Category Archives: Peoria Times-Observer

Peoria Journal Star, Peoria Times-Observer

Peoria Times-Observer saying goodbye

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The Peoria Times-Observer, formerly known as simply “The Observer,” will no longer be published after next month, the weekly paper announced today:

The April 28 edition of the Peoria Times-Observer will be the final edition of the newspaper, which is delivered free of charge to homes in North Peoria and Dunlap.

Citing the changing media landscape, TimesNewspapers’ publisher Linda Smith Brown announced the publication’s cessation.

I think we all knew that the Times-Observer’s days were numbered as soon as GateHouse Media bought them. If not then, then certainly after they consolidated their offices into the Journal Star building. Seriously, there was no reason to have two separate papers covering Peoria when they’re both owned by the same company. That’s not exactly what you’d call competition.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that a new newspaper will be started in Woodford County. It will be called Woodford Times and be produced by DeWayne Bartels and Tom Batters, so neither of them will be out of work due to the Times-Observer ceasing publication.

2010 Election, Blogosphere, General News, Museum Block, Peoria County, Peoria Public Schools, Peoria Times-Observer

Saturday must-see links

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If you haven’t already seen these this week, you’ll want to check them out:

  • Outside the Horseshoe for January 26, 2010, from WCBU 89.9 FM radio. Tanya Koonce has a conversation with Peoria County Administrator Patrick Urich, Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons, and County Board Members Andrew Rand (Dist. 4) and Stephen Morris (Dist. 10) about the proposed Peoria Riverfront Museum project. What we can deduce from the conversation here is that, at least in the county’s perception, Lakeview Museum is trying to dominate and control the project. I suspect their perception is true; Caterpillar had similar problems working with Lakeview which led to their decision years ago to put their visitor center in a separate building instead of sharing space in the museum.

  • Blacktop Reform from DeWayne Bartels of the Peoria Times-Observer. You may be surprised to learn that the next time you want to get your driveway blacktopped, you’ll have to pay a lot more money and have fewer contractors from which to choose. The County Board is trying to run non-union blacktop paving contractors out of town. Let this be a lesson to current and future Board members: do your homework before you vote!

  • School Board Member Laura Petelle’s thoughts on the final candidate for District 150’s New Superintendent. She wants to assure everyone that the process this time was “far different and more comprehensive” than the past. In other words, they did a better job of vetting the candidates than the board that hired Kay Royster did. That should give residents some comfort.

  • Racism alleged within the Peoria County Democratic Central Committee. Rachael Parker is a sitting Peoria Board of Education member running for a seat on the Peoria County Board, and her campaign manager and communications director sent out a press release accusing local Democrats of being racist. They also questioned why the Peoria Journal Star did not interview Parker. I’m wondering how the Journal Star got a quote from Parker for their January 15 story if they didn’t interview her.

Happy reading/listening!

Peoria Journal Star, Peoria Times-Observer

How long will Times-Observer last?

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GateHouse Media, which now owns both the Journal Star and the Times-Observer, has consolidated the two newspapers’ offices:

TimesNewspapers’ office at 1616 W. Pioneer Parkway, Peoria, will be closed Friday.

The TimesNewspapers’ office, which houses the Peoria Times-Observer, will move to a new location at 1 News Plaza, Peoria, 61643.

Could this be the beginning of the end for the venerable Times-Observer? Given GateHouse Media’s financial woes, including a $10.3 million loss in the first quarter of 2009, I think it’s just a matter of time before the Times-Observer is discontinued. Mike Reed, GateHouse Media’s Chief Executive Officer, said recently, “Our cost controls were very good in the first quarter. However, we will be even more aggressive over the next couple of quarters, as we weather this economic downturn. We remain highly focused on liquidity and improving our cash position.”

If I were a betting man, I’d bet that GateHouse will discontinue the Times-Observer by the end of the year, but retain DeWayne Bartels as a reporter/columnist for the Journal Star. I’d be happy if my prediction didn’t come true, however, and the Times-Observer continued as a separate publication. But I can’t help but feel like the handwriting is on the wall.

2008 Campaign, Peoria Times-Observer

Shadid recuses himself from Hinkle case

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I just got this e-mail from DeWayne Bartels of the Peoria Times-Observer:

Judge James E. Shadid today recused himself from the case of alleged serial rapist Monterius Hinkle. Shadid recused himself because he made a $250 political contribution to Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons’ campaign in April, a fact uncovered this morning by the Peoria Times-Observer. See more at www.peoriatimesobserver.com

Kudos to DeWayne for his excellent investigative work.

Peoria Journal Star, Peoria Pundit, Peoria Times-Observer

GateHouse Media continues to spiral downward

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GateHouse Media, the parent company of the Peoria Journal Star and Peoria Times-Observer, saw its stock fall to just 44¢ per share at the close of trading today. Also, according to Compliance Reporter:

GateHouse Media’s corporate family rating and probability of default rating was downgraded last Monday by Moody’s Investors Service, on concerns the Fairport, N.Y.-based publisher is facing possible default on its credit agreement. The corporate family rating was dropped to Caa1 from B2 and the probability of default rating was dropped to Caa2 from B3.

And, of course, Billy Dennis has been outdoing himself in his coverage, even getting an interview with analyst Lauren Rich Fine.

But you won’t hear about this in the local media. No coverage from radio or TV, and certainly nothing in the Journal Star or Times-Observer. I guess mum’s the word on their imminent demise. All analysts agree that GateHouse will need to sell off a lot of the newspapers they’ve bankrupted themselves buying. Who knows what that portends for our newspaper of record here in Peoria. They’re certainly not telling.

OSF St. Francis, Peoria Times-Observer, Streets

Times-Observer: OSF moving into K’s Merchandise building

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From the Peoria Times-Observer:

OSF St. Francis, Inc. has leased about half of the [former K’s Merchandise] building to consolidate offices spread throughout Peoria.

Also in the story, fifth district councilman Pat Nichting uses this news to push for the Pioneer Parkway extension. “‘There’s a lot of folks being patient waiting for the extension of Pioneer Parkway. It will have a major impact on that area,’ he said,” the Times-Observer reports.

Peoria Journal Star, Peoria Times-Observer

GateHouse closes +0.03, but it’s not enough

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GateHouse Media, Inc., the company that owns the Peoria Journal Star and the Peoria Times-Observer, finally saw their stock rise slightly, closing right at $1 today. Unfortunately, they also saw the NYSE halt floor trading of their stock — the first step toward being de-listed altogether.

NYSE Regulation spokesman Scott Peterson said trading of GateHouse (NYSE: GHS) was put under an “operational trading halt” on Tuesday morning. To return to floor trading, a stock must trade above $1.10 a share for an entire trading day.

GateHouse also announced today that they’re shuttering two Massachusetts weekly newspapers: The Taunton Call and The Avon Messenger. In both cases, GateHouse also owns a daily paper in the same market. And in both cases, GateHouse uses the same boilerplate to explain its decision to mothball the weekly:

…we have continued to analyze the best possible way to provide you with the most comprehensive local news in [Taunton/Avon]. We believe that mission will be accomplished by focusing our energies on our daily publication and through the most dynamic local Web sites possible.

If that’s any indication of their improvement strategy, look out Peoria Times-Observer.

Hat tip: Billy Dennis.

Peoria Journal Star, Peoria Times-Observer

GateHouse shares close at 97¢ (Updated)

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GateHouse Media shares have officially closed at less than $1. It’s looking more and more like this analyst’s predictions from early June will be coming true:

The next newspaper company to get into real trouble is likely to be Gatehouse Media (GHS). The firm is in bad enough shape that it could be the next Journal Register. JRC, as it was known, hit hard times due to large debt and falling operating income. It was delisted from the NYSE. […]

Watch for GHS to be broken up before the end of the year or to enter Chapter 11.

Still no coverage from the Journal Star or any other GateHouse papers. I guess they don’t feel it’s newsworthy. I’ve even contacted business editor Paul Gordon and publisher Ken Mauser, but they haven’t returned requests for comment.

UPDATE: I thought this was a well-deserved slam against companies like GateHouse Media:

The newspaper industry’s strategy of shrinking newsroom and newshole seems not to be helping their shrunken stock prices.

You can say that again.