Media Insider

Back in the day, I watched the Green Hornet. The idea that a newspaper publisher might be a suspected criminal never caused me to consider whether there was a hidden message or whether a newspaper publisher might decide to fight crime using his fists rather than ink and paper.

Well, it isn't quite the same thing, but the Daily Press of Victorville, California reports that a rival newspaper publisher, Raymond Pryke, was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary after "he entered the home owned by a business that he is suing," according to the report.

The 85 year-old Pryke and a locksmith were attempting to change the locks on the house when employees of the Artisan Real Estate Company discovered Wednesday morning. (Would his name have been Kato?) The best part of this story is the citizen reactions. One writer described Pryke as "mean spirited and nutty" while others praised him and questioned the motive of the local sheriff.

In a move that surprised almost no one, Randy Michaels was named Chief Operating Officer of Tribune Co., taking over management of the company's newspaper division as well as its broadcasting.

It doesn't appear to be available on-line, however LAMag interviewed Jim O'Shea and Dean Baquet about Sam Zell and the takeover of the Times Mirror Co. by the Tribune Co. A snippet is available at Newspaper Death Watch: "Zell seems to be flailing and making it up as he goes along. At least with Tribune, you could have a rational fight," Baquet is quoted as saying.

The New York Stock Exchange will delist the Sun-Times Media Group. The parent company of the Chicago newspaper chain is unlikely to meet listing requirements for the exchange, including having a share price below that demanded by the exchange.

The change won't effect the operations of the company. However the company's shares are more likely to experience low volume and higher spreads between bid and ask.

Schadenfreude has posted video from the "pilot" shows broadcast on WTTW on its web site. They've also posted video, within the past few days, on the vimeo.com website.

If you're not sure what Schadenfreude is, think about it like this: Second City, old school, Schadenfreude, Good Humor Man.

The Kane County Cougars are playing the Peoria Chiefs in a game July 29^th at Wrigley Field according to a release on the Chicago Cubs web site. The 7:05 PM game will be the first minor league game played at the park, according to the announcement. (That is disputed by some friends on the South Side).

Why is this making it in the media blog? UMmm... it shows how the new Tribune Co. management is being creative in using resources to generate income?

Is it 100 years or 99 years? Well, T G Smith of the Morris Daily Herald says it is 99 years, until October 14, 2008. He takes to task other writers, notably Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, for saying that a century has already passed.

Great, another argument about when a century ends and this time it involves the Cubs too.

Dan Miller, former business editor of the Chicago Sun-Times, has joined the Heartland Institute, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Robert McClure, an environmental reporter, says Miller would be taking the position of Vice President and Publisher.

Newsday reports that News Corp.'s New York Post held talks with Teamsters representatives in Washington three weeks ago to review possible arrangements that would allow the Post to buy or partner with Newsday, a report by Daniel Wagner, Susan Harrigan, Mark Harrington and Thomas Maier says.

The report did not report on whether representatives of Mort Zuckerman's New York Daily News also had discussions with the Teamsters. It said the price of the paper, in a bidding war that might also include Cablevision, could approach $500 - $600 million.

Hal Conick prepared an entry on the transition of Howard Wolinsky from the Chicago Sun-Times to independence. "I need two of me now," says Wolinsky. "I didn't know I was in such demand. I think that I'm working harder now than when I worked for the Sun-Times," Wolinsky told the blog.

"I'm turning work away- I'm getting so much work now that I'm giving some of it to others."