Grumpy Editor

3 L.A. councilmen frown on Koch brothers eyeing L.A. Times; newspaper circulation figures continue to ebb

With strong rumbles that billionaire brothers Charles G. Koch and David H. Koch are among those interested in buying the Los Angeles Times, part of the Tribune Co., three Los Angeles City Council members ask colleagues to consider withdrawing city pension money from investment firms that own the newspaper if they sell the publication to buyers who do not support “professional and objective journalism,” notes Grumpy Editor. 

As reported by Times staffer Catherine Saillant, councilman Bill Rosendahl declares, “Frankly what I hear about the Koch brothers, if it’s true, it’s the end of journalism.  I don’t want to see Los Angeles, the second-largest city and the biggest region in the nation, not to have a quality newspaper.”

Other council members siding with Rosendahl are Dennis Zine and Eric Garcetti.  Garcetti is running for mayor in a May 21 city election.

In recent national elections, the Koch brothers --- top executives of Koch Industries Inc., second largest privately-held company in the U.S. --- supplied financial support to libertarian candidates and causes.

The Tribune Co., which emerged from bankruptcy last year, owns eight newspapers, including The Times, and 23 television stations. 

Concern over the Koch brothers comes at a time when The Times print subscriptions in the six months ended March 31 tumbled to 432,873, a low not seen in years. 

 

Wall Street Journal remains tops in circulation 

Alliance for Audited Media (formerly the Audit Bureau of Circulations) reports average daily circulation for 593 U.S. newspapers reporting comparable averages for print and digital subscriptions slipped 0.7 percent for the six months ended March 31 vs. the like period a year ago.

AAM adds Sunday circulation for 519 newspapers reporting comparable data was down 1.4 percent.  

Scorecard on the top five newspapers:

 

Newspaper Name	Print	Total Digital	Total Average Circulation Excluding Branded	Total Branded Editions Print & Digital	Total Average Circulation		Percent Change
					As of 03/31/13	As of 03/31/12
WALL STREET JOURNAL	1,480,725	898,102	2,378,827		2,378,827	2,118,315	12.3%
NEW YORK TIMES	731,395	1,133,923	1,865,318		1,865,318	1,586,757	17.6%
USA TODAY	1,424,406	249,900	1,674,306		1,674,306	1,817,446	-7.9%
LOS ANGELES TIMES	432,873	177,720	610,593	43,275	653,868	616,575	6.0%
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS	360,459	155,706	516,165		516,165	579,636	-11.0%

 

In case you missed these… 

About 20 radio talk show hosts and programs from around the country are slated for live shows or recorded interviews on Talk Radio Day at the United Nations on June 7…The Daily Beast has "parted company" with Washington bureau chief Howard Kurtz…Arizona and Rhode Island newspapers are linked following the sale of the Yuma Sun, which started publishing in April 1896, to Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers Inc., part of Horizon Publications which publishes newspapers across the U.S. and Canada. 

NewsBusters points out, “With all the media panic about sequestration, one would think a study finding billions of dollars of fraud in a government program would be national news.  Apparently not, for with few exceptions, a report published by the St. Louis Federal Reserve last week finding $3.3 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims in 2011 got almost no attention." 

Snow shovels linger into May.  Media mentions of global warming (aka climate change) were absent as the National Climatic Data Center reports more than 1,100 snowfall records and 3,400 cold records were set across the nation in April…Wal-Mart Stores Inc. seeks to hypo its image with TV spots titled, “The Real Walmart”…Another newspaper building sold.  Riverside (Calif.) County agrees to buy the Riverside Press-Enterprise building for about $30 million…A somewhat delayed analysis:  The Pentagon tells Congress that North Korea "will move closer" to its announced goal of being able to strike the U.S. with a nuclear-armed missile if it keeps investing in tests of nuclear and missile technology...Talk Radio Network’s Rusty Humphries gets Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) devoting a chunk of time last Thursday in a “no-holds-barred interview” on issues facing Congress.  

California's July 1 foie gras ban: more work for police?

Some editorial page writers in California should be busy over the next few days, prior to the banning of foie gras in state restaurants starting July 1, pointing out how police departments face another decision:  whether to haul in chefs who keep the delicacy on menus, notes Grumpy Editor.

Starting Sunday in the Golden State, producing or selling the engorged livers of forced-fed ducks and geese will be prohibited by law.  The law was passed in 2004 with a grace period that ends this week.

Restaurants that defy the ban will be subject to stiff $1,000 citations.

Pushing for the legislation were animal rights advocates who cited cruelty in fattening fowl by overfeeding them to produce fatty liver.

Talk among chefs, in skirting the ban, is to bring in the foie gras from outside California, such as Nevada, and serving it as a free side dish --- but charging for toast that goes with it.

But that could lead to some major action.

“We’re going to come down like a hammer on any chef or restaurant that wants to continue serving this very cruel product,” Bryan Pease, co-founder of the Animal Protection and Rescue League in San Diego, said in an interview with Bloomberg writer Alison Vekshin.

“If we find somebody still serving that product, the gloves are going to come off and we’ll use every legal means available to shut that place down, including lawsuits, protests and boycotts,” Pease added. “There’s just no reason to allow restaurants to do business in California that flout the law and torture animals for a table treat.”

However, major police departments in California --- already busy enforcing assorted crimes --- appeared reluctant to issue citations or handcuff law-breaking chefs. 

 

Both Obamas see $$$ signs in multi-visits to Las Vegas

President Barack Obama and the First Lady this year continue to see Las Vegas as the alluring place to visit, campaign or harvest funds despite earlier slaps at Sin City as the destination to avoid, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Michelle Obama today visits the Las Vegas area to rally campaign supporters in nearby Henderson. 

It marks her third trip to the area in 11 weeks. 

The three trips are on par with the number of presidential visits this year, most recent being on June 7.

Following a “private family trip” to Las Vegas on  March 28 with her two daughters, Sasha, 10, and Malia, 13, Michelle Obama returned to Sin City on May 1 for a private fundraising where each guest paid $2,500 for breakfast. 

What is noteworthy is that twice in recent years the president shot arrows at Las Vegas, scaring off tourist and convention activity.  

In a message directed at business gatherings, the president in February, 2009 declared, “You can’t take a trip to Las Vegas or down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers dime.” 

Then a year later, he warned:  “You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.” 

Las Vegas’ economy then soured, with thousands of casino workers losing jobs, placing the area’s unemployment among the highest in the nation.  Las Vegas soon rose to first place in U.S. home foreclosures.

But media traveling with the president or First Lady don't mind the repeated opportunities to get close to Las Vegas' latest irresistible slot machines. 

 

 

Burger King revs up to go public, adds bacon sundae

Will New York media ask mayor Michael Bloomberg --- who frowns on sugary sodas larger than 16 ounces served in restaurants, theaters, delis and vending carts --- what he thinks of today’s Burger King unveiling of a 510-calorie bacon sundae, wonders Grumpy Editor. 

The dessert is composed of vanilla soft serve with a mix of fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles, topped with a vertical slice of bacon. 

Along with its high calorie count, the dessert also contains 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of (attention: Mayor Bloomberg) sugar. 

Burger King today also is debuting several pork, beef and chicken sandwiches. 

Meanwhile, investors who remember Burger King on the New York Stock Exchange until it was taken private in October, 2010 by global investment firm 3G Capital, with offices in New York City and Rio de Janeiro, will have an opportunity again to buy into the world’s second largest hamburger chain later this month. 

That’s when 3G Capital expects to take Burger King public on the NYSE --- where traders, in celebrating the event, might be downing bacon sundaes against the mayor’s wishes.

 

Philadelphia tops the list of bedbug-infested U.S. cities

Grumpy Editor today lists 15 U.S. cities that are the most bedbug infested because newspapers in the affected communities most likely tossed the story because editors aren’t “buggy” about running negative tallies involving their marketing areas. 

The annual compilation by Terminix, the pest control company that deals with the tiny, crawly critters, puts Philadelphia at the top of the list. 

Philly takes the title held for two years by New York City, which slips to third place. 

Ranking second this year is Cincinnati. 

Here’s how the rest of the major cities stack up, based on data from 300 Terminix branches.

4 --- Chicago

5 --- Detroit

6 --- Washington, D.C.

7 --- Columbus, Ohio

8 --- San Francisco

9 --- Denver

10 -- New Haven

11 -- Dallas

12 -- Houston

13 -- Indianapolis

14 -- Miami

15 -- Cleveland 

Terminix, a division of ServiceMaster Co., says the 2012 rankings prove bedbugs continue to be a problem across the country, with New Haven, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami and Cleveland joining the top 15 this year.

The pest control firm points out Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Columbus, San Francisco and Dallas are seeing growing bedbug populations this year, while noting three major cities in Ohio are on the list.

 

Cartoonists, talk shows rake Bloomberg’s anti-soda plan

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed ban on large-size sodas gave newspaper editorial cartoonists and talk show hosts a field day on Friday and over the weekend, observes Grumpy Editor.

Bloomberg’s idea ran into a hornets nest. 

Look for it to get another round of heavy print/broadcast coverage when his proposal is introduced at a June 12 New York City Board of Health meeting. 

Apparently the mayor --- an independent for five years, after switching from Republican for six years after being a Democrat --- feels Gotham has no problems with crime, potholes, traffic, Wall Street or New Yorkers departing the tax-heavy area.

So citing the measure as a health issue, Bloomberg is turning his focus to curbing large containers of bubbly beverages like Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Canada Dry and Mountain  Dew.  

His “Big Gulp” proposal bans sugary sodas larger than 16 ounces in most restaurants, theaters, delis and vending carts.  It could take effect as early as March.

But milk shakes are okay with Bloomberg. 

Editorial cartoonists, seeing it as something fresh to tackle, immediately jumped on the mayor. 

Among the first editorial cartoonists to spotlight the Big Gulp situation:  Jimmy Margulies who draws for the Record in Hackensack, N.J. 

His syndicated cartoon shows a King Kong-like character atop a skyscraper much like the Empire State building. 

The giant ape is holding a super-size beverage container with a long straw as a fleet of aircraft approach.  From one plane is the message, “You can stay.  It’s the soda we’re after…” 

With broadcast media, Sean Hannity, for example, on his Friday night program on Fox News channel sipped from and waved his large beverage container at TV cameras while discussing events of the day. 

Chatter on Bloomberg’s soda ban spilled over to Sunday talk shows. 

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola smacked the mayor’s proposal in a statement, “New Yorkers  expect and deserve better than this.”

 

N.Y. school officials revoke ‘sensitive’ words list

After getting much static, New York City school officials have shelved the idea (reported here on March 29) of banning “sensitive” words such as birthdays, dinosaurs, poverty, dancing, terrorism and Halloween, applauds Grumpy Editor. 

Also targeted to be scrubbed were references to “creatures from outer space,” divorces, diseases, celebrities, and homes with swimming pools and computers. 

The unmentionables, among 50 words and terms frowned on, were disclosed in a request for proposals to companies competing in providing various tests designed to measure student progress.

The N.Y. Education Department document pointed out the subjects were listed because they “could evoke unpleasant emotions in the students.” 

The nutty action was revealed late last month by Yoav Gonen, New York Post education reporter, who called it “a bizarre case of political correctness.” 

At that time, an Education Department spokeswoman, insisting the routine is not censorship, declared, “This is standard language that has been used by test publishers for many years and allows our students to complete practice exams without distraction.” 

This week, Shael Polakow-Suransky, the New York City’s chief academic officer, said: 

“After reconsidering our message to test publishers and the reaction from parents, we will revise our guidance and eliminate the list of words to avoid on tests.

“We will continue to advise companies to be sensitive to student backgrounds and avoid unnecessary distractions that could invalidate test scores and give an inaccurate assessment of how students are doing.”

 

Las Vegas unveils glittering $146 million non-casino

Las Vegas quietly added a new attraction last week:  a sparkling $146.2 million, seven-story building with high-tech features and Italian marble floors and walls inside the main entrance --- but no slot machines or craps tables, thus not much appeal to tourists from around the world, notes Grumpy Editor.

Without glittering casino action, the unveiling didn’t get much media attention outside of Southern Nevada.

And it will be a while before tour books include it as a Sin City sight to see.

It’s the new Las Vegas City Hall, owned by taxpayers in the city.

City fathers, in the U.S.’s foreclosure capital, went all out to build a monument to local government.

It replaced an “old” city hall built in 1973.

Cost of the 310,000-square-foot building compares with $24.7 million for New York City’s 102-story Empire State Building that opened in 1931 during the Great Depression.

The City Council chamber has a Vegas-like ambiance, similar to a Strip casino sports book --- namely, several 103-inch flat-screen displays above the council dais, making it easy for up to 450 people seated in the room to view displayed information.

First Las Vegas City Council meeting in the new quarters is scheduled for next Wednesday.

Don’t be surprised if showgirls appear at the debut.

Then media will be on the scene.

That’s Vegas, baby.

 

San Diego Union-Tribune name change triggers confusion

With the San Diego Union-Tribune changing its name to U-T San Diego this week, some confusion has popped up, especially outside of Southern California, finds Grumpy Editor.

Seems that the abbreviated title --- UT --- has a collegiate flavor since it also stands for:

University of Texas

University of Toledo

University of Tennessee

University of Tampa 

Hotel owner Doug Manchester, who acquired the newspaper late last year, declares, “This change marks a new era in our company’s history.”

The change also affects everything from the newspaper’s business cards to its website. 

Manchester purchased the Union-Tribune from Platinum Equity, an investment firm, which acquired it in May, 2009 from long-time owner Copley Press Inc. 

(During the acquisition process, Manchester said, “Taking ownership of a 143-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning news organization comes with great responsibility. We believe San Diego is the finest city in America and pledge to be strong advocates for the city’s interests and conscientious caretakers of the Union-Tribune and its legacy.”)

The name change is being accompanied by a requested new look of staffers.

In an area noted for casual California lifestyle and far from New York’s Madison Ave., management is asking employees to dress in “sharp business attire.”

Of course, the new “dapper look” will cause problems when reporters cover such events as sooty brush fires, high surf action at beaches and aftereffects of downpours.

But they will be among the best dressed at ribbon-cuttings. 

 

Coeur d’Alene top dog-friendly city, barks Dog Fancy

With front-page headlines today on Libya, East Coast earthquake and Hurricane Irene in the western Atlantic, some overworked (and short staffed) editors may have missed news from Dog Fancy magazine that the most dog-friendly city in the U.S. is Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, mentions Grumpy Editor. 

The revelation comes, appropriately, during “dog days,” defined as the hottest and most sultry summer days between early July and early September. 

In naming the winner of the 2011 DogTown USA competition, Ernie Stone, Dog Fancy editor, relates:  “What we discovered is that whether a dog likes a place to run and hike, loves to mingle downtown, or needs a new home, dogs and their owners have it made in Coeur d’Alene, a little slice of dog heaven.”

Coeur d’Alene, with a population of about 45,000, is 30 miles east of Spokane, Wash. 

Criteria used to select the winning city include an abundance of dog-friendly open spaces and dog parks, events celebrating dogs and their owners, ample veterinary care, abundant pet supply and other services, and municipal laws that support and protect all pets, cites the magazine. 

Four regional winners are: Northeast, Doylestown, Pa.; Southeast, Knoxville, Tenn.; Northwest, Bend, Ore., and Southwest, Santa Cruz, Calif. 

Full story on DogTown USA is in the October issue of Dog Fancy.