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Sarchets sell newspaper after 50 years of ownership
Charles and Mary Ann Sarchet sold the Briscoe County News in Silverton to Jed and Sally Moorhouse, the newspaper announced in the Feb. 17 weekly edition.
The Sarchets bought the newspaper from Mr. and Mrs. M.B. Cavanaugh in April 1959. Over the ensuing 50 years, they adopted the necessary production advances, from Linotype to cold type and finally to digital.
Jedd Moorhouse is serving as publisher and Sally Moorhouse is editor and office manager.
The county seat weekly newspaper was founded in Silverton in 1892 and has operated as the Briscoe County News since 1908. The newspaper’s paid circulation, based on the October 2009 statement of ownership, is 633.
Marshall daily cuts back to 6-day publication
The Marshall News Messenger on March 1 discontinued publishing its Monday editions.
In the Jan. 29 editions, Publisher and Editor Phil Latham said the move comes because of a continued soft economy and challenges in the newspaper industry, which have persisted for almost two years.
For all but about 13 years of its 132-year history, The News Messenger has been published six days a week instead of seven. In 1997, shortly after Latham’s arrival at the newspaper, The News Messenger began a Saturday edition, extending publication to seven days a week.
Latham said the Saturday edition would not be impacted by the decision and that the move would not cause any further personnel reductions.
The News Messenger was purchased by Houston-based ASP Westward Communications in 2009 from Atlanta, Ga.-based Cox Enterprises.
Report reveals substantial revenue opportunities
Newspaper organizations can increase revenues by as much as 15 percent by consistently targeting the best sales opportunities with the right type and amount of sales resources, according to a white paper report released Feb. 23 by The American Press Institute.
The free report “Sales Resource Optimization: Bringing Science to the Sales Force” provides key information on optimizing sales force effectiveness. It is a joint effort of Reston, Va.-based API and ZS Associates, a global management consulting firm specializing in sales and marketing consulting, capability building, and outsourcing.
“Particularly in these days of recession-driven staff cuts, it is estimated that newspapers and news media organizations have cut beyond fat into the bone, and have limited their ability to capture the market potential that is and will be increasingly there as the economy recovers,” said Andrew B. Davis, president and executive director of API.
Read the report at: http://www.newspapernext.org/2010/02/api-reveals-huge-revenue-oppor.htm.
School district closes off voice mail recordings
Public information advocates said the Austin school district’s practice of using a voice mail call-in system to communicate certain information with school board members violates the spirit, if not the state law, governing open meetings.
And, that the district does not retain those voice mails for public inspection is also problematic, and possibly illegal, they say.
According to the Austin American-Statesman’s report published Feb. 26, the newspaper recently made a request under the Texas Public Information Act seeking a message that Superintendent Meria Carstarphen left for trustees.
School district officials said the district maintains no records responsive to the request. They did not disclose what the message contained.
School district attorney Mel Waxler said he has advised superintendents that it’s fine to use voice mails to relay something that’s “purely procedural in nature” or to alert board members to something that will be made public so that trustees are not surprised and won’t see it for the first time in the media.
Bill Aleshire, an attorney representing the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, said the Texas Open Meetings Act was written so that the public can know “what went into board members’ minds that helped them reach a meeting of the minds later on.”
The voice mail communication system is “a creative but devilish technique they are using,” Aleshire said. “I think that practice is against the spirit of the Open Meetings Act because it is allowing someone to communicate information that is of interest to the public in secret.”
Much like e-mails and letters, sound recordings are considered public records, according to the state open records law.
Furthermore, Aleshire said, an argument could be made that under the State Records Retention Schedule, which the school district has adopted, such recordings must be retained for two years.
News’ charity effort raises 7 figures in drive
The Dallas Morning News Charities raised more than $1.2 million for the homeless and hungry during its 24th annual fund drive, the newspaper reported Feb. 6.
Bob Mong, editor of The Dallas Morning News and chairman of The Charities, said he was anxious going into the campaign because of the economy, according to the report.
Last year, the campaign totaled $927, 983.20 in funds raised.
Belo owner chalks up profit in fourth quarter of 2009
A.H. Belo Corporation, owner of The Dallas Morning News, earned $5.6 million in the fourth quarter, its first quarterly profit since becoming an independent company in early 2008.
But The Dallas Morning News published a story Feb. 25 saying the preliminary figure is likely to change, as the Dallas-based newspaper company works with its new accounting firm on accounting for future pension obligations.
A.H. Belo had nearly $25 million in cash or cash equivalents at the end of 2009. That number rose to almost $32 million at the end of January said Robert W. Decherd, the company’s chairman, president and chief executive.
“Although the macroeconomic and secular changes affecting every newspaper company will remain present to some degree throughout 2010, we are cautiously optimistic about this year,” he said. In the same story, Decherd also announced John MeKeon, president and general manager of The News, has joined A.H. Belo’s management committee, effective immediately.
Newspaper’s video site now boasts Twitter feed
On Feb. 12, The River Cities Tribune in Marble Falls announced the debut of a Twitter feed allowing viewers to receive regular news headlines and tidbits on smart phones or home computers.
And, visitors to thepicayunetv.com can post comments on any text or video story features on the site. See www.twitter.com/thepicayunetv.com.
Galveston daily to publish new night-life magazine
The Galveston County Daily News on Feb. 14 announced plans to publish “After Hours,” a free monthly stand-alone magazine focusing on night life in Galveston County.
The first edition is scheduled for release March 31. It will be distributed at nightspots and other drop spots around the county.
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