GreedWatch--stopcorporategreed.org: Newspaper monopolization in California

Showing posts with label Newspaper monopolization in California. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Time to start paying...

Have you gotten used to reading your local newspaper on-line for free? Yeah, you look at the ads at the same time, so it's a fair trade, you're not really getting it for free, totally. Well, now, the big media corporations got you hooked, and now it's time to make you pay. Just like your local movie theater, you pay $11.50 a ticket and still are forced to watch TV commercials on top of the movie previews. You pay out the wazoo for cable TV and every channel is packed with commercials, unless you pay extra for a channel like HBO that doesn't have commercials. Commercials are everywhere we go -- and no one is paying us to watch them. They are assumed to be what we give up to get free or "cheaper" entertainment.

Well, the problem with newpapers, at least the big ones, is that they long ago forgot about local investigative reporting. They have created the opportunity which is being exploited by small-time bloggers. Charging for the crappy content that now is given away won't pull the big newspaper companies out of bankruptcy. Providing a better product is the only way to survive.

Here's a thought: pay the local bloggers to write a section of the newspaper.

Adapt to the future, or get replaced.

--from the big cheeze, Rex Frankel
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Can Internet charges stem newspapers' losses?

Publishers hope readers will pay if content is no longer offered free.
By Michael Liedtke, The Associated Press
Posted: 05/25/2009
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12448668

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is a rarity among large U.S. newspapers - it's selling more weekday copies than a decade ago. In Idaho, the Post Register's circulation has remained stable, while many print publications have lost readers to the Internet, where much of their content may be viewed for free. The executives behind the Arkansas and Idaho newspapers think they've been stable because they have been giving free Web site access only to print edition subscribers. Everyone else has to pay. "To just give it all away on a Web site is completely and blindly idiotic," says Roger Plothow, Post Register editor and publisher. That logic is starting to resonate with many publishers, who are preparing to erect toll booths on parts, if not all, of their Web sites. They hope the switch adds to online revenue and helps them keep print subscribers and ads. If it works, it would provide a sorely needed boost for an industry that has seen $11.6billion, or nearly one-fourth, of its annual advertising revenue dry up during the past three years. But ending free access could drive away many online readers and discourage online advertising at a time just as marketing budgets shift to the Internet.

As a result, 28 percent of newspaper executives responding to a recent survey by the Associated Press Managing Editors, a group of newspaper executives, said their publications are considering online fees.

Newsday's owner, Cablevision Systems Corp., plans to start charging for online access to the Long Island, N.Y., paper this summer. MediaNews Group, which owns the Daily Breeze and 53 other daily newspapers, has decided to charge for the online versions but hasn't said when. Hearst Corp. is assessing whether online fees could help save its 15 remaining daily newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Online fees will give people one less reason to stop subscribing to the newspaper" in the print format, said Steven Brill, Journalism Online's co-CEO. "Fewer people will be saying, `Why am I buying this thing when I can get it free online?"' Some commentators say the numbers don't add up. Former newspaper editor Alan Mutter, now an industry consultant and author of the blog, "Reflections of a Newsosaur," doubts most publishers understand how to produce the "content niches" that will cause people to ante up. Yet it's not an impossible task, said Walter Isaacson, former managing editor of Time magazine and now chief executive of the Aspen Institute, a think tank. Charging online fees "could create a discipline on journalism that produces more things of value," Isaacson said. "We could end up getting better journalism and a better business model out of it."

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

MONOPOLIZATION OF CALIFORNIA DAILY NEWSPAPERS

117 total

--45 out of 117 are owned by MediaNews Group

-Only in L.A and the Bay Area are there longtime competing daily papers, although the L.A. Times (circulation 779,000) widely outsells the 4 L.A. County papers owned by MediaNews Group, (388,000 total). In the 8 county Bay area, MediaNews' 4 papers outsell the San Francisco Chronicle (circulation 365,000) with a combined 615,000 daily circulation. The North Coast town of Eureka also has two dailies, one recently launched and distributed free by the largest real estate developer in the town. Santa Barbara also has a recently launched free daily.

November 2007 circulation figures: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003667952

http://www.medianewsgroup.com/about/Circulation/Circulation.pdf (3/2007 figures)

-Hearst Corporation, owner of the SF Chronicle, is partners with MediaNews in owning daily papers outside of the Bay area and around the USA. The L.A. Times co-financed MediaNews' purchase of the L.A Daily News and they jointly bundle their ad insert sales. See the following link for more on that deal:
http://www.allbusiness.com/services/business-services-miscellaneous-business/4674884-1.html

North Coast

The Daily Triplicate - Crescent City http://www.triplicate.com/, Western Communications (Tues-Sat)

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The Eureka Reporter http://www.eurekareporter.com/ –Robin Arkley

Times-Standard - Eureka http://www.times-standard.com/ MediaNews Group

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Ft Bragg Advocate News (Ft Bragg) –MediaNews Group (weekly)

Lake County Record Bee (Lakeport) –MediaNews Group

The Ukiah Daily Journal http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ –MediaNews Group

Willits News (Willits) –MediaNews Group (twice a week)

Mendocino Beacon (Mendocino)-MediaNews Group (weekly)

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SF Bay Area

San Francisco Chronicle - http://www.sfgate.com/ -Hearst co.

San Francisco Daily - http://www.sfdaily.net/ (free m-f)-Dave Price and Jim Pavelich

San Francisco Examiner - http://www.examiner.com/san_francisco (free) -Phillip Anschutz/Clarity Media Group

NORTH BAY:

Napa Valley Register - http://www.napavalleyregister.com/ Lee Enterprises

Marin Independent Journal - Novato- http://www.marinij.com/ –MediaNews Group

Petaluma Argus Courier- http://www.petaluma360.com/section/petaluma360 -New York Times co.

The Press-Democrat - Santa Rosa- http://www.pressdemocrat.com/ New York Times Company

Times-Herald - Vallejo- http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ MediaNews Group

EAST BAY:

Contra Costa Times - Walnut Creek - http://www.contracostatimes.com/MediaNews Group-- Also, the West County Times, East County Times, San Ramon Valley Times and Valley Times are duplicates of Contra Costa Times

East Bay Daily News - Berkeley (free)– http://www.ebdailynews.com/ MediaNews Group

Oakland Tribune - Oakland- http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune –MediaNews Group

Alameda Times-Star (edition of Oakland Tribune)- http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar -MediaNews Group

The Daily Review (Hayward)- http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview -MediaNews Group

The Argus - Fremont - http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus –MediaNews Group

Fremont Bulletin, MediaNews Group

Milpitas Post -MediaNews Group

Tri-Valley Herald - Pleasanton – http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald --MediaNews Group

SOUTH BAY:

San Jose Mercury News – http://www.mercurynews.com/ MediaNews Group

Morgan Hill Times- Mainstreet Media Group

Gilroy Dispatch - http://gilroydispatch.com/ --Mainstreet Media Group

Berryessa Sun, MediaNews Group

WEST BAY:

Los Gatos News (weekly) - http://www.thelgnews.com/ MediaNews Group

Palo Alto Daily News - http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/ (free) –MediaNews Group

San Mateo Daily News - http://www.sanmateodailynews.com/ (free) –MediaNews Group

San Mateo County Times - http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes –MediaNews Group

San Mateo Daily Journal http://www.smdailyjournal.com/

Pacifica Tribune (Pacifica) -MediaNews Group

Redwood City Daily News – http://www.redwoodcitydailynews.com/ (free) MediaNews Group

Burlingame Daily News –(free) http://www.theburlingamedailynews.com/ –MediaNews Group

Central Coast

Hollister Free Lance - http://www.freelancenews.com/ Mainstreet Media Group

The Pinnacle- (weekly) Mainstreet Media Group

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Santa Cruz Sentinel - http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ MediaNews Group

Good Times Santa Cruz- (weekly) Mainstreet Media Group

Watsonville Register-Pajaronian - http://www.register-pajaronian.com/ –News Media Corporation

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Monterey County Weekly - http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/ - Milestone Communications inc.

Monterey Herald - http://www.montereyherald.com/ –MediaNews Group

The Salinas Californian - http://thecalifornian.com -Gannett co.

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The Tribune - San Luis Obispo- http://www.sanluisobispo.com/ McClatchy co.

New Times SLO— http://www.newtimesslo.com/ New Times Media Group-(weekly)

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Santa Maria Times - http://www.santamariatimes.com/ -Lee Enterprises

Santa Maria Sun - http://www.santamariasun.com/ New Times Media Group (weekly)

The Lompoc Record— http://www.lompocrecord.com/ Lee Enterprises

Times Press Recorder -Lee Enterprises (weekly)

Adobe Press -Lee Enterprises (weekly)

Santa Ynez Valley News-Lee Enterprises

Santa Barbara Daily Sound - http://sbdailysound.blogspot.com/ -(free) NODROG Publications

Santa Barbara News-Press - http://www.newspress.com a-Wendy McCaw

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Ventura County Star - http://www.venturacountystar.com/ - E.W. Scripps co.

Central Valley/Sierras

Siskiyou Daily News - http://siskiyoudaily.com/ Yreka-Gatehouse Media inc.

Record Searchlight - Redding http://redding.com/ –E.W. Scripps co.

Red Bluff Daily News - http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ –MediaNews Group

Oroville Mercury-Register - http://www.orovillemr.com/ --MediaNews Group

Paradise Post (Paradise) -MediaNews Group

Chico Enterprise-Record - http://www.chicoer.com/ –MediaNews Group

The Mountain Democrat - Placerville – http://www.mtdemocrat.com/ McNaughton family.

Tahoe Daily Tribune - http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/ , Swift Communications

Sierra Sun- http://www.sierrasun.com/ - Swift Communications

The Union - Grass Valley- http://www.theunion.com/ Swift Communications

Auburn Journal - http://www.auburnjournal.com/ -Gold Country Media, http://www.goldcountrymedia.com/ (publishes 10 daily and weekly papers)

The Davis Enterprise - http://www.davisenterprise.com/ -McNaughton family

The Fairfield Daily Republic - http://www.dailyrepublic.com/ -McNaughton family, The Daily Republic is part of the McNaughton Newspapers including the Davis Enterprise, the Mountain Democrat, Village Life, and Winters Express newspapers.

The Daily Democrat - Woodland - http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ MediaNews Group

Vacaville Reporter -MediaNews Group

Appeal-Democrat - Marysville – http://www.appeal-democrat.com/ Freedom Communications

The Sacramento Bee - http://sacbee.com/ -McClatchy co

Amador Ledger-Dispatch-Mainstream Media Group

The Record - Stockton - http://www.recordnet.com/ Ottaway Newspapers, Inc/Dow Jones—bought by News Corp.

Tracy Press - http://www.tracypress.com/ –family owned

Lodi News-Sentinel - http://www.lodinews.com/

Manteca Bulletin - http://www.mantecabulletin.com/ –Morris Multimedia

Turlock Journal - http://www.turlockjournal.com/ -Morris Multimedia-twice a week

The Union-Democrat – Sonora- http://www.uniondemocrat.com/ Western Communications inc.

The Modesto Bee - http://www.modbee.com/ -McClatchy co