When journalist and blogger Jim Hopkins “retired” his Gannett Blog earlier this month, he explained that Gannett, the once feared corporate newspaper monolith and largest newspaper chain in the country, has essentially changed.

And that change has made possible what was once unimaginable: Gannett could exit the newspaper business altogether.

Here’s what Hopkins wrote in his farewell post (“Goodbye | After six-plus years, I’m calling it quits“):

But with the purchase of 20-station TV company Belo in late December, Gannett is no longer the same company. Corporate projects broadcasting will eventually account for more than half of all earnings; throw in digital, and the figure is forecast to rise even higher. In other words, Gannett is now a TV giant with a side interest in newspapers, its mainstay business since 1906, when Frank Gannett founded the company with a single daily in Elmira, N.Y.

Gannett is also a much smaller enterprise. It has eliminated more than 20,000 jobs since the workforce peaked at 53,000 in 2003. Revenue fell to $5.2 billion last year vs. a record $8 billion in 2006. GCI shares trade for $28 vs. an all-time high of $90 in 2004.

And now Wall Street is raising pressure on Corporate to spin off the troubled newspaper division. I had much of this in mind in early December, when I wrote about Gannett’s digital efforts in a lengthy post that also serves as a history of this blog.

Hopkins isn’t the only one speculating about a possible exit from publishing.

From Broadcasting & Cable: “Will Gannett Spin Off Papers?”

An article by Bloomberg got considerable attention: “Gannett Seen Divorcing Print From TV After Belo: Real M&A”

And many see the Tribune Co.’s newspaper spin-off at a model (Bloomberg: “Tribune Co. Said to Plan Midyear Newspaper Spinoff, Seek CEO“).