YEAH, Willie Brown will no longer pen his SF Chronicle column; the last Brown Sunday hurrah is Jan. 24, but now you know why: it's not just a "digital" reason, as the Chronicle is bleeding red ink. Cutbacks are in full throttle mode and there's word the Hearst suits are going to ask for buyouts.
Here's the link from Politico which first reported the story.
Anything even remotely considered unnecessary "monetary entity" is the new business edict at Fifth and Mission. And Willie Brown is not immune to the fiscal reality. Brown's column is a media favorite but the overall gist of his SF/Sacramento/Washington political nirvana is more an inside baseball favorite and not a huge deal in, say, Downtown Walnut Creek.
Brown isn't going to starve now but his ego might be hungry. He got quite the notoriety detailing his various SF restaurant/social adventures and stories --at a rumored $1000 a column, which is probably the main reason his column is about to go kaput.
Speaking of the Chronicle, is SFGate permanently eliminating the comment section or are they retooling?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering the same, certainly the digital reader comments feature couldn't be that costly to run. For some, it's the only reason to read the Chronicle.
DeleteEverybody everywhere has been eliminating their comment section. Except for Rich.
Delete@ 3:53 I am wondering the same thing. I think they are crapping out on the comments like ESPN has done, like yahoo has done and some other big news sites. Hell that's half the fun of reading SFGate to read the comments. Bring back the comments!
ReplyDeleteI was looking for a statement from SFGate explaining the move, but couldn't find any. I'm certainly not going to read Drew Magary if I cant comment on how awful his piece was
Delete+1 it’s the talk radio of today
DeleteSince there is no place else he'd rather be, won't he do it for free?
ReplyDeleteNow he can write a book about his mistress, K. Harris!!!
ReplyDeleteWillie earned a lifetime's worth of bad karma for being instrumental in the creation of that despicable troll.
DeletePretty sure the new VP will give him a space at the government trough. You're tax dollars at work, folks!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a massive Willie Brown fan because he's corrupt as hell, but I love reading his column.
ReplyDeleteI like Willie...his column is the first I read on Sunday mornings...keep us posted where we can read him....
ReplyDeleteIf the Chronicle wanted to rescue themselves financially they could actually report on the Democrat corruption not only in SF but statewide. They would sell thousands of papers, get back in the black, maybe win a few Pulitzers along the way.
ReplyDeleteThey've hired a new top editor who probably said, 'Why do we have a crook writing a regular column?' And there's probably the thought that the Chron dodged a bullet in the last election cycle, but won't be so fortunate in the future. The bullet was that there would be numerous national stories about Kamala's relationship with Willie in her early days, and every story would describe him as a "Chronicle columnist," making it seem as if the crew at Fifth and Mission were apart of the state's corruption. Fortunately for the Chronicle, the national media didn't go after that story (or any stories that put Kamala and Biden in a bad light). They dodged a bullet. But as Republicans become more and more agitated, the story is sure to re-emerge. Best to let Willie go now, so that the Chronicle angle will be downplayed in future national stories.
ReplyDeleteTime for Brown to get his own blog!
ReplyDeleteKamala reads this notice and muffles another giggle.
ReplyDelete"Should I send Willie a "So Sad 4 U!" text about this?
Or will he think I'm being sarcastic, me, about to become the first female VP and everything......I think I WILL send it, and he better respond, or wait for it...Sexism!! ha ha HA!"
chronicle=tel aviv times, thats
ReplyDeletewhy it's dieing, lost in space