PostMedia buys Sun Media English Language Publications

[PeteMoss]

http://www.postmedia.com/2014/10/06/...al-properties/


So in Calgary this would mean both major newspapers are owned by the same company. Wonder what will happen there?

[Sr. Mints]

This is *huge.*

I'm honestly surprised it is/was/will be allowed to happen. Isn't there some CRTCosaur but for newspapers?

The lack of diversity of information that will reach markets in Canada is part and parcel of the convergence we're seeing in Canadian media.

[Resolute 14]

Inevitably, it will mean the demise of one paper or the other - though probably not right away.

[edslunch]

Peladeau cutting ties with English Canada prior to a Parti Quebecois leadership run?

[Bigtime]

I follow so many media folks on twitter this is pretty much all I see on my feed right now.

[Jimmy Stang]

Wow. Although they say (in a Globe and Mail article) that they are going to continue to run their dailies (like the Herald/Sun) side by side, I can't see it happening. The newspaper business is shrinking - it is only a matter of time before they consolidate further and shut one of them down.

[killer_carlson]

This makes the apology for Ezra Levant make more sense Trudeau rant make more sense. I thought it was advertisers driving it, but a potential sale and a boycott against other papers would also qualify for getting it done.

I suspect there will be some sort of plan to divest themselves of some of their papers for competition purposes.

but Sr Mints has it right. This is huge.

[KelVarnsen]

How does this affect Rick Bell?

[Regular_John]

We're concerned about a monopoly on yesterday's news are we?

It's 2014, newspapers hold little importants and value anymore. Much of their online content has degraded to click bait and "here's the reaction on Twitter" articles.

I think having more then one voice in the public dialect is very important, I do. But I don't believe any of the old incombents have offered balanced journalism for quite some time anyways. It's been a dying industry for years now, this purchase changes very little.

[Wormius]

Tell me there is some possibility that this will spell the end of Rick Bell and Ezra Levant.

[CaptainCrunch]

doubtful.

I think Levant is one of the most followed guys in Sun Media. And Bell has a pretty die hard following in this city.

I would expect that at some point the Herald will be folded up, it just seems that its been really struggling over the last bunch of years and limping along.

[Riles]

To the best of my knowledge, the two dailies in Calgary aren't losing money. They may not be making enough for shareholders, but it's outside forces hurting them. Same thing for Edmonton. As I said, to the best of my knowledge.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

doubtful.

I think Levant is one of the most followed guys in Sun Media. And Bell has a pretty die hard following in this city.

I would expect that at some point the Herald will be folded up, it just seems that its been really struggling over the last bunch of years and limping along.

That's true - but some media personalities who are arguably bigger than them have been removed despite their popularity. Thinking specifically about Don Imus and Dr. Laura. There are probably others.

[Vulcan]

In Vancouver the Sun and the Province have been owned by the same company for years (currently Post Media). It just makes for a more bland media with little input on the political side, so the ruling party gets a pass.

Honestly when someone posts a link of a political nature and it isn't recognized as a big player, so it gets panned, well you aren't going to get much dissent from any of the current big players. In other words many of the big newspapers have given up their responsibilty to the public.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Wormius

That's true - but some media personalities who are arguably bigger than them have been removed despite their popularity. Thinking specifically about Don Imus and Dr. Laura. There are probably others.

Imus made racial remarks towards Rutgers female basketball team calling them Nappy Headed Hos.

Dr Laura IIRC got tossed for using the N-Bomb in her rant.

I don't think either Levant nor Bell have come close to approaching that type of or crossed that type of line.

I'm not a big fan of either, but I do think that there needs to be a counter view to every view and that's the role that both of them fill.

[Resolute 14]

$316 million for 175 publications. Average value of less than $2 million per.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

$316 million for 175 publications. Average value of less than $2 million per.

Before making that calculation subtract the estimated $50 million in real estate reportedly part of the deal. Grim times in the newspaper business, many of those papers are worth nothing.

[nik-]

Soon there will be 2 or 3 companies that own all media in North America.

That's when we get The Running Man on TV.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by nik-

Soon there will be 2 or 3 companies that own all media in North America.

That's when we get The Running Man on TV.

The movie version or the book version?

Cause the book version was a lot better and didn't have a giant asian guy in goalie equipment.

[TurdFerguson]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The movie version or the book version?

Cause the book version was a lot better and didn't have a giant asian guy in goalie equipment.

Agreed. I was able to make all of the leaps in the movie version except this one.