Postmedia boss says it's conceivable that there may not be daily papers in Vancouver

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      The CEO of the company that owns the Vancouver Sun and Province has dished out some tough words on staffing levels at the local dailies.

      Paul Godfrey, the head of Postmedia Network, told Marketing magazine that the two Vancouver papers are "way overstaffed", especially in sales and production, and that employees "way overpaid" in comparison to newspaper employees in other parts of Canada.

      “It is great to live in the past, but that just can’t continue,” Godfrey told Marketing. “We’ve got to correct that situation or it’s conceivable that there may not be any newspapers at all in that community.”

      He also told the publication that the old ratio of 75 percent advertising revenue to 25 percent circulation revenue can't sustain newspapers, which is why he thinks the industry needs a 50-50 split.

      The full article is available here.

      Comments

      18 Comments

      Paulsdottir

      Jun 11, 2013 at 10:13am

      - But not overpaid in terms of housing & living costs compared to the rest of Canada. However, as a CEO and able to even put that in context, we have to ask, "How much is he overpaid?"

      Paulsdottir

      Jun 11, 2013 at 10:15am

      correction:
      but not overpaid in terms of housing & living costs compared to the rest of Canada. And as a CEO who can't even think in that necessary context, we have to ask, "How much is he overpaid?"

      Gregg

      Jun 11, 2013 at 10:15am

      Combine. Why are they producing two almost identical products?

      BYE BYE

      Jun 11, 2013 at 10:20am

      We can do without these partisan rags influencing elections

      SPY vs SPY

      Jun 11, 2013 at 10:21am

      Hey Godfrey

      You just keep printing Partisan Crappe and I'll just keep on NOT BUYING your fish wrap.

      I just cannot bring myself to buy or read Conservative Party Crappe (that's the formal English spelling of CRAP)

      Michael

      Jun 11, 2013 at 11:20am

      A good start to save money would be to (ahem) fire Jon Ferry. And disband the Province's hidebound, moribund editorial staff.

      Bruce Dean

      Jun 11, 2013 at 12:24pm

      It's not a 50/50 split that will save daily newspapers.

      I believe the dinosaurs will die, like Monday Magazine just did. They lost what earned them a good reputation; real investigative journalism. It'll be too expensive to keep the propaganda machines running. The newspapers that thrive will be the papers who strive for real journalism, to expose wrongs and educate the masses, not just try to manipulate the sheeple.

      “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”
      (George Orwell)

      "So much for Objective Journalism. Don’t bother to look for it here — not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms."
      (Hunter S. Thompson)

      Hazlit

      Jun 11, 2013 at 1:45pm

      I always liked H.L. Mencken I believe it was on the purpose of journalism: "To afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted." Biting the hand that feeds is essential for all good journalism. Maybe the local papers should try more biting commentary on power--that means business boys and girls.

      Yeah

      Jun 11, 2013 at 2:05pm

      Great perhaps this idiots heard of the Internet where we can CHOOSE which news we want not some Corporate Welfare Pro Establishment Toilet News Paper.

      And since they are trying to copy and hand out free dailies to compete for Ad dollars with the Georgia Straight without any decent content fuck em.

      tedeastside

      Jun 11, 2013 at 2:37pm

      maybe Jeff lee will accuse this guy of doing a drive-by shooting on his paper, the extreme right-wing Sun and Province folding is not unexpected ,

      its funny they have been laying people off ever since the bcliberals got elected, the party they so dearly endorse as good for jobs