Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

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Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby radiofan » Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:37 pm

Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs
Pacific Newspaper Group's business unsustainable says new president
CBC News Posted: Apr 24, 2013 2:28 PM PT Last Updated: Apr 24, 2013 4:19 PM PT

Staff at The Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers have been told to expect another round of layoffs because the current business is unsustainable.

In a message to staff issued on Wednesday, Pacific Newspaper Group president and publisher Gordon Fisher said the papers are facing alarming declines in revenue from print advertising and if the trend continues the businesses are unsustainable.

"I would be less than honest if I failed to point out that, as an example, our productions costs are dramatically higher than those of our peers. As one small but enlightening example, we are not in the insert business because it is impossible to profitably compete due to our costs," said Fisher.

Fisher said a voluntary staff reduction program will be followed by the layoff an unspecified number of employees .

"These are not easy decisions and we do recognize that such programs mean we will lose senior employees with valuable experience as well as more junior staff with future potential."

Fisher, a former managing editor for the Vancouver Sun, was appointed president of Pacific Newspaper Group in January. PNG is owned by Postmedia Network.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... yoffs.html
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Re: Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby Mike Cleaver » Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:51 pm

Going the way of the buggy whip and typewriter industries.
Newspapers, as did radio and TV, cut their own throats under the spell of cheapdom when they were taken over by the corpse.
Newspapers got rid of expensive experienced writers, reporters, editors, proofreaders, anyone who originally attracted readers and advertisers.
Same as happened in the electronic media.
None has found a way to successfully monetize its internet version, at least to nowhere near the level of the models of the last century.
Only old people now listen to radio that does anything but music and most young people even reject that in favour of smart phones, tablets, etc.
The same with television.
Viewing now is becoming internet based and on smart phones.
People want entertainment that is mobile, always on, always on demand, not when someone decides to schedule it for them.
Newspapers are bulky and a waste of trees and as any printed material, they don't change, no updates are possible or available unless you buy a later edition.
Progress (such as it is) always leaves casualties.
So long, print!
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Re: Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby johnsykes » Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:29 pm

I've never understood why any company would have two papers compete with each other. Two papers with a long history....and one likely to fold or have the two merge into one sooner than later. One tabloid and one full-size...which one will survive? Some top-notch writers likely to bid good-bye...but then Mike Smyth has his butt covered with his stint at CKNW...so why would he worry.
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Re: Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby PMC » Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:12 am

Things have changed due to technology... many parents don't let their kids play with the family computer, as the parents did with their commodore 64 or atari. Today's computer doesn't push the command line use. The Pi device has seen success because kids can play with/learn from it, and those with creative imagination can experiment with it. An educational toy that works in real time etc.
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Re: Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby hagopian » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:15 am

Mike Cleaver said it better than I can....but tellingly - I cannot remember the last time I held, much less read a newspaper, hardcopy.

I am obviously not the only one.

They are losing a million a month (*by their own admission) - at the Sun and Province.

Is Advertising lagging in radio and TV as well?
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Re: Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby xwdcatvb » Wed Jun 12, 2013 6:47 pm

johnsykes wrote:I've never understood why any company would have two papers compete with each other. Two papers with a long history....and one likely to fold or have the two merge into one sooner than later. One tabloid and one full-size...which one will survive? Some top-notch writers likely to bid good-bye...but then Mike Smyth has his butt covered with his stint at CKNW...so why would he worry.


Er, then why would one broadcasting company have four radio stations "trying" to compete with one another?
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Re: Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby johnsykes » Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:34 pm

In radio, different scenario.......The Province is a morning paper, the Sun used to be an afternoon paper. Radio has been a 24-hour juke box for many years......except for CBC, CKNW and CKWX...and I suppose Team 1040. The newspapers are allegedly providing in-depth news and information. Can't say that about 90% of the radio outlets.

Frankly, I'd like to see The Province fade away.....see the Sun survive, or have The Province survive but regain the Sun's format as it was some years ago....and then have another outlet appear., owned by a competitor...obviously it couldn't be named The Sun, but something like the Sun papers from Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton.
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Re: Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby PMC » Thu Jun 13, 2013 1:48 am

I enjoy reading the local papers here for the detail. One of the papers here is part of a chain, owned by Black Press, and seems to be doing well if the insertions are paying. The Vancouver market is scattered with other competition and probably getting all the insertion advertising business... this was mentioned above in the original post.

The idea of using a tabloid layout for a web page layout, and providing in a download/updated form, is a method of use to consider, for the technology customer. This afternoon, I was looking at a Kobo reader and mini iPad, and it could be done at tiny as that, or for a 39 inch flat screen.
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Re: Vancouver Sun and Province staff warned of layoffs

Postby Rob Collins » Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:19 am

Perhaps by keeping both the Sun and Province publishing, Post Media prevents competition from starting a daily.

Even by combing both papers which target differently, there would be incentive enough for perhaps even one of the weekly papers to consider a major daily.

Blocking out any competitor considering an attack seems like a smart move to keep both alive.

Just my thoughts.
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