LA Times layoffs

B-I-N-G-O.

I've been asking this question for, well, forever.

Fishwrapper has valiantly tried, but nobody has successfully and cogently answered it yet.

And Steve Harvey was one of that paper's true assets: someone who provided a unique element. Not that this matters anymore, apparently.

It's irrelevant to the subject at hand, but one of those designers, Joel Huerto, was not only damn good at what he does, but one of the nicest souls you'd ever meet.

 

I don't know what it qualifies as, not irony, pick a word, but Mark Pinsky, the Orlando Sentinel religion writer who argued with the way the whole L.A. Times' first big buyout happened way back in 1995 when he worked there, was part of the ongoing purge at the Sentinel this week:

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/

 

The following was posted on The Times Web site Wednesday night:

Because of ongoing reductions to The Times Sports staff and space for news in the Sports section, the handicap charts and results from Del Mar will not be included in the daily sports report. There will be coverage of major events during the seven-week meeting. In addition, other weekly features that have been eliminated are the Gearing Up package on motor racing, Teeing Off on golf and Corner Kicks on soccer.

 

I've actually been an advocate of some standing agate-type features being moved onto the web to save space, so call me hypocritical when I say there's something completely wrong with the L.A. Times not having the horse charts from whichever track in its three-track rotation is open.

 

And now, having just said that, it also occurs to me: That's sadly the least of their problems.

 

Fixed.

 

You're not far off from where I'm going here, Joe.

I get the Sunday Times. The next time they call me asking me to take the paper for the rest of the week, I'm going to tell them that I'm now getting less of the product I used to -- yet paying the same amount for that product.

So I'm going to ask for a lower rate for my Sunday paper. We'll see what they do with that topspin lob back into their corner.

I'm guessing somebody's head will explode at that bit O' logic.

 

You know what Bird? I've been really struggling about what to do when my next renewal notice comes from the daily paper. I've been thinking of dropping it -- which is against everything I've always known -- or dropping back to Sundays only, or just keeping it.

It's obvious, but you've sparked the idea: I'm going to ask them to drop it back -- permanently -- to the rate they give to new subscribers and see what happens.

 

They will probably drop the price.
Whenever I get a renewal price I don't like from either of the paers I subscribe to, I call to cancel and they always find a way to give me the old rate.

 

It's like they are begging you to drop your subscription.

 

You give me less in the paper, I give you less money.

So then you turn around and give me everything on the Web site, I give you no money.

Name another business that rivals this one for sheer stupidity.

How come the top five executives at every newspaper company aren't the ones walking the plank?

 

I get the paper daily (and have since the early 1960s) and I have been on a rate of about 22 bucks for 8 weeks. I've had that rate for a couple of years.
But every six months I have to call and request that I continue to receive that rate.
Last December, I forgot to call and the next bill was for more than $30. I called, they reinstituted the $22/8-week rate, but they wouldn't do anything about that current bill I had. I'm supposed to call again in July. I've been closes to canceling for a year. Maybe now is the time.