Both the Advertiser and Star-Bulletin report today that Sam Slom and Malia Zimmerman hope to bid on the S-B, either independently or jointly.
Would Hawaii support a Star-Bulletin with an openly and aggressively conservative political agenda of the sort pressed by Slom and Zimmerman?
Zimmerman, co-founder of Hawaii Reporter, has extensive ties to mainland conservative organizations and funding.
With the GOP targeting Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District race and backing Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, there are certainly interest groups who would like nothing more than a very visible platform for right-wing viewpoints. Could those interests put up the kind of money needed to keep the Star-Bulletin afloat as sort of a Washington Times in the Pacific?
Zimmerman’s last-minute smear of the late Duke Bainum, backed by unidentified mainland groups, was instrumental in Mufi Hannemann’s come-from-behind victory in the 2004 Honolulu mayor’s race. It’s likely that there are groups that would like to see more of the same.
Slom’s web site characterizes the current state financial crisis as a “real opportunity to right-size government”.
At the city level, we read this morning, this “opportunity” will bring the elimination of programs for kids and seniors, dismantling of the Royal Hawaiian Band, elimination of culture and arts programing, and so on. The extent of state level lay-offs and program eliminations remains a matter of House-Senate bargaining.
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Whoa!
It makes sense. There would be quite a bit of red support for Malia and Sam regarding this. When you’re talking Malia and Sam, I would bet there would be off-shore investors.
Malia has built Hawaii Reporter despite detractors. She is as red as I am blue, but I have plenty of aloha for her.
Talk about a conservative news voice.
This is one of those cereal-sprayed-all-over-the-monitor-moments.
“He also believes that Honolulu’s dailies don’t provide enough coverage on issues affecting the Neighbor Islands.”
Maybe the Star-Bulletin under new ownership could reopen the Big Island bureau.
You can’t be serious. There’s absolutely ZERO chance this will happen….not even in his wildest wacky right wing dreams….Let’s see, the SB has reported losses of about 15 MILLION a year for about NINE years running…..and somehow Slom and Zimm are gonna attract even more advertisers than they currently have?? That’s a pretty expensive way to push one’s agenda. Let’s face it, call it what it obviously is, an ego as large as the moon publicity stunt. He should buy a car dealership.
If the sale is only for the assets of the Star-Bulletin and does not include the requirement to continue as a daily newspaper, then there would be an option to step down publication to a few days a week, operate with a much smaller staff, etc. I don’t know what the conditions of the advertised sale are. I agree it’s unlikely to find the numbers working out for a daily newspaper.
Should the Bulletin be purchased, I would hope that it would retain it’s stance in the political center.
If it does become a political publication it should be rechristened and the “Star-Bulletin” name be given a proper burial.
Honolulu Star Bull Reporter?
Honolulu Star Bull—- Reporter
Honolulu Star Bull Porter?
Smart Bull Business Hawaii?
Honolulu Bull Grass Rootporter?
Samalia Bull Retorter?
AAARRRGGGHHH!!!
The Sloms and Zimmermans of the Islands mistakenly believe that economic theory that works on a continent works on an island. Once I figured out this basic factual misconception of theirs all their other foolishness [some of it quite mean spirited!] fits into a theory. They think they are in Chicago with a continent of competition around to keep business honest. Their major failing is failing to recognize factual reality.