All the newspaper media in town are singing with one voice now.
The Journal Star is reporting that GateHouse Media Inc., which recently acquired the Journal Star, is also buying up TimesNewspapers, publishers of the Peoria Times-Observer and the other local weeklies.
The Peoria Chronicle and other local blogs are still independently-owned and operated, though.
It’s a shame the govt. has forgotten there are anti-trust laws on the books. Is there any politician willing to take on the task of trust-busting?
What say you guys who want a more competitive labor market by letting illegals compete for jobs? How about a more competitive media market??
In 2007, there are many, many other sources of news & information aside from newspapers. We’re participating in one of those media right now. It would be hard to prove a monopoly on information.
Besides, if any media provider should be the focus of anti-trust regulations, it’s cable TV providers. However, even there you have satellite services and the internet cutting into their market share.
It also wouldn’t surprise me if this media consolidation leads to new alternative “rags” popping up on the market.
There’s the Community Word, small as it is.
And if I’m any kind of example – I skim the PJS and get a good 40% of my local news from you and Billy, CJ.
Then there’s tv stations. So while I’m not very excited that central Illinois print news will be dominated by Gatehouse – I’m not all that scared personally.
Now to go see what rant Billy presents today…
Yeeeeeaaaaaaarrrrrggg!
(That’s me ranting).
Seriously this issue. As I was just reminded in an email, this essentially gives GateHouse the power to set print newspaper advertising rates for the entire Peoria area (not counting Bloomington). How long will the pantagraph hold out? Certainly GateHouse is going after them hot and heavy now that they are just one newspaper away from a sweep.
The Pantagraph is owned by Lee Enterprises. Good thing some people get 40 percent of their news from blogs.
anonymous: Huh? Are you suggesting that my post is wrong somehow because you mentioned the name of the compan that currently owns the pantagraph?