Gulp Redux

Advertising Age does a wonderful job of showing the decline in value of big media stocks of late. Read this article. This is simply amazing. Wall Street basically has a giant “For Sale” sign placed upon itself now. These companies are much higher valued than these current prices indicate. Just another sign of the times. 

Tribune Considering Chapter 11 Filing

This isn’t good, this is sad. I have worked with the folks at Tribune for a long time. This is a great institution which is now saddled with debt from a buyout and it may file for bankruptcy.

I would expect more shoes to drop in the newspaper field. There is too much debt; too many expenses; plummeting sales; and old school management.

It always amazes me when an executive from another field - in this case real estate - can borrow money to “fix” another business in an unrelated industry. Why did these folks think they had a magic wand and could fix a newspaper and broadcast company?

This is such sad news if true.