Tribune Company

Another sign of how newspapers and other media outlets are trying to change models in tough times ... In one of the highest-profile examples of news sharing between major media, the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post have agreed to share some sports and Maryland coverage. Both papers have been trimming staff to cut costs as revenues drop; the Sun is under the extra financial pressure of being owned by the bankrupt Tribune Co.

-The Screen Actors Guild has pushed back a vote on whether to strike until mid-January. Numerous top actors are urging SAG members to vote against the strike, saying they can't afford to shut down the industry right now. [LAT]

The McClatchy (NYSE: MNI) Company's stock ended down again on Thursday, finishing at $1.05. That's a 30 percent decline and a new low for the newspaper publisher's share price, coming just days after Monday's announcement that November total revenues fell 19.4 percent—with ad revenues plummeting 22.4 percent.

A rare bit of good media news: It seems as if Time magazine's holiday cookie budget escaped the Time Inc. cutbacks. Sweet!

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Photo by Sean Driscoll; cookies by Veronica's Treats.

-- MediaNews' debt rating lowered on ad declines: Moody's Investors Service has downgraded MediaNews Group's credit rating to junk status. The credit rating agency fears the worsening economic climate will squeeze the publisher of The Denver Post and about 50 other newspapers even tighter. The ratings action affects $962 million worth of debt.

At last, Jeff Bewkes is the man.

Time Warner just named Bewkes chairman, confirming that the current occupant of that post, Dick Parsons, will step down on Dec. 31. Bewkes became CEO of the media conglomerate in January; an out clause in his contract would have allowed him to walk away had he not been made chairman by the start of 2009.

About Prescott


Prescott Shibles has served as Vice President of New Media for Penton Media, Prism Business Media and Primedia Business. Prescott's expertise covers search engine optimization, email marketing, online content strategy, writing for the web, online advertising sales, and vertical search.

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