What's Next for the Los Angeles Times?
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After six months of uncertainty, the LA Times has been sold to Sam Zell. How much more uncertainty is the paper in for now? The Chicago real estate mogul has said very little since the deal was announced, but he’s indicated his interest is business, not newspapers. Does that mean more staff cuts? Will Zell cut a deal with his Malibu neighbor, David Geffen? Should readers be glad to see the last of the Chandler family? We talk with Times editor Jim O’Shea and others. Also, LAPD Chief Bratton wants a second term.
Making News
LAPD Chief Bratton Announces He Wants a Second Term ()
William Bratton sent a formal letter to the Los Angeles Police Commission today announcing his bid for a second term as Chief of the LAPD. If he is successful, it will also be his last. Rick Orlov reports for the Daily News.
Guests:
- Rick Orlov: City Hall Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Daily News, @Rickorlov
Main Topic
Dissecting the Deal for the LA Times ()
Yesterday, Sam Zell put up $300 million in a complicated takeover of the Tribune Company of Chicago, which is worth $8.2 billion and includes the Los Angeles Times. Zell, a Chicago real estate billionaire who beat out local billionaires Ron Burkle and Eli Broad, has said almost nothing in public, but local billionaire David Geffen says he still has a chance. In a message to the LA Times newsroom, Editor Jim O'Shea said that, while any change of ownership carries some risk--and this includes a heavy debt burden--Zell is "a creative thinker and an inventive entrepreneur," who says, "he believes in the future of the news business." We hear more about the deal, possible staff cuts and absentee ownership of Southern California’s major news source in a conversation with O'Shea and others.
Guests:
- Jim O'Shea: Editor of the Los Angeles Times
- Sharon Waxman: Hollywood Correspondent for the New York Times, @sharonwaxman
- Robert Gottlieb: Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy at Occidental College
- Richard Riordan: Former Mayor of Los Angeles, @RichardJRiordan
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A CD copy of Which Way L.A.? is a available by calling 1.888.600.5279.
Transcripts are not available.
Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
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