Tribune Company news stories on Newser

Time to Occupy Newsrooms

Matt Cantor — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:16:04 CDT

USA Today applauded Occupy Wall Street for attacking firms that give “huge bonuses” to execs who makes terrible decisions. The paper’s right—but it’s being hypocritical. Gannett, owner of USA Today , is a champion of “bonus excess despite miserable operations,” David Carr writes in the New York Times . Gannett's recently-resigned...

Trib CEO to Jump Before Being Pushed Out

Alp_Arslan — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:36:00 CDT

Weeks after the New York Times detailed the raucous behavior of Tribune CEO Randy Michaels, he is reported to be resigning. The Times article described a boys club atmosphere created by Michaels and his chief innovation officer, Lee Abrams, at the bankrupt newspaper and TV company. Abrams was recently fired,...

How Frat Boy Hijinks Helped Screw the Tribune Co.

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 06:38:00 CDT

The shockingly sexist frat boy hijinks of top managers of the Tribune Company created an alienating workplace and "bankrupt culture" that helped send the financially troubled media firm into a tailspin, reports the New York Times . Just after radio exec Randy Michaels was hired by billionaire owner Sam Zell to...

Radio Exec Bans 'Flee,' 'We're Back,' and 'Death Toll'

Nick McMaster — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:38:00 CST

Anchors and reporters at WGN radio in Chicago have a new job requirement: Don't say any of the station's 119 undesirable words and phrases on the air. Randy Michaels, CEO of parent company Tribune Co., wants information delivered in a more down-to-earth manner, without "newsspeak." On the Voldemort list: "vehicle,...

Sam Zell Steps Down as Tribune CEO

Nick McMaster — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:05:07 CST

Maverick takeover artist Sam Zell resigned as CEO of the Tribune Co. today, naming Randy Michaels as his successor. Zell is still chairman of the news giant he bought, disastrously, in 2007. Tribune, which has been bankrupt for almost a year, yesterday won an extension until February of the right...

Tribune Sells Cubs for $800M

Nick McMaster — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:45:47 CDT

It’s official: Tribune Co. has signed an agreement to sell a majority stake in the Chicago Cubs to the Ricketts family, the Chicago Tribune reports. Picked as the winning bidder for the franchise in January, family negotiated a deal to pay $800 million for a 95% stake in the Cubs,...

News Corp. Talks Universal Paywall With Times , Post

Jason Farago — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:05:01 CDT

Executives at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. have been meeting with rival newspaper publishers about a consortium that would charge for web content. The publishers of the New York Times , Washington Post , and Los Angeles Times are all believed to have met with Jonathan Miller, the News Corp. officer overseeing digital...

Lenders, Not Zell, May Run Tribune Co.

Harry Kimball — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:09:17 CDT

The bankrupt Tribune Company could emerge from protection with its top creditors—and not chairman Sam Zell—in charge, the Chicago Tribune reports. Zell exerts control based on $90 million he spent to secure the option of buying 40% of the company for $500 million, and a $250 million loan....

Buyer Wants Belushi, Cusack, Murray In on Cubs Deal

Kevin Spak — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:36:00 CDT

Would-be Cubs buyer Tom Ricketts has approached a bunch of baseball-loving celebrities, including Bill Murray, Jim Belushi, and John Cusack, about going in with him on the team, the Chicago Tribune reports. Ricketts is asking each to pitch in $25 million, say sources—who add that Ricketts doesn’t need the...