tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post2612002761038726760..comments2024-03-15T03:20:38.106-05:00Comments on Brains and Eggs: A couple of post mortem thoughtsPDiddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851660342241127485noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-2647226068026571722014-03-07T03:47:53.491-06:002014-03-07T03:47:53.491-06:00The Plainview Daily Herald -- M-F afternoons and S...The Plainview Daily Herald -- M-F afternoons and Sunday morning, so "daily" was tongue-in-cheek -- operated at a 30% profit margin on $2 million annual revenue between 1986-1989. They budgeted 33. I know this because I prepared those budgets.<br /><br />Hearst acquired the BE in 1986 (where I was before I got to Plainview) from Jefferson Pilot, and during that process I overheard the head of J-P brag to the Hearst bigwig that the paper was operating at a <b>40%</b> profit margin.<br /><br />All the newspaper companies, not just Hearst (though they were best positioned as a diversified media concern and privately owned) chose not to invest those piles of cash into anything like R&D or new technology until it was far, far too late. Over a beer or three sometime I'll tell you the story about how I warned the bosses in the late '80s that the apocalypse was coming. And when it finally did hit, after I left the business, they were all retiring before it hit them too bad.<br /><br />Meh. The Internet ravaged lots of industries that were too slow to change.PDiddiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05851660342241127485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-63439738442074245542014-03-06T19:29:27.555-06:002014-03-06T19:29:27.555-06:00I'd forgotten all about Alvarado.
I thought ...I'd forgotten all about Alvarado. <br /><br />I thought Hearse still owned Laredo and Beaumont, but wasn't sure. When I was in Odessa, they were talking about selling the R-T. <br /><br />I don't know how the R-T was on ads, but news? They just weren't as good as we were.<br /><br />Point is that they've got a biggie paper in the Valley, what should be the biggest paper in the Basin, and a presence in the Panhandle, in addition to Houston & SA. They could do more ... but it's all about profit margins.Gadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075757287807731373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-81077231999082895142014-03-06T18:50:14.426-06:002014-03-06T18:50:14.426-06:00Latino surname. That's all. In 2006 Maria Luis...Latino surname. That's all. In 2006 Maria Luisa Alvarado, a no-name, no political history candidate, won the LG nom for the Dems, beating two seasoned pols (they were Caucasian). Alvarado is on the ballot, as an indy, again this year. That's what spoils LVDP's bid, I'm sorry to say.<br /><br />Rasmussen is a Republican polling outfit with too much bias to be legit (IMHO).<br /><br />Hearst owns papers in Houston, San Antonio, Laredo, Midland, Beaumont, and Plainview. A big bunch of weeklies scattered around the state as well. I worked at those last three (and don't take your comment about the Reporter-Telegram being lousy personally).PDiddiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05851660342241127485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-2418398130110951522014-03-06T17:27:35.741-06:002014-03-06T17:27:35.741-06:00Why do you think Madrigal pulled in 20 percent? Pr...Why do you think Madrigal pulled in 20 percent? Protest against Davis' tracking right in January? Something else?<br /><br />On the Snooze link at the end, the story does start off by noting Rasmussen is Republican leaning. So, the poll may be bull, but the story's reasonably straight up.<br /><br />Totally agree on Hearse [sic]. You' slashed by combining what's left of Chron and E-N Capitol staff. You've got papers over the state, from Houston to Midland, if that's not been sold yet. (It's a sucky paper compared to Odessa, actually.) Gadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075757287807731373noreply@blogger.com