Tuesday, October 26, 2010

SF Chronicle Circulation Down 11%; Rough Times Continue in Newspaper Biz; Tuesday rundown

A few months ago, a prominent San Jose Merc columnist told me that the Bay Area would have only one newspaper within the next five years. That's paper, as in print edition.

Looks as if he's right.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations released figures showing the SF Chronicle's circulation continued to decline in 2010, with paid circulation at 223,549, down 11.21%.

Overall in the newspaper biz, average daily circulation fell 5 percent in the six months that ended Sept. 30, compared with the same period a year earlier.

The bad news comes at a particularly sensitive time as talks between the newspaper guild and the Chron are at an impasse over major issues, and these latest statistics will no doubt allow upper brass at Hearst Corp., (which owns both the Chron and its website, SF Gate) to dig in and play defense.

Although SFGate is the ninth-most visited website in the country, and is marginally profitable, a viable sustainability business model has not been achieved by the Chronicle, even a more advertiser-friendly glossier edition

Any wonder why big names continue to leave the newspaper business?

**That potential logistics nightmare I scribbled about could very well take place as Fox Sports invades the 415 to cover the World Series beginning Wednesday and Thursday at AT&T Park. Rain is forecast in the city late Wednesday and into Thursday, and its not the drip-drip, drizzle variety according to the weather people.

Assuming Game 1 is played Wednesday, if Game 2 were to be delayed or called, Friday is an off day/travel day but much more heavier rain is forecast for Friday and Saturday. Stay tuned.

**There is word out there of a "colossal" personnel shake-up at one of the broadcast biggies here and if it should happen, we're talking about twenty-thirty people having bad days and no one, even the "big names" will be spared.

**Although it's been generally ignored by the Bay Area sports media, Mike Krukow's contract is up and so far, the Giants and him are far apart in negotiations. With the World Series about to be played, I'd doubt both sides are talking now, but later after the season? I'd doubt "Kruk" would split, given his extreme popularity, (along with "Kuip") but Larry Baer is a pretty good hardball player himself.


**KTVU is expanding its news coverage in Jan. 2011, beginning thirty minutes earlier at 4: 30 AM. In addition, Channel 2 News will also launch a Saturday and Sunday early morning newscast from 7 to 9am.
 

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14 comments:

  1. How much does Krukow make presently? Just wondering.

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  2. Although the Bay Area and San Francisco in particular are highly liberal, based on the comments in SFGate, it seems like the bulk of those interested in newspapers are more conservative (and skew older). Seems like a classic mismatch between product and customer.

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  3. Please, please stop speculating about the "big radio" shakeup. You are just a sadistic bastard. Don't you know these are people behind those mics? What happens if it does come down? Will you then gloat about it on your blog? You'll write...."as predicted here 3 years ago....people were blown out at a big radio station...." yippee.
    Would you then feel better about yourself?

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  4. The Newspaper that goes first will be the San Jose Mercury News.

    This will be earned.

    Hey Mercury News, keep writing false stories about police brutality.

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  5. As a subscriber to the SF Chronicle we pay over $100 dollars for a 3 month subscription for the paper. In resent years the paper has gone up in cost substantially, and the brunt of the cost has been put on the people who subscribe to the Chron loyally.

    I am also an avid user of sfgate, and have suggested to the Chron that they should start charging users of sfgate, unless the are a subcribers the Chronicle. That also would cut down also on some of the TROLLS on their website.

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  6. And dont tell us it will rain,there are real homeless people...
    I think some shouldnt read a media blog if all they want to know is ratings are up and its a sunny day...
    And to the last-because your paying for what they give for free so you can clip coupons,why make the rest of us as dumb as you?. Internet sites that charge subscriptions and make real money are rare..but free like Google, as an ultimate example, are worth billions.

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  7. Hey, Anon 3:36, what's even worse is you can go to farmer's markets, swap meets, and outdoor festivals and pay $20 for a whole year of 7-day service from a solicitor. It's just not fair to give the paper away like that.

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  8. We see nothing wrong with trolls on SFgate.
    Let freedom ring!

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  9. I thought we were rid if you yesterday???
    Or was it Just another Lieberman Lie? Of Course!
    But Then what else would come from a guy who sells false information as truth...You Sir, are a malignant human being. Rich and you need professional help REALLY. Your sponsors should be ashamed of themselves...Hey maybe you should go to that Broadcast Biggie and ask them for a job there standards are probably low enough now.
    I'm sure their standards are low enough now to hire a wannabe hack like you.

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  10. The Merc is probably doomed...The print edition has been whittled down to a two-minute read, and the website is dull, clunky and slow.

    As for the "colossal shake-up" of the "big names", if you keep touting it, maybe someday it will actually happen; "even a broken clock is right twice a day."

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  11. touche...was regarding "radio shake up" comment, not about the Merc, just for clarification. If people get fired, you'll finally be able say you had it first and all those "insiders" were right. Finally. Years later. To what end?

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  12. Why assume, as does one of the commenters here, that the predicted shakeout will be at a radio station? I don't want to read anything into the comment unfairly, but it sounds like someone has inadvertently given some confirmation.

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  13. ....assumption based on numerous previous blogs predicting the end of KGO...simply scroll down this blog's archive for countless "predictions".

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