call (Allentown, PA) and Daily Press (Newport News, VA) and followed shortly thereafter by the company’s broadcast entities. Mosaic also offers users the ability to add news feeds and premium publication subscriptions from across the Web.

The free application will initially be available for use with Microsoft’s Windows 7 Mobile-based tablets and will be offered to consumers beginning Jan. 31. A companion Windows Phone 7 app will follow, and Tribune continues developing similar mobile news solutions for use with other devices such as the iPad and Android phones.


About Mosaic
TRIBUNE is one of the country’s leading multimedia companies, operating businesses in publishing, interactive and broadcasting. In publishing, Tribune’s leading daily newspapers include the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, Sun Sentinel (South Florida), Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, The Morning Call and Daily Press. The company’s broadcasting group operates 23 television stations, WGN America on national cable and Chicago’s WGN-AM. Popular news and information websites complement Tribune’s print and broadcast properties and extend the company’s nationwide audience.