The Omaha World Herald

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GrandpaaSmucker
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

Post by GrandpaaSmucker »

Breaking Brads Twitter today-
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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Brad said it well a few posts above. I share his sentiments. It’s really sad to hear the OWH had to lay-off so many people, including some of their advertising dept.

Reading the printed version has been a regular part of my daily routine most of my life. I read it online too as a subscriber. It has been a great source of trusted information, both national and local. I have many friends and even family who have worked there over the years.

When they dropped the evening edition, the morning edition that I get now seems stale by the time I get around to reading it in the evening. But that’s my own fault. The local stories are still fresh and very well written. I admit I look at the AP online app to get nearly instant news updates.

Given the way things are going in this country now with people getting their information from online social media sources that only repeat what they want to hear in echo chambers, I think we’re in real trouble if we keep going down this path where there is more than one version of reality and people aren’t even interested in the truth.
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Brad
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

Post by Brad »

GrandpaaSmucker wrote: :clap: Great post. Telling it like it is.
Thanks. These days I try to do a lot less talking and a lot more listening and observing. Its amazing what you pick up on.
GrandpaaSmucker wrote:Breaking Brads Twitter today
He had a great line the other day about getting laid off. Something along the lines of "Don't worry, 'Today in History' will still be around".
GetUrban wrote:Given the way things are going in this country now with people getting their information from online social media sources that only repeat what they want to hear in echo chambers, I think we’re in real trouble if we keep going down this path where there is more than one version of reality and people aren’t even interested in the truth.
"echo chambers" is a great analogy!
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

Post by skinzfan23 »

I don't like to see people's jobs eliminated, but I absolutely hated his column. It was about as lame as the jokes on the tonight shows (which he at one time wrote for). A few of the topics were funny but overall very lame. Some days I think they were using his column just to fill space. I do realize that some people like it though, to each their own.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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HR Paperstacks wrote:
Omaha Cowboy wrote:
Dundeemaha wrote:I really like their new online model.
I’m an online Susbriber Plus W-H member and I like the new online model too.. And basically $19 a month is a small price to pay for quality local daily online content and added features.. You only pay $0.99 cents for the 1st month when you join...

Ciao..LiO...Peace
I've been an online subscriber for a while now. And I ended up getting the $0.99 deal twice because my card expired and had to re-signup.
That resign up part was inconvenient I bet.. But at least you got that 2nd $0.99 cent deal :thumb: ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace
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jessep28
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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If you're just getting an online subscription, and have the cash, paying the entire year up front will be the best deal.
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GrandpaaSmucker
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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I guess the newspapers new version of the Money section is now only 1 page :lol: Today the Money page has two interesting articles on it, one about First National Bank and the NRA and the other about All Makes Office Equipment and the 25th & Farnam area. Both these articles are interrupted and say go to page 7. That is when you realize that you are on what they are calling page 8 of what is the first and only page of the Money Section. :oops: So if someone is flipping through the paper they will get to the end of the stories on page 7 before they get to the beginning of the stories on page 8. :what: Not looking good.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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They've never really has a strong business section. It might be better to just fold business articles into the general news section.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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I bought a yearly online subscription tonight. I like the e-reader interface better than online editions of other publications that I subscribe to. I can scan the page images like with fish paper, and then switch to text if I want to read the whole article. I also like how they embed additional content like YouTube videos while in text mode. My only complaint is that the text mode font size is huge, even at the smallest setting.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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Is it just me, are is the O W-H running more pictures that take up half the page?

Also...did anyone notice the badly pixellated picture last week that took up half the page of the girls basketball tournament section?

Now, to read the full articles of the Danny Nee series, you have to create an account on Omaha.com? What about the folks who paid full-price for a print edition of the paper?
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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jag42 wrote:Is it just me, are is the O W-H running more pictures that take up half the page?

Also...did anyone notice the badly pixellated picture last week that took up half the page of the girls basketball tournament section?

Now, to read the full articles of the Danny Nee series, you have to create an account on Omaha.com? What about the folks who paid full-price for a print edition of the paper?
What is your question here? If you are a seven day print subscriber you get all the on line access. Of course you need to use your account to log in, it is not an honer system to read it.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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I don't really see anything out of the ordinary. However, I primarily read the full e-edition.
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GrandpaaSmucker
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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At the Berkshire Hathaway meeting this weekend Warren Buffet indicated the future of newspapers is hopeless and much worse then he had thought at first. He said making a go off digital for the World Herald is not going to work.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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utube of Warren Buffet on Newspapers at the Berkshire Hathaway meeting 05-05-18

[youtube][/youtube]
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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GrandpaaSmucker wrote: Mon May 07, 2018 6:49 pm At the Berkshire Hathaway meeting this weekend Warren Buffet indicated the future of newspapers is hopeless and much worse then he had thought at first. He said making a go off digital for the World Herald is not going to work.
When he bought those papers, the OWH had quality and a unique local position that attracted readers to something that they could only get there. Their quality is off, their unique local position is quickly being replaced by channels 6 and 7.

He is right, the WSJ has a better pay wall. They write reviews that are critical when need be. Their sports coverage is not Homer ific like the OWH's jocksniffingly obsequieous coverage of the Huskers and Jay's. In other words, you pay the WSJ money and you get useful info.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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I'm glad they recognize their miscalculation and their bias. I'm frustrated with all media news for multiple reasons, but Warren is right. Why would anybody wait for the delivery of a newspaper when you can simply grab the phone in your pocket and read it online right now? I also think that the OWH rarely investigates local politics in a substantial way and their coverage of Warren is so cheesy. I'd love so much to see something else in their website.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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daveoma wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 8:45 pm I'm glad they recognize their miscalculation and their bias. I'm frustrated with all media news for multiple reasons, but Warren is right. Why would anybody wait for the delivery of a newspaper when you can simply grab the phone in your pocket and read it online right now? I also think that the OWH rarely investigates local politics in a substantial way and their coverage of Warren is so cheesy. I'd love so much to see something else in their website.
They are homers in an industry like movies where you are in or out. If you write an accurate review of a crappy opera, you don't get interviews for anything else. If you prove that Ben Gray or Ernie Chambers is factually wrong on some issue, you get called a racist and all the Dems refuse to take your calls. If the next piece just happens to be dumb luck good news for the GOP, then you get crapped on again. There is no incentive for the reporters and columnists to write insightful or investigative pieces.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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bigredmed1 wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 10:55 pm
daveoma wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 8:45 pm I'm glad they recognize their miscalculation and their bias. I'm frustrated with all media news for multiple reasons, but Warren is right. Why would anybody wait for the delivery of a newspaper when you can simply grab the phone in your pocket and read it online right now? I also think that the OWH rarely investigates local politics in a substantial way and their coverage of Warren is so cheesy. I'd love so much to see something else in their website.
They are homers in an industry like movies where you are in or out. If you write an accurate review of a crappy opera, you don't get interviews for anything else. If you prove that Ben Gray or Ernie Chambers is factually wrong on some issue, you get called a racist and all the Dems refuse to take your calls. If the next piece just happens to be dumb luck good news for the GOP, then you get crapped on again. There is no incentive for the reporters and columnists to write insightful or investigative pieces.
They’re investigative journalists. Getting regularly crapped on is part of the gig.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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bigredmed1 wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 10:55 pm
daveoma wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 8:45 pm I'm glad they recognize their miscalculation and their bias. I'm frustrated with all media news for multiple reasons, but Warren is right. Why would anybody wait for the delivery of a newspaper when you can simply grab the phone in your pocket and read it online right now? I also think that the OWH rarely investigates local politics in a substantial way and their coverage of Warren is so cheesy. I'd love so much to see something else in their website.
They are homers in an industry like movies where you are in or out. If you write an accurate review of a crappy opera, you don't get interviews for anything else. If you prove that Ben Gray or Ernie Chambers is factually wrong on some issue, you get called a racist and all the Dems refuse to take your calls. If the next piece just happens to be dumb luck good news for the GOP, then you get crapped on again. There is no incentive for the reporters and columnists to write insightful or investigative pieces.
They’re investigative journalists. Getting regularly crapped on is part of the gig.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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bigredmed1 wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 10:55 pm
daveoma wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 8:45 pm I'm glad they recognize their miscalculation and their bias. I'm frustrated with all media news for multiple reasons, but Warren is right. Why would anybody wait for the delivery of a newspaper when you can simply grab the phone in your pocket and read it online right now? I also think that the OWH rarely investigates local politics in a substantial way and their coverage of Warren is so cheesy. I'd love so much to see something else in their website.
If you prove that Ben Gray or Ernie Chambers is factually wrong on some issue, you get called a racist
Can you cite an example of this? The last time I checked, African American politicians were not manipulating the media in Omaha, Nebraska.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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daveoma wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 8:45 pm I'm glad they recognize their miscalculation and their bias. I'm frustrated with all media news for multiple reasons, but Warren is right. Why would anybody wait for the delivery of a newspaper when you can simply grab the phone in your pocket and read it online right now? I also think that the OWH rarely investigates local politics in a substantial way and their coverage of Warren is so cheesy. I'd love so much to see something else in their website.
Also noted was their endorsement of Ashford. I would have been more surprised if they had plumped for Bacon, honestly.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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damonhynes wrote: Fri May 11, 2018 10:44 am
daveoma wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 8:45 pm I'm glad they recognize their miscalculation and their bias. I'm frustrated with all media news for multiple reasons, but Warren is right. Why would anybody wait for the delivery of a newspaper when you can simply grab the phone in your pocket and read it online right now? I also think that the OWH rarely investigates local politics in a substantial way and their coverage of Warren is so cheesy. I'd love so much to see something else in their website.
Also noted was their endorsement of Ashford. I would have been more surprised if they had plumped for Bacon, honestly.
AShford is the machine democrat candidate. Buffett is a machine democrat. Not surprising that his paper would endorse Ashford.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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Ashford is running in a Democractic primary, with opposition within the Democratic Party. He is not running against Bacon at this point.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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As for the future of print media, it certainly isn’t as rosie as it was 15 years ago. The advent of the Internet was the initial salvo. Home and work WiFi and high speed Internet further darkened print media’s prospects. But what totally turned the tide was the development of the Smartphone. I still get the weekend print version of the World-Herald, as well as the Sunday NYT. I get the W-H out of about 40 years of habit, but it only gets read about half the time. Mostly I get it for the ads. As for the NYT, I pay about $8 a week now, and it only gets read about half the time, but it also gives everyone here in the household unlimited access to the NYT online on all of our devices. I pay $1.99 a month for unlimited digital access to the W-H, which I often read on my phone before I even get out of bed in the morning.
The WSJ, the NYT, the Washington Post, a few other big league US newspapers, and a number of magazines will survive, at least for the time being, on paid subscription income. In other parts of the world newspapers are apparently doing well enough, but the days of wealth and riches are over. And I for one am saddened by this.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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The Wall Street Journal and New York Times are known for their in-depth analysis beyond the black and white news people can get immediately on a smartphone or computer. That's partially why their paywalls work. Local newspapers wanting to succeed online need to provide a better product than yesterday's news today.

Local newspapers are important to their respective geographic areas. I sincerely hope they can find a way to survive, online or on fish paper.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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nativeomahan wrote: Fri May 11, 2018 8:45 pm Ashford is running in a Democractic primary, with opposition within the Democratic Party. He is not running against Bacon at this point.
Well technically yes, but given the pedigree of the Dem opponents, it's clear that Buffett's OWH is aiming at Bacon. Ashford doesn't need to tout his support for abortion to differentiate himself from the other Dems. And by mentioning the Offutt runway and the VA hospital, he's going after the few people who somehow think Bacon didn't support them, when in fact these were GOP initiatives.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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bigredmed1 wrote: Fri May 11, 2018 2:40 pm
damonhynes wrote: Fri May 11, 2018 10:44 am
daveoma wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 8:45 pm I'm glad they recognize their miscalculation and their bias. I'm frustrated with all media news for multiple reasons, but Warren is right. Why would anybody wait for the delivery of a newspaper when you can simply grab the phone in your pocket and read it online right now? I also think that the OWH rarely investigates local politics in a substantial way and their coverage of Warren is so cheesy. I'd love so much to see something else in their website.
Also noted was their endorsement of Ashford. I would have been more surprised if they had plumped for Bacon, honestly.
AShford is the machine democrat candidate. Buffett is a machine democrat. Not surprising that his paper would endorse Ashford.
Agreed.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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Is it me or has the World Herald just been awful lately. Some days the paper is just worthless. It really seams like its going down hill hard and they are going to test us to see how much we will put up with. I thought they used to fluff the paper up a bit during the CWS but this year they are doing little if anything. One day last week the paper was just useless for any information at all. On one page they had an article off the wire about Arabs tossing tiki bombs made out of condoms at the Jews over in Israel. Right below that they had another super huge ad for the Scott Frost comic book. They have beat that SF comic book to death. No I do not want the Scott Frost comic book even for practically free at 4.99. Get out of town with the Scott Frost comic book. I think Scott Frost coming back is a gift from heaven too but a comic book come on man.

Ending on a positive note that was a great article in the Money section of the paper today. I have drove past those old gas pumps and gas station signs and stuff on 162nd and Fort a hundred times and wondered what was going on there. Good Article World Herald!

link to story- http://www.omaha.com/money/plus/century ... 8a1f8.html
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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Well, the alternative is a bunch of editorials or fear mongering. I'd rather it be empty than a bunch of articles about, for example, which fast food restaurants I'm most likely to be kidnapped from.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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TitosBuritoBarn wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 12:19 pm Well, the alternative is a bunch of editorials or fear mongering. I'd rather it be empty than a bunch of articles about, for example, which fast food restaurants I'm most likely to be kidnapped from.
It would be the one you are at....
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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BH Media CEO and World-Herald Publisher Terry Kroeger will leave, seeks 'our next adventure'

http://www.omaha.com/money/bh-media-ceo ... 0720c.html
Steve Jordon / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Terry Kroeger is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of BH Media Group as a result of a new management agreement with Lee Enterprises, ending a 33-year career with the Omaha World-Herald.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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Brad wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:35 am BH Media CEO and World-Herald Publisher Terry Kroeger will leave, seeks 'our next adventure'

http://www.omaha.com/money/bh-media-ceo ... 0720c.html
Steve Jordon / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Terry Kroeger is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of BH Media Group as a result of a new management agreement with Lee Enterprises, ending a 33-year career with the Omaha World-Herald.
Not only that, but Lee is going to manage all of Unca Warn's newspapers. Lee is the outfit which owns the St. Louis Pist-Dispatch. Read into that what you will, but prima facie a progressive now-absentee owner will have his papers run by progressive management group.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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damonhynes wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:59 am
Brad wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:35 am BH Media CEO and World-Herald Publisher Terry Kroeger will leave, seeks 'our next adventure'

http://www.omaha.com/money/bh-media-ceo ... 0720c.html
Steve Jordon / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Terry Kroeger is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of BH Media Group as a result of a new management agreement with Lee Enterprises, ending a 33-year career with the Omaha World-Herald.
Not only that, but Lee is going to manage all of Unca Warn's newspapers. Lee is the outfit which owns the St. Louis Pist-Dispatch. Read into that what you will, but prima facie a progressive now-absentee owner will have his papers run by progressive management group.
Their digital strategy is a disaster. What articles are behind the paywall vs which are not is a hodge podge of terrible choices. I've noticed a ton of the "real news" is behind the paywall - the original announcement of the Gene Leahy Mall redevelopment was behind the paywall. Quickly click over to KETV and they had a story on the same thing with links to the documents showing the redevelopment - get this, for free. The next day, I noticed the further-developed story was available to all on Omaha.com. I also think all of their content is eventually released from the paywall - aside from the food critic stuff.

On the "critics" side - I don't know why these positions were not mostly eliminated with the others back in February. Maybe I'm just young and out of touch - but I don't need to read (and never will read) a review of the Imagine Dragons concert or an article of 5 questions with comedian Brian Regan. The concert announcements are fine, but literally anyone could put those articles out. If anyone can explain why I need a local movie critic, I'm all ears. Finally, the food reviews. These - most of the time - are fine, but I don't need a Dairy Chef review in 2018 when it's been open since 1969 and has a reputation already (though it did sell to new owners in 2013). An editor should have put the kibosh on this garbage article. Not to mention - taste is extremely subjective and I don't know why I should trust a journalists palette...
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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Brad wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:35 am BH Media CEO and World-Herald Publisher Terry Kroeger will leave, seeks 'our next adventure'

http://www.omaha.com/money/bh-media-ceo ... 0720c.html
Steve Jordon / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Terry Kroeger is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of BH Media Group as a result of a new management agreement with Lee Enterprises, ending a 33-year career with the Omaha World-Herald.
Here is the management agreement. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data ... mentag.htm
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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obvious2677 wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:58 pm
Brad wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:35 am BH Media CEO and World-Herald Publisher Terry Kroeger will leave, seeks 'our next adventure'

http://www.omaha.com/money/bh-media-ceo ... 0720c.html
Steve Jordon / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Terry Kroeger is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of BH Media Group as a result of a new management agreement with Lee Enterprises, ending a 33-year career with the Omaha World-Herald.
Here is the management agreement. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data ... mentag.htm
That contract is interesting indeed. Looks like Warren is giving them 5 million a year to run the thing and if at the end of that 5 years the ship is not righted hes going to sell out if there is anything left worth selling. I see the paper going down hill another notch for sure. The World Herald as we once knew it is just about dead. I think most of the readers in Omaha that have not quit buying and reading the paper are just about ready to drop the paper myself included.
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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GrandpaaSmucker wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 3:45 pm
obvious2677 wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:58 pm
Brad wrote: Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:35 am BH Media CEO and World-Herald Publisher Terry Kroeger will leave, seeks 'our next adventure'

http://www.omaha.com/money/bh-media-ceo ... 0720c.html
Steve Jordon / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Terry Kroeger is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of BH Media Group as a result of a new management agreement with Lee Enterprises, ending a 33-year career with the Omaha World-Herald.
Here is the management agreement. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data ... mentag.htm
That contract is interesting indeed. Looks like Warren is giving them 5 million a year to run the thing and if at the end of that 5 years the ship is not righted hes going to sell out if there is anything left worth selling. I see the paper going down hill another notch for sure. The World Herald as we once knew it is just about dead. I think most of the readers in Omaha that have not quit buying and reading the paper are just about ready to drop the paper myself included.
Warren is giving them $5 million a year and profit sharing. If earnings exceed $34 million - Lee gets 33.3% of the profits for the first two years and 50% in the final three. If earnings drop below $20 million, the contract can be terminated by either party.

Berkshire doesn't break it's media group out on financial reports - likely for obvious reasons.

Lee seems to be doing [relatively] well, so here's some terribly shaky math. [This is fact from Lee's earning statement] Lee had a circulation of 1.2 million in 2017. This led to total revenues of $566.94 million. Here's the breakdown in their revenue...
Advertising: 58.45% ($331.36m)
Subscription: 33.85% ($191.92m)
Digital Services: 2.47% ($14.00m)
Commercial Printing: 1.72% ($9.74m)
Other: 3.51% ($19.91m)

Their adjusted EBITDA was $144.6 million (25.51% of revenue).

Now comparables - their $191.92 million subscription revenue and 1.2 million subscribers equates to roughly $160/annually per subscriber - $13.33 a month for subscription. That's not far off from what OWH sells their print-only subscription for ($13.43), so I'm using it to base more math on.

Based on summing up the metro populations that Lee operates in (11.05 million people), I believe they have an 11% market penetration. Again, this is on-par with OWH - who claims 100,000 print subscribers, with Omaha Metro population around 933K, that's 11% - right on the money with Lee's market penetration. If we guess the CB Nonpareil is distributing 1-2% (9-18k) of the metro area, we can assume OWH/CBNP have up to 13% market share here. Still relatively on-par with Lee's reports.

If we expand that number to all the metro area's that BRK MG represents (6.85m), we're looking at between 753K (11% penetration) and 890K (13% penetration) subscribers. Multiple this by the $160 subscription price and you're looking at between $120.56 and $142.48 million in subscription revenue.

Ok, still with me? Using the breakdown of Lee's revenue, using both the low and high penetration rates, BRK MG should be operating at about...
Advertising: $208.15m - $246.00m (58.45%)
Subscription: $120.56m - $142.48m (33.85%)
Digial Services: $8.80m - $10.40m (2.47%)
Commercial Printing: $6.12m - $7.23m (1.72%)
Other: $12.51m - $14.78m (3.51%)
Total: $356.14m - $420.89m

If we even subtract out that BRK MG does not have the 'digital services', 'commercial printing' and 'other', we're still left with total revenue between $328.71 and $388.48 million.

If we assume the same EBITDA that Lee holds - 25.51% of revenue - BRK MG should have EBITDA of at least $83.84 million (11% penetration) and up to $99.08 million (14% penetration).

The fact that Warren is going to profit share for anything earnings over $34 million means BRK MG is spending more than they should or has other financial problems...

In case anyone was wondering what I'm like at work today... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Glfe6UeXQ
EricHaley
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

Post by EricHaley »

As of this date, Lee still hasn’t updated their Lincoln Journal Star and Sioux City Journal iPhone apps to support the larger format iPhones (6+/7+/8+). While it’s a smaller subset of users, it gives me the impression that they just don’t care about their readers. In my opinion, I think this pretty much sums up how well they’ll manage the OWH…
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jessep28
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

Post by jessep28 »

Longtime reporters Mike Kelly, Steve Jordon, and Lee Barfknecht are all leaving. Kelly and Jordon are calling it retirement, while Barfknecht stated on Twitter that he accepted a buyout. This could be the OWH trying to trim down staff further.
Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum
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GrandpaaSmucker
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

Post by GrandpaaSmucker »

jessep28 wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 7:12 pm Longtime reporters Mike Kelly, Steve Jordon, and Lee Barfknecht are all leaving. Kelly and Jordon are calling it retirement, while Barfknecht stated on Twitter that he accepted a buyout. This could be the OWH trying to trim down staff further.
You better believe they are trimming staff and payroll! The paper is getting more and more worthless everyday. And how about that front page story today that was so pro illegal immigrant it was ridiculous. The paper is trying to make that illegal alien bust up in Oneill Nebraska sound like the Nazis rounding up the Jews. I dont care what that Fake news has been paper thinks I'm glad they got busted. My biggest complaint is that they bused them to Grand Island and then let them all go again. :roll:
West_O_Wino
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Re: The Omaha World Herald

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