This is a work in progress. When finished, the goal is that this page will contain links or info about key events, casualties and happenings in the Redwood newspaper war since its inception. More recent events can be found on this blogs main page. Feel free to contact us if something of interest is missing from this list: The Redwood Newspaper War Watch
LAST UPDATED: 8/23/2008
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T-S names new publisher
8/5/2008
The MNG-owned Times-Standard named a new publisher for the newspaper. Dave Kuta, who previously was president and publisher of the Los Angles Newspaper Group-owned Long Beach Press-Telegram took over the paper, moving Greg Stevens to the MNG-owned Red Bluff Daily News.
The 30-year veteran didn’t name any changes in public, but said he would be “looking for niche opportunities and the development of the paper’s Web site.”
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The Eureka Reporter loses circulation status
8/4/2008
California’s First District Court of Appeals overturned a decision made by the Humboldt County Superior Court granting The Eureka Reporter general circulation status. That declaration, made in early 2007 after the ER petitioned the superior court, allowed the newspaper to publish legal notices, a source of revenue.
MediaNews Group-owned Times-Standard opposed the decision on the grounds that the ER has no paid subscription base, a requirement to be declared a newspaper of general circulation.
Since the ER offers its newspaper free of charge, with only a volunteer donation base, the appeals court overturned the decision.
ER: Appellate court rules against Eureka Reporter
TS: Eureka Reporter loses circulation status
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ER names new managing editor, T-S still working interim
8/1/2008
For a time during the Summer of 2008, both newspapers fighing in the war were editorless, having instead interim editors bumped up from lower management positions. On this day, Arkley-owned Eureka Reporter names Diane Batley their new managing editor, a 32-year-old ex-assistant managing editor for the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the T-S remains with an interim editor, Kimberly Wear, who was previously the city editor for the newspaper.
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Security National announces layoffs
7/22/2008
Security National Servicing Corp, an entity owned by Robin P. Arkley II, who also owns The Eureka Reporter, announced more layoffs – 21 employees. The company laid-off 31 employees back in March.
ER: Security National announces lay-offs
TS: Security National Servicing announces more layoffs
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McKinleyville Press up for sale, will MNG buy it?
7/17/2008
As posted on the Humboldt Herald, guest contributer Andrew Bird talks about the McKinleyville Press being up for sale for the low, low price of $30,000, and explores whether MNG would be interested in such an acquisition based on past purchases.
MNG owns the Eureka Time-Standard, Tri-City Weekly, Humboldt Beacon and Redwood Times in Humboldt County.
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North Coast Journal receives collateral damage from newspaper war
7/3/2008
In a letter to advertisers in the July 3 issue of the North Coast Journal, Publisher Judy Hodgson explains to advertisers, and her readers, why the weekly has to raise their ad rates. Since the ER keeps its ad rates lower than its competition, MNG’s Time-Standard, the NCJ has suffered financially as a result. Hodgson explains to readers that the NCJ doesn’t have the luxury of deep-pocketed individuals to keep the newspapers afloat.
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MediaNews Group’s S&P credit rating drops to CCC
6/20/2008
The Standard & Poor’s credit-rating service dropped MediaNews Group’s credit rating from “B-minus” to “CCC,” as it expects the newspaper giant to “restructure” in the future.
CCC is four levels above default as S&P defines it, and well into the “junk bond” range.
In his S&P analysis, Emile Courtney said it was “unclear whether business partners will continue to support MediaNews if the operating environment continues to deteriorate. Moreover, we believe that the company is unlikely to maintain its current capital structure over the long term.”
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T-S Editor found dead in his home
6/14/2008
MNG-owned Times-Standard Managing Editor Rich Somerville was found dead in his home after suffering a heart attack, leaving both the T-S and ER editorless.
TS: Times-Standard managing editor found dead in his home
ER: T-S editor died of heart attack, coroner says
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ER editor resigns
5/5/2008
Arkley-owned Eureka Reporter Managing Editor Glenn Franco Simmons resigns from the newspaper. He was the managing editor for the newspaper since its inception.
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Security National announces layoffs
3/23/2008
Security National Servicing Corp, an entity owned by Robin P. Arkley II, who also owns The Eureka Reporter, announced more layoffs – 31 employees.
The economic downturn in the housing market is cited as the primary reason for the layoffs.
TS: Security National announces layoffs
ER: Security National announces layoffs of Eureka employees
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Times-Standard in a hiring, pay raise freeze
3/6/2008
MNG-owned Times-Standard, in an effort to save money due to “macroeconomic” factors in the newspaper business, has an indefinite annual “merit pay” increase along with a hiring freeze.
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ER scales back print edition to five-days a week
12/31/2007
The Eureka Reporter starts its five-day a week print cycle and introduces an electronic edition of the newspaper seven-days a week. The ER stopped printing its newspaper on Monday and Tuesday, while continuing its news cycle online through its web site and e-edition.
ER: Taking that next big step…
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ER downgrades quality of print edition
10/20/2007
For the fifth time since going to a print edition, Arkley-owned Eureka Reporter announced that it would be downgrading the quality of its newsprint in order to redirect resources.
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Massive ER staff cuts rumored
10/12/2007
According to the local blog, The Humboldt Herald, a source revealed that the Arkley-owned Eureka Reporter was preparing to cut 25 percent of its staff, this according to a source in the know. The degree of cut-backs is not known, but it is known that at least two staffers at the newspaper were laid-off around this time.
