EARNINGS CALL: 10 A.M. | THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
MARTORE NAMED PRESIDENT, COO | FORUM
Agenda set for Florida conference
Jan. 27 — The agenda for next month's conference with executives from Gannett's metro newspapers was released today.
According to the agenda, the attendees include publishers, advertising directors and other executives from Phoenix, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Louisville, Rochester, Westchester, Palm Springs, Des Moines, Fort Myers, Brevard, Asbury and Wilmington.
The conference, Feb. 3-4 in Orlando, is the resurrection of a group that functioned several years ago, but has been in recess for a while, a memo sent Tuesday to attendees said.
As expected, the meeting largely focuses on growing revenue, with discussions on 2010 advertising strategies and updates on accounts.
The conference wraps up with a 15-minute slot at 2:45 p.m. on the second day set aside for Bob Dickey, president the company's newspaper division.
Michael Kane, publisher of The Indianapolis Star and president of Gannett's Interstate Group, will lead the second-day discussion on regional client solutions, including the topics "collaboration with Agent Phoenix" and "1100 Broadway, Nashville."
Nashville's 1100 Broadway group is an ad agency team at Nashville's headquarters, at 1100 Broadway. The group targets customers and prepares presentations for the clients that include print, digital and assorted other media. The group has been successful, but only a handful of other Gannett papers have been able to replicate it, and not to that group's same level of success.
Dickey will attend Florida conference
Jan. 26 — Bob Dickey, president of Gannett's newspaper division, will attend the Feb. 3-4 meeting in Orlando, according to a note sent to planned attendees and obtained by Gannettoid.com.
The meeting, which is expected to focus on growing revenue, will also include publishers and top advertising executives from the division's top 13 newspapers and members of the corporate revenue team. The conference will also include a meeting of the LINC group, which includes executives from the companies papers in Louisville, Indianapolis, Nashville and Cincinnati.
Gannett plans February conference in Florida
Jan. 13 — Gannett is hosting a Metro Council Meeting next month at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla., according to internal documents obtained by Gannettoid.com.
"The South Group is hosting the conference, and will be handling the logistics of the meeting," Carol Hudler, recently appointed president and publisher of The Tennessean, wrote in the invitation to executives from Gannett's metro papers.
READ THE MEMO INTRODUCING KROST HERE
Sources: Gannett set to end wage freeze
Jan. 12 — Gannett is expected to keep its promise by lifting a wage freeze one year after its implementation, multiple sources have told Gannettoid.com.
The company announced in March 2009 the freeze would last from April 1 until March 31 for all U.S. Community Publishing employees. The move is in line with what division president Bob Dickey promised when making the announcement, but employees have wondered if a still-lagging economy would extend the freeze.
McClatchy, which began its own wage freeze in September 2008, announced last month the cutback would end at different times for employees of its 30 daily newspapers at different times, depending on "financial performance and challenges at each individual paper."
Gannett has not commented on the expiration of the wage freeze, but executives have confirmed to Gannettoid.com the budgets are set with room for wage increases to begin in April.
Despite the upcoming return of raises, Gannett remains in a cutting mode. The round of layoffs Dickey announced over the summer has yet to complete, employees are required to take five furlough days during the first quarter and the company is considering whether or not to impose another week of furloughs in the second quarter. The announcement last month that Westchester would lay off 166 employees when it outsources its printing is a part of the 1,400 planned layoffs Dickey announced over the summer.
Dickey, Pence set for audiocast
Jan. 8 — The following note was included in the weekly e-newsletter to employees, "About Gannett."
Audiocast Tuesday: USCP President Bob Dickey
Learn more about new initiatives being launched within US Community Publishing and the division's priorities for the year by tuning in to an audiocast Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 1:30 p.m. (ET) at http://gannett.gci. E-mail your questions by going to http://gannett.gci/chat now or during the audiocast. Host: Robin Pence, vice president of corporate communications at Gannett.
New target numbers set for sites?
Jan. 7 — Rumors have been swirling that at least some newspaper properties are being told to grossly exceed budget for the first six months of 2010.
This initiative does not appear aimed at all papers in the U.S. Community Publishing division, but involved sites are reportedly being told to hit numbers far higher than that set out on the budget.
Individual properties prepare a budget, but corportate then either increases or decreases the set number. The new target numbers are set above the budget numbers, not instead of the set number.
So far, it is unknown if there are any mandates set for sites to achieve new numbers, such as layoffs or other cutbacks, but most employees at all papers in the division are required to take five furlough days in the first quarter.
Keeping an eye on Gannett
• Contact us at news@gannettoid.com. Find more news on our Gannett news forum, at Gannettoid News, Gannettoid Links and Google News. Make Gannettoid your homepage or bookmark this site.