Rpt: Murdoch Considering Buying Sun-Sentinel
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Is media tycoon Rupert Murdoch considering buying the Sun-Sentinel?
Bloomberg today reported that the bankrupt Tribune Company, owner of the local newspaper and website, was interviewing bankers to sell its newspapers. They include the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Sun-Sentinel and others.
Bloomberg also says that Murdoch, chairman of News Corporation, plans to “take a close look” at the newspaper properties.
He is spinning off his print publications into a separate company next year. He is said to be looking for ways to expand the print business.
Murdoch is the owner of Fox News and billions of dollars in properties around the world. He is highly controversial…to say the least.
His editorials pages and Fox News reflect his conservative positions, making him a bete noire of Democrats.
Some of his papers are wildly sensational. The best example of this in the United States is the New York Post.
Future Sun-Sentinel?
His papers are also embroiled in a phone tapping scandal in Britain.
So what would a Murdoch take over do to local, Broward coverage?
As I’ve told my former colleagues at the Sun-Sentinel, a purchase by Murdoch could be the best thing that happened to that newspaper in recent years.
Murdock still has ink running through his veins and loves the business. He invests money to expand newspapers, which is exactly what he did with the Wall Street Journal.
Readers may be shocked by the choices of what a Murdoch-owned Sun-Sentinel covers. At least the paper would be around to cover something.
The Tribune will sell the Sun-Sentinel. So the alternative to Murdoch may be a gravedigger (Oh, didn’t they already have that. Isn’t “The Grave Dancer” the nickname of Sam Zell. As the guy who ran The Tribune Company into the ground, he lived up to that name.).
A gravedigger would buy the Sun-Sentinel for its assets. They would continue to cut back on staff and coverage and eventually fold the newspaper. What would be left is a bare bones Internet edition with almost no in-depth coverage because there would be nobody left to cover anything.
One retired Sun-Sentinel staffer e-mailed that he believes my scenario is wrong. He thinks the Seminole Tribe will eventually purchase the Sun-Sentinel, which is a very interesting possibility.
However, if Murdoch bought the Sun-Sentinel, maybe coverage would be stepped up.
Imagine seeing places like West Broward, North Broward and a dozen little communities covered again?
Well, maybe not…unless Kim Kardashian shows up in Tamarac.
December 11th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Nobody takes anything in the Sentinel seriously anymore. When I see it in the doctor’s office, I can go through it in five minutes. Nobody would miss them. I doubt Murdoch can turn that around.
December 11th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Broward County has become a joke. We allow companies from Chicago and now from Murdoch to dictate what we consume in news. With nearly 2 million people it is difficult to identify a less interested community in the country than Broward. So disappointing. The Sun Sentinel should be trashed altogether and replaced by a true newspaper that is worth the read.
December 11th, 2012 at 8:28 pm
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: YOU LAY DOWN WITH DOGS, YOU GET UP WITH FLEAS.
December 11th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Patricia Atkins-Grad found Innocent. Jury deliberated one hour and fourteen minutes, only. Mucho embarassamundo to the State Attorney, AGAIN!
Beth Talabisco, Tom Powers and Vince Broccard and now Atkins-Grad, all innocent…. who has Satz prosecuted successfully?….Eggelletion (Satz piggybacked on the federal prosecution, ignored all rumors about Eggelletion for years before Feds came in), Gallagher, Salesman, were all Federal prosecutions…
Satz ignored everything in this county for 3 decades before the Feds prosecutions forced him to start faking it… Honestly, he is pretty incompetent, in an understatement…
December 11th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Hey, Loser Chazz the Spaz Stevens:
any sarcastic comments re. Ms. Atkins Grad doodling or spacing out…. you are such a loser.
…and going forward, Stephanie and Mitch Kraft, will probably be found innocent, based on the track record of our State Attorney…. they probably are already celebrating their inevitable acquittal….Yuck, yuck…
and that’s the bottom line ‘cuz Stone Cold says so!
December 11th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
A couple things A Cold Bottom:
1. Atkins Grad killed her acct the next day after I broke the news.
2. The jury is admonished not to read the local papers, nor surf the Net
***
What I have learned, and I am an expert at fighting corruption, is my work/effort has no bearing on the outcome.
Like say, take for instance, in the upcoming days when you read about the Feds *blistering* a local Deerfield Beach public figure — all as a result of my work.
And when you read about Lauderdale Lakes undergoing a colonoscopy — again, all as a result of my work.
You’ll realize … there’s no fucking way you’d ever be anywhere near as effective as I am.
You’re a troll, a funny one at that, I give you, but a troll nonetheless.
I’m a loser? I think not. I’ve sent three to jail… And shortly, more to follow.
December 11th, 2012 at 10:10 pm
“What would be left is a bare bones Internet edition with almost no in-depth coverage because there would be nobody left to cover anything.”
I thought that was what we have now. BTW, Murdoch himself is not really that right wing. He has just found a niche that works for him.
Stone Cold, way to stay on topic.
December 11th, 2012 at 10:12 pm
Mancini should have beaten Satz in the primary. The Republican candidate, Jim Lewis, should have won in the general election. The voters really blew it here!
State Attorney is a four-year term. Satz is 70 or 71 years old already. Life expectancy for males in the U.S. is 75.6 years. Satz may not survive his current term, and he is certainly unlikely to serve another one.
December 12th, 2012 at 4:41 am
My-ActsOf-Sedition at 9:21 PM December 11, 2012
Cooper City Commissioner John Sims once assaulted a pregnant woman.
Sims was arrested and plead guilty to Aggravated Battery for assaulting a pregnant woman and was sentenced to two years of probation. See Miami Dade 11th Circuit Court Criminal Case No.: 91-5433.
Sims was found to be in violation of the terms of his probation and was then ordered to serve an additional two years of probation. See Miami-Dade Circuit Court Case Criminal Case No.: 91-5433.
Court determined that Sims failed to pay child support in the amount of $25,647.10, and legal fees in the amount of $15,882.79. See Miami-Dade 11th Circuit Court, Case No. 91-36013FC24.
Sims threatened a BSO Deputy while a Code Enforcement Officer was trying to serve two code violations on a neighbor. See Miami Herald Article (1/25/07).
Mr. Sims has been attending the Domesic Intervention Program since June, 1991. He continues to justify his violent actions and blames his wife for his abusive behavior. Mr. Sims has a great deal of hostility towards his wife and the justice system. He has maintained a very negative and sarcastic attitupe throughout his treatment.
He still remains at high risk for becoming physically violent again in the future. The protection and well-being of his wife and new baby should be the utmost priority of the Court at this tine.
Learn more about Cooper City Commissioner John Sims at myactsofsedition dot com.
December 12th, 2012 at 7:26 am
Right now, the coverage is best described as gossipy, pathetic, and lacking true insight in the investigative opportunities of stories. Murdoch probably finds Sentinel attractive since the Sentinel already leans to the salacious and prurient interests. There are moments when they run a real story, but mostly not.
The endorsement of Amendment 4 and Romney by the Editorial Board shows how out of touch they are with the pulse of Broward (and reality). Both failed miserably in Broward and across the state — costing them subscriptions and undermining any credibility. They were not courageously pushing against a mob mentality of public opinion, but rather just flat wrong.
Rarely do they lead with real opinions on issues, but instead follow what ignites emotional reactions. Nothing wrong with that as a business model, just not real reporting. Recycling stories from Broward Beat and others shows they lack of real connection in the community and lack of investigative energy.
It doesn’t have to be that way, but economics of newspapers have been a race to the bottom.
December 12th, 2012 at 7:36 am
Murdoch looks at money. The Sun-Sentinel probably still makes money because it has been so thinned out by lay offs and raised prices. They know suckers will continue to pay no matter how inferior they make it.
December 12th, 2012 at 9:14 am
Basically what chaz said is that if you throw enough crap at the wall, some will stick. You are far from a hero. You have a tendency to be vindictive, so its no surprise that satz office likes to pat you on the head to keep you happy.
you are a legend in your own mind. No better than a two bit a criminal, still looking for the big score.
December 12th, 2012 at 9:53 am
Careful. If you think the Sentinel is out of touch and sleazy now, just wait until Murdock takes over!
December 12th, 2012 at 10:51 am
I swear to God that when the Sun Sentinel endorsed Romney that one of my first thoughts was that the paper is getting new owners. At the same time they introduced a new editor or chief who came from Orlando and looked to be more to the right in her intro and bio.
The Sun Sentinel is a bad joke of what it was when I first moved down here 24 years ago. No local coverage of any significance. Plenty of filler from Tribune copy. ORLANDO local articles show up too often. Loss of reporters and writers. Way too many errors in editing and grammar. Maybe a good expose every two months like the series on cops.
The business section is nothing but press releases by companies. They can’t even rewrite that to fool me.
Yesterday the Sun Sentinel sent me an email offering me a 10 dollar Target gift card if I let them auto bill me on my credit card.
FU Sun Sentinel.
You have lowered your standards so much that I am going to let my sub expire in January. Your endorsement of Romney gave me a bit of a glimpse into what may be happening in 2013.
When you call me to renew after 1 23 year subscriber lapses, my offer will be to only take half price sub offers and NEVER pay full price for half a newspaper. I still need comics, coupons and some exposes. But for the most part, I see no reason to pay a dollar for 25 cents of a newspaper.
In the past I found the Wall Street Journal to offer fair articles about most issues. After News Corp bought them the paper has slowly turned away from that into where many articles are filled with opinions against Obama and pro GOP that they should be run as OP Eds instead of news.
Once you lose your integrity, it is over.
Sun Sentinel, you are half way there and on the road to ruin or laughter as a newspaper.
I just may have to use the cheap AM radio Steve Kane show as my daily news source. Just the other day Brian Craig and Steve Kane were arguing with the rising sun that the opening monologue on Saturday Night Live by comedian/actor Jamie Fox where he jokes about his new movie and killing a lot of white people in it somehow represents the official Obama White House policies and should be an alarm for us remaining whites in the USA. The tin foil on their heads would melt if they ever saw Eddie Murphy sketches on SNL .
December 12th, 2012 at 11:34 am
…and Diana Wasserman Rubin is found Innocent!…. just being prematurely accurate, in as, WHO is prosecuting her?…Mr. Satz, you say … they may as well cancel the trial and save the soon to be wasted taxpayer dollars, in as that, again, it is inevitable that DWR will be found innocent, with J.EdgarSatz persecuting (did i spellz ‘dat right?)!
Some one please recruit Christopher Darden to run against Satz next time…. and OJ and Charlie Manson, as we speak, are petitioning for a retrial with Satz as the Prosecutor… can you blame them?!
and to Chaz, please don’t be vulgar to women, as you have done in the past… show some decorum and respect, going forward, son… your stock will rise faster than Brad Pitts’ after his recent w-t-f’cologne commercial and dud of a movie…
and that’s ‘da bottom line ‘cuz Stone Cold says soooo!!
December 12th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Buddy I knew when you left the Sun-Sentinel that the newspaper business was changing. There’s nobody there anywhere near as good as you. It would be a further disaster and as far as I’m concerned, the final nail in the Sun-Sentinel’s coffin. I still read it, but if Murdoch owned it, I would avoid the Sun Sentinel like the plague. Both the Sun_sentinel and Orlando Sentinel’s editorial boards endorsed Mitt Romney. So it’s already flowing from the top. Murdoch at the top would only mean more sleazy reporting slanted to his political agenda.
December 19th, 2012 at 9:05 am
The Sun Sentinel just sent me a renewal for about 81 dollars for a 3 month period. In reviewing my bills I see that they have slowly been raising the price while producing a half assed newspaper with editing and spellng errors, a loss of reporters and local news, more filler from Tribune or Tribune Florida papers. Several times a year I see a banner headline that proclaims hundreds of dollars of coupons in the weekend edition, but no coupon section inside.
When a relative came to visit they brought with them a few copies of the Buffet/ Berkshire owned Buffalo News. The comparison of local coverage, local columnists, state news, sports was vastly superior in the Buffalo News. The News itself is not that high of a standard itself which is why I find the 81 dollar offer for 3 months to be more of a bad joke. Is the Sun Sentinel just testing me to see if I will go along with this ghost of a paper?
A half paper should be half priced Sun Sentinel. I am going to offer you a Romney number for renewal of 47 dollars for three months.
Your paper has become like the proverbial welfare bum who wants a handout of my hard earned money and only wants to work a few days per month.
July 4th, 2013 at 3:59 pm
http://www.theage.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/murdoch-aware-of-police-payments-from-day-one-20130704-2pd94.html
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has admitted that his journalists paid British police for news tips ‘‘from the day I first bought the News of the World.’’
In an ironic twist, it appears that Mr Murdoch has been entrapped by one of his own journalists, who secretly taped a meeting that took place in the boardroom of his company’s Wapping headquarters in London in March this year. […]
The tape has allegedly been obtained by British investigative website ExaroNews, which has released a full transcript on its website. [ExaroNews.com, free registration required to view full transcript] […]
Mr Murdoch also appeared to suggest that any journalists who were convicted and jailed in connection with the inquiry could get their jobs back.
“I will do everything in my power to give you total support, even if you’re convicted and get six months or whatever,” he said.
“You’re all innocent until proven guilty. What you’re asking is: what happens if some of you are proven guilty? What afterwards? I’m not allowed to promise you – I will promise you continued health support – but your jobs. I’ve got to be careful what comes out – but, frankly, I won’t say it, but just trust me.” […]