Providence Journal and URI Hoops

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 9 years ago

Just announced the Projo has been sold.

http://www.providencejournal.com/breaki ... click=MV:4

Projo Sold for this week = $46,000,000
Projo Bought in 1996 = $1,500,000,000

So the Projo sold for 3.1% of it's 1996 Purchase Price

The Newspaper Business has changed dramatically

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 9 years ago

Similar to the drop in value that the Globe suffered.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 9 years ago

To be fair, the Journal wasn't bought for $1.5 billion - it was the Journal and nine television stations.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Also if the purchaser assumed debt that isn't always included in the purchase price but it is effectively part of the price.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

SGreenwell wrote:To be fair, the Journal wasn't bought for $1.5 billion - it was the Journal and nine television stations.

And its real estate which Belo will still retain.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 9 years ago

Good to hear it's not as bad as I thought. For the record I like the projo and maybe the only poster here that still gets it delivered to my home. The projo takes a beating on this board but considering the industry I feel bad for newspapers in general.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

ramster wrote:Hood to hear it's not as bad as I thought. For the record I like the projo and maybe the only poster that still gets it delivered to my home. The projo takes a beating on this board but considering the industry I feel bad for newspapers in general.

I still get the projo delivered too, but only because my wife feels that the coupons she gets from the paper more than pays for the paper itself.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

When I turned 12, I asked for and received a subscription to
the Journal-Bulletin from my parents, as the evening paper was known at the time.
It was the only source of information on college basketball.
I miss real journalism, as it's a passing art.
I spent many hours commuting, reading The Globe, and Herald-American, trying to pick
up Red Sox information.
I met John Hanlon one summer. He was an excellent Projo columnist. I was on the staff of a
political campaign, and he was doing a story on it. We talked about basketball, and then Hanlon asked me,
"Do these people here, really believe any of this shit?"
That was kind of a jolt.
Newspapers were a good thing for so many years.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

Gatehouse is a terrible owner and, unfortunately, will lay off a bunch of people in Providence. All their papers are put together in Texas, so the copy desk in Providence will be gone. If you think the Projo isn't very good now, check it out in a few months.

URIGONZO · Unread post by **URIGONZO** » 9 years ago

http://ripr.org/post/scott-mackay-comme ... Y.facebook

Pretty cool article on the history of the Projo.

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 9 years ago

Excellent overview, but the decline of the ProJo started before Belo bought it. They were cutting back the bureau system and reducing the number of reporters as early as the '70s. Covering town politics in Wakefield or Westerly was good feeder ground for reporters like Jack White. I don't see how the new ownership will turn that around. For those looking for better URI coverage (either sports-related or not), I wouldn't hold my breath.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

I still get the paper delivered to my home and once delivered it as a boy. I almost dropped my subscription with the last price increase. I called to cancel and was asked after having been a customer for decades why I was dropping it. I responded by citing the declining quality and content of the paper and stated it was no longer a good value for its cost. They offered to maintain my old price if I remained a customer and I did so telling them I would immediately drop it if the price were to go up again.

I am of the old school that grew up getting multiple papers delivered to my home. I like getting the paper and reading it while eating breakfast on the weekends and eating my lunch on work weekdays. I however have reached the point where I am prepared to let it go. The paper has really declined and I can get much of what is in it elsewhere online.

RIKen822 · Unread post by **RIKen822** » 9 years ago

Rod,

If memory serves me right, the afternoon paper was "The Evening Bulletin". The morning paper was "The Providence Journal"

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Yes. It was the Sunday paper that was the Journal Bulletin.
Imagine having two editions of the paper?
Times have changed.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

Delivering the Bulletin was my first job at age 10. I had 70 customers in a seven block area. Do kids still deliver papers now?

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 9 years ago

Ramblinrose wrote:Delivering the Bulletin was my first job at age 10. I had 70 customers in a seven block area. Do kids still deliver papers now?

I haven't seen a paper carrier in years. I think it's mostly done by car, at least in the small towns and suburbs .... not sure about the city itself. Even small-town papers no longer use kids, unless their parents drive them.

Rhody Guy · Unread post by **Rhody Guy** » 9 years ago

I actually saw someone swerving around the road yesterday at 6am chucking papers out of a minivan.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

Ramblinrose wrote:Delivering the Bulletin was my first job at age 10. I had 70 customers in a seven block area. Do kids still deliver papers now?

Had a 100-paper route. Christmas tips were nice.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

I delivered the Warwick Beacon when I was in middle school. I went around Tuesdays and Thursdays on my bike to deliver to each door.

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 9 years ago

I delivered ice in my younger days.....then I sold buggy whips......and then 3.5 inch floppy disks....and I also delivered the ProJo......

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

I like the idea of newspapers much more than actual newspapers. The only time I ever read an actual physical newspaper now is when I am on a plane. Not sure why, maybe because I can't just peruse the internet buffet of news. As a kid we had three papers delivered to my house and I read them at the breakfast table with my dad, and there is some nostalgia there. But it doesn't trump the fact that getting a paper is kind of impractical and a waste of money when it is easier and cheaper to get your news online, not to mention the fact that online is up-to-the-minute.

Rhody72 · Unread post by **Rhody72** » 9 years ago

Newspapers and good journalism have become an oxymoron. The quality of the writers has declined because of low pay scales, and the speed with which articles must be written and submitted provide little time for thoughtful, well researched articles. The combination of these factors is greater than the sum in terms of what appears in print. While newspapers were on the decline, the death of Michael Metcalf accelerated the ProJo's decline. Michael coveted good journalists.

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 9 years ago

To the contrary, the Projo has always had among the top wage scales for reporters around, rivaling that of the big city papers.

Rhody72 · Unread post by **Rhody72** » 9 years ago

is that why there is such a big one-way exodus of better writers from the ProJo. Who on the current ProJo sports staff moved here from big city papers?

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

The new Pats beat reporter came from Boston.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

TruePoint wrote:I like the idea of newspapers much more than actual newspapers. The only time I ever read an actual physical newspaper now is when I am on a plane. Not sure why, maybe because I can't just peruse the internet buffet of news. As a kid we had three papers delivered to my house and I read them at the breakfast table with my dad, and there is some nostalgia there. But it doesn't trump the fact that getting a paper is kind of impractical and a waste of money when it is easier and cheaper to get your news online, not to mention the fact that online is up-to-the-minute.

TP: You're confusing platform and content. Where do you think this "internet buffet of news" is coming from? Whether you read a a NYT's story in print or online, for instance, you're still reading news written by a professional journalist.

Rhode_Island_Red · Unread post by **Rhode_Island_Red** » 9 years ago

Two things people don't seem to understand about newspapers:
-- You don't have to read every story. (Thus rendering moot the "I don't have time to read that whole thing" argument.
-- By turning the pages, you might come upon a story that piques your interest even though the topic wasn't on your list.

BTW, it was the Providence Sunday Journal.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

The new owners have already started slashing jobs:

http://bostonherald.com/business/media_ ... ad_of_deal

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 9 years ago

USA Today laid off a bunch of people, too.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Sad. I like newspapers and magazines.
Of course, people don't read publications much, these days,
and with the younger generations, it will become moreso.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 9 years ago

Not sure how well the title of this thread fits, but...

Hope he can keep up his excellent coverage of Rhody basketball.

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 9 years ago

If they allow him to keep the URI beat, that's excellent news!

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 9 years ago

Since it's out there from DiSano and others, and Bill has made mention of it on his own FB page - Yes, he'll be doing the URI and HS sports beat for the Projo starting about Oct. 16. It's a big loss for us at The Independent, but as someone who's worked with and observed Bill's work for several years, it's definitely a well-deserved step-up to a major daily.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 9 years ago

I changed the topic title to make this more of a general thread.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Congrats to Bill Koch!
Going to a big city paper hass to be a huge
promotion for him.
I look forward to being blocked from reading his articles, because
I won't pay for Projo online.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

Will the PC Journal actually allow extensive coverage of URI basketball?

RhodeRule · Unread post by **RhodeRule** » 9 years ago

Good for Bill. Let's hope the ProCoJo lets him do a heavy dose of URI.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 9 years ago

This seems like a win-win. Someone familiar and a fan of the program now on the inside, and great timing for Bill given its likely the team he is going to cover for the next 1,2,3+ years is going to get national exposure. Might've been career suicide to have gotten this gig circa 2010-13!

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Billyboy78 wrote:Will the PC Journal actually allow extensive coverage of URI basketball?

RhodeRule wrote:Good for Bill. Let's hope the ProCoJo lets him do a heavy dose of URI.

I do believe that is what he is going to be there to do, along with some additional responsibilities.

EricRueb · Unread post by **EricRueb** » 9 years ago

bigappleram wrote:Might've been career suicide to have gotten this gig circa 2010-13!

Pretty much nailed it.
In all seriousness, best of luck to Bill. Love to see the ProJo finally hire an in-state guy. There are several who have the chops to be there and it's good to see Bill get that chance.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

Good move by the Projo. They used to give the beat to Kenyon after the Pats ended. Now they will have Pats beat writer and a URI beat writer. The overlap never worked. It should be a big plus for URI coverage.

Rhode_Island_Red · Unread post by **Rhode_Island_Red** » 9 years ago

We THINK he'll be a URI beat writer. What does the Providence College Journal think?

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

URI and high schools, right? I'm sure he's not going to get the space he got in the South County weekly, bit it should be an upgrade.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

KMAC should be happy. He probably won't ever have to step foot in the RC ever again.

twisted3829 · Unread post by **twisted3829** » 9 years ago

but bill reynolds will be at every game doing absolutely nothing (no computer, no paper for notes)

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Bill is a true basketball junkie. He loves the game, regardless of
who's playing.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

Billyboy78 wrote:KMAC should be happy. He probably won't ever have to step foot in the RC ever again.

I can guarantee that he will be there every other year when PC plays URI.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

KMac will have to be down at the Ryan Center this Winter to watch EC Matthews as he blows up nationally.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 9 years ago

Rhode_Island_Red wrote:We THINK he'll be a URI beat writer. What does the Providence College Journal think?

That is what he told me - Bill and I work together. Unless they're just lying to him about what his beat is going to be - URI and HS sports - then it seems highly likely that that's what he'll be doing. It's also a job that had a lot of applicants, and if they didn't want him to keep doing what he was doing, they had plenty of other options to consider.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

SGreenwell wrote:
Rhode_Island_Red wrote:We THINK he'll be a URI beat writer. What does the Providence College Journal think?
That is what he told me - Bill and I work together. Unless they're just lying to him about what his beat is going to be - URI and HS sports - then it seems highly likely that that's what he'll be doing. It's also a job that had a lot of applicants, and if they didn't want him to keep doing what he was doing, they had plenty of other options to consider.

So, if Bill is doing high school sports, where does that leave Gilooly?

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