[Elvis]

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news ... ml?ana=twt

Post-Dispatch laying off newsroom employees

Jun 26, 2015, 9:29am CDT Updated Jun 26, 2015, 11:04am CDT
Jacob Kirn
St. Louis Business Journal

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is laying off nine employees, including eight in its newsroom, a newspaper spokeswoman confirmed Friday.

The affected positions include four reporters, a clerk, copy editor, assistant editor and director. A maintenance employee is also being laid off.

The United Media Guild’s contract with Post-Dispatch owner Lee Enterprises allows employees not targeted for layoffs to voluntarily resign within two weeks, allowing those who were targeted to remain at the newspaper.

Layoffs, according to the contract, are made in inverse order of seniority. United Media Guild President and Post-Dispatch sports columnist Jeff

Gordon said he's confident some of the targeted reporters will remain at the newspaper as a few older individuals opt to leave.

Gordon said he learned of the cuts Thursday afternoon and that affected employees were notified Thursday night.

"They're in the content business and yet they keep cutting," Gordon said of Lee. "At a certain point you're a hamburger place putting lettuce on buns."

The United Media Guild’s contract with Lee expires Sept. 27, and guild President and Post-Dispatch sports columnist Jeff Gordon has said the guild will begin negotiating with Lee in July. He said the guild has two priorities: restore lost wages and protect salespeople from earnings losses.

Davenport, Iowa-based Lee Enterprises (NYSE: LEE), led by CEO Mary Junck, reported a second-quarter profit of $2 million, up from $1.7 million in

Print circulation at the Post-Dispatch has continued to decline.

For the six months ended March 31, the daily reported average weekday print circulation of 120,627, down from 142,944 during the same period the prior year, according to the Alliance for Audited Media.

Sunday print circulation was 195,595, down 14 percent from the prior-year period.

The newspaper’s website, stltoday.com, counted more than 5.4 million unique users and nearly 53 million page views in March. Yet in its fiscal second quarter, Lee Enterprises reported digital advertising and marketing services revenue of $38.8 million, or just 8 percent of operating revenue.

Lee plans to sell the Post-Dispatch’s headquarters, at 900 N. Tucker Blvd., and move to a new location. Lee said it would prefer to move the Post-Dispatch’s operations to another location downtown.

[Hacksaw]

One would think st. Louis today online wouldn't offset loss of paper sales but you still need reporters.
So could this indicate a failing economy in the st. Louis region, or more people leaving the region so there are fewer readers? is there a new paper in town?

[den-the-coach]

One would think st. Louis today online wouldn't offset loss of paper sales but you still need reporters.
So could this indicate a failing economy in the st. Louis region, or more people leaving the region so there are fewer readers? is there a new paper in town?

Hacksaw IMO more people continue to leave the region. They've lost so many corporations over the years and although Miklasz tried to counter that debate with the small business growth, it's never the same. Small business can't afford NFL corporate suites. That's why many fear the report of the NFL study about if the area can support a football team.

Kroenke's known this for quite sometime and one could surmise he knew the committee that overseas the EJD would not agree to the improvements to move it up to a top tier stadium thus giving him his out. Overall I just think the city is losing people and companies and they could turn the tide like Pittsburgh did in the last decade, but until then reports like this are going to continue in that region.

[bubbaramfan]

And all of this is going to be reflected in the "NFL Market Study" whenever they decide to release that. It will be the final nail in the coffin for St. Louis stadium proposal.

[max]

And all of this is going to be reflected in the "NFL Market Study" whenever they decide to release that. It will be the final nail in the coffin for St. Louis stadium proposal.

Vinny B was on with Roggin today and said the market study will be coming out soon.

All he said about it was that it would show how popular the Raiders are in LA.

Roggin mention that Vinny is very close with Fabiani which Vinny didn't deny. And that explains why Vinny downplayed the Carson debacle.

They both agreed that the most likely outcome is Rams/Chargers in LA next year.

[den-the-coach]

And all of this is going to be reflected in the "NFL Market Study" whenever they decide to release that. It will be the final nail in the coffin for St. Louis stadium proposal.

All he said about it was that it would show how popular the Raiders are in LA.

Roggin mention that Vinny is very close with Fabiani which Vinny didn't deny. And that explains why Vinny downplayed the Carson debacle.

They both agreed that the most likely outcome is Rams/Chargers in LA next year.

The "NFL Market Study" will be tailored to exactly the NFL wants it to stipulate. They already conducting a poll in the LA Times which showcased the Rams by far were the choice of Los Angeles. However, they will paint a nice picture for the red headed step child Raiders.

I concur with bubba that will be the final nail in the coffin for St. Louis, but again I find it hard to believe the Raiders are that popular in LA, but who knows?

[Hacksaw]

The Raiders have fans here. Mostly latino thugs but they are fans. Whether or not they can afford to buy a ticket is another thing.
I just don't get rewarding the weak for being weak. that is not what made this country great.

[bubbaramfan]

How do Raider fans teach their kids to count? 0 and 1. 0 and 2, 0 and 3.............