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.
Maybe DeWayne will replace Luciano????
Goody Two-Shoes got in a bar fight and came back for more? He de man!!
I could agree with Luciano on one thing; he will be proven right on the Museum. Richerson denied last Thursday while speaking of glowing successes before the full County Board that he was not aware of Caterpillar stopping all cash payments to the museum except for matching donations or pledges from employees and retirees. And that Caterpillar (nor the museum) will NOT break ground in 2009 except, perhaps, to use up the $3.6 or $4 million that LaHood has earmarked to help pay for the now $9 million underground garage.
How close is the river water to Water Street today?
Gosh but all along it has been proven that Jim doesn’t know much about finances. After all, his field is in anthropology.
So how much of the $13,000,000 Caterpillar and it’s Foundation pledges leave the museum short? Along with the $10,000,000 our administrator said in Executive Committee that the CEO Roundtable had yet to be raised privately. Quite a bit if outsiders could see the records of other pledge cancellations. Maybe an FOIA is in order by August.
Want to bet that “privately” turns up in stimulus money paid for by the taxpayer?
Also that their Vistors Center will be scaled back to fit the economy and no ground will be broken in 2009 that Caterpillar notified the museum committee 2 days after an election squeezing in to victory following a $640,000 “education” campaign. What is the “all union labor” job contributing to the bad economy now?
Hmmmmm.
Sorry, Richerson “denied he was aware…”
Maybe Caterpillar can explain their expenditures on a visitor center by dedicating it to all the employees who lost their jobs this year…. you know, sort of Vietnam memorial wall of those who were sacrificed to make this visitor center possible.
I have commented before on the [possible] necessity of hiring thugs…
I’ve bumped Phil to the top of my list…
I do hope CAT doesn’t do anything to poo-poo the museum. We all know by now that Peoria’s economy depends on this museum. Two Bradley professors said so.
Richerson is a front-man, and a rather poor one at that.
I heard that Richerson also denied having any ‘real’ knowledge of museums…
Interesting.
What in the name of Allah is “venerable” about that rag?
Well, it is old.