Ominous news at Tampa Tribune

[reformedhack]

During an earnings conference call today, Media General said its Florida division is still struggling and -- here's the big news -- that it has convened a task force to "think boldly about newspaper operations in Tampa."

Says one suit: "On the print side we are looking at how we can improve efficiency and effectiveness. ... People there are doing great things but there has to be a change of focus."

Translated from Corporatespeak to English, it doesn't sound comforting. Thoughts and prayers, as always, to my friends at my alma mater.

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/150109/media-general-reports-profits-in-all-markets-but-florida/

 

[WS]

Firing some corporate executives is always the logical solution, but the one never used.

 

[Hoos3725]

I wonder how long the Tampa Tribune can survive. I don't know much about that market, but it just doesn't seem like Tampa can support both the Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times. And if only one newspaper will survive, we all know it will be the Times.

 

[Raiders]

Says one suit: "On the print side we are looking at how we can improve efficiency and effectiveness. ... People there are doing great things but there has to be a change of focus."

Cue the moron music, please. What a say-nothing statement.

 

[1HPGrad]

Morning after the Rays clinched a playoff spot with late rally/Red Sox loss was another sad example of where we are.
Coverage dominated 1A in both papers.
Trib's Pinellas edition had a partial story with the Rays rallying to tie the score but no final, no Red Sox score and the headline saying the Rays' playoff fate was undecided. It was DOA. They should have just kept the papers on that side of the Bay and saved everybody some gas money.
St. Pete blew its middle deadline (which goes to Tampa) and won with a 1A cover presentation screaming WILD with complete details. Its final edition coverage had everything.
Ten years ago, have to believe Trib would have said screw the deadline, and we would have been treated to another Fennelly vs. Shelton showdown.
Just felt really bad for the Trib. It hasn't been a fair fight for a long time.

 

[lougrant2011]

Sounds like bad news for Trib. Noticed on the message board some bad news for Times as well. At this rate, even if Trib folds newspaper operation in next couple of years, probably extends St. Pete's newspaper operation for a few years but who knows for how long.

Sad to see a good turf war die out on both sides of Bay.

 

[Fran Curci]

When they talk about bold new thinking ... you wonder if they'll go Detroit and cut back days of publication .... or worse?

They did away with the nutty all-in-one-section experiment, right? The one that prevented two people at the breakfast table from sharing the paper?

 

[MonsterLobster]

... we would have been treated to another Fennelly vs. Shelton showdown.

I grew up in the area reading the Times and Trib so this sentence made me warm inside.

 

[Mark2010]

Firing some corporate executives is always the logical solution, but the one never used.

True enough. It amazes me how some places have so many suits that sit around all day and accomplish so little when it comes to the actual product.

 

[Versatile]

Firing some corporate executives is always the logical solution, but the one never used.

True enough. It amazes me how some places have so many suits that sit around all day and accomplish so little when it comes to the actual product.

I'm curious: Is there anywhere this isn't true?

 

[Editude]

The Media General hub there is already doing a lot of editing and design for other papers. That could include the Tribune, with fewer and lower-priced editors.

 

[writingump]

So the suits make mistakes and the rank-and-file pays for it with their jobs? That's how it goes at MG -- and a lot of other operations.