Eugene Register-Guard sold to GateHouse

I was surprised Lee and Gannett didn't make a play for the RG since they have properties in the valley and could find "efficiencies" with state government and sports coverage - I gather the fact the newspaper competes with four Tv stations (which I think are operated by just two companies) for ad dollars made it a no go.

 

Sorry, but if a paper did that to me I would rather scrape dogshit off the street than have a “Special To” byline in my old paper. Probably pays better.

 

I have been surprised that Gannett has seemed to stop acquiring papers. They bought the Journal Media Group which consisted of t he Milwaukee papers and the Scripps-Howard papers almost two years ago. Since then they have not purchased anything to my knowledge. I am not sure what that means.

Lee and McClatchy are so far in debt it can not buy much. Buffett has stopped buying. Tronc is looking to buy in big markets. So only Gatehouse is left.

 

I had heard that the family who previously owned the R-G was not very fun to work for. GateHouse sucks, but I've been led to believe that working for the R-G has not been a picnic previously.

 

Gannet is trying. It made a play for the LA Times, but a deal with Tronc never materialized. There's been talk of Gannett going after other papers as well. But the company isn't going to overpay when it can wait it out and buy properties on the cheap down the road.

 

I know Gannett went after Tronc. I think the idea was to integrate the national staffs of Tronc and USA Today. But I am surprised they have not been successful in buying some of the smaller papers out there.

 

I'm not sure Gannett has interest in any smaller properties out here in this region. The company already has a few smaller properties in southern California and I think it would like to try again with Tronc and is waiting for the right time. Who knows.

 

I do think they are waiting for the current ownership of Tronc to screw up and then swoop in and pick it up. I also kind of expected Gannett to sell some orphans, like Ft. Collins and other papers that are geographically isolated and buy papers in areas where they have a lot of other properties but that has not happened so what do I know?

 

Time to update those resumes and suck up to the new bosses.
Register-Guard Employees Face Uncertain Future in Sale

 

They just told everyone they're all fired.

Honestly, they should have given the employees enough credit to know that things weren't going to be as good - shoving it in their faces isn't a good first move.

 

"Managers performing work as needed."

Be prepared for 70-hour weeks.

 

And of course, the old "interview for your job" scheme. Too bad everyone there can't pull a McDaniels and find something else by Feb. 28 and leave them with nobody.