Here’s an interesting comment from a reader:
An interesting comment by “Abcde” in your blog not long ago referred to David Black’s local investors.
” …According to previous news reports, Black’s local investors include Jeffrey and Lynn Watanabe, Duane Kurisu, Larry and Claire Johnson, Island Holdings Inc., Dan Case and C.S. Wo & Sons Ltd., all very familiar names, very local, and in most cases (no pun intended) all very Democrat.
Is it fair to apply any amount of public or private pressure to these local investors? Can they continue in good faith to donate to Democratic causes and look the other way while severance packages are being held up and hourly wage employees are laid-off with barely a goodbye and thank you for all their hard work? It would be nice to hear from these local investors if they truly believe their newspaper is being a good community stakeholder. Or is it just a pure business investment void of any social conscious? … (sic)”
After examining newest print edition and web version of SA, I see no mention of local investors and their names.
Does this mean that Black and Co. no longer have local investors as previously published, or does this mean that the new S-A has decided that for whatever reason, no mention of local investors is going to be standard business/publishing policy?
Before the Bulletin/Advertiser merger, local investors of Black Co. were prominently published on the Editorial section of the Star-Bulletin in small and fine print if I’m not mistaken.
Now there is no mention of Black’s local investors in print or online. Is this a newsworthy item?
I just pulled two newspapers out of our recycling stack, a Star-Bulletin and a Star-Advertiser.
Both papers have a “Views & Voices” spread with editorials and letters. On the left hand side, the old Star-Bulletin had a list of its publisher/editors followed by a list of the board of directors, which included the local investors. The Star-Advertiser inherited the same layout, but there’s just blank space where the directors’ list used to be.
To the reader, it looked like those were directors of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Not so. “Honolulu Star-Bulletin” and “Honolulu Star-Advertiser” are just trade names registered by Oahu Publications, and they were Oahu Publications’ directors.
Does the removal of the directors signify anything? State business registration records show they continue to serve as directors, at least at their last official filing. It’s hard to say what else this might mean, if anything.
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Being laid off is never pleasant, this is the second time for me. But the first time the company was very professional and fair to all us laid off. This time is completely opposite. If I were a director in OPI I would be ashamed and embarrassed and would have resigned when this whole thing started to go south.
Ian,
I simply have to say this to you. Other than your cat stories, nearly everything you write (post) is just plain negative negative negative. There’s an insidious reason lurking behind nearly everything you post, think, write. You have lots of cheerleaders I know, but in the overall scheme of things you are in the minority. Oh, and of course you are never wrong with your “assumptions”. But who cares, once it is posted things take a life of their own. That’s the point right?
I’m not at all clear why you would view this post as “just plain negative negative negative.”
A reader noted a change, I checked on his observation.
I looked up the company info and saw no change in directors or indication of other issues.
End of post.
Obviously, there are a lot of people looking at the “new” product and trying to decide how they feel about it and where they think it is going.
Changes stand out, pattern recognition and all. No surprise that readers notice them and wonder.
I’m sorry that you only see this as negative. It certainly wasn’t meant that way, nor do I think it reads that way.
Maybe that’s why they aren’t on the page right now.
Fair enough. Good point.
There have many lay-offs recently. Some handled decently,others not. I know. I was laid off last month and am still waiting for my COBRA info and my (small) severance. In such a small community,people need to be aware of what the large businesses in their midst are doing
From the June 7 story about Mr. Black, the following info on the corporate players:
BLACK PRESS LTD.
» Headquarters: Victoria, B.C.
» Executive offices: Riffington, David Black’s historic estate in Oak Bay, B.C.
» Ownership: Primarily David Black’s family; however, Torstar Corp. owns about 20 percent.
» Annual revenue: About $500 million
» Subsidiaries: Oahu Publications Inc. in Honolulu and Sound Publishing Inc. in Poulsbo, Wash.
» Employees: About 3,500 full time
» Newspapers: Majority owner of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in Hawaii and about 150 newspapers throughout Canada, Ohio, Washington and Oregon
» Management team: President and Chief Executive Officer David Black, Chief Operating Officer Rick O’Connor and Chief Financial Officer John Walker
HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER
» Headquarters: Waterfront Plaza
» Investors: Black Press is a majority owner; other investors include Fairfax Financial.
» Shareholders: Black Press, Fairfax Financial and a team of local minority owners including Dan Case, Dennis Francis, Larry Johnson, Duane Kurisu, Colbert Matsumoto, Jeffrey Watanabe and Michael Wo
» Management team: President and publisher Dennis Francis, senior vice president of marketing Dave Kennedy, senior vice president of advertising director Glenn Zuehls, vice president/editor Frank Bridgewater and vice president/technology Roger Forness
» Employees: 474
» Newsroom staff: 117
My understanding is that the local minority shareholders have very minor shares.
If they have minor shares (as I’ve also heard) then it should be even easier for them to disavow the SA’s actions – if they are so inclined.
They are still guilty
Oahu Publications, inc. bought the StarBulletin, bought Midweek, and they bought the Advertiser. Does it matter how large of role the local investors had/have.
So their names aren’t in the StarAdvertiser what’s the big deal?
…so what’s the big deal?”
As I tried to say, it may not be anything at all. But it’s one of those bits of change in the landscape that catches your attention, like a small ship on an expansive but normally empty horizon. And, as a result, it draws questions and speculation.
In response to “Mike Middlesworth”:
Please define minor shares?
Also, for the second time I ask, do the local investors have a social conscious?
PS: Thanks to Doug for his informative post. Mahalo.