Newspaper-TV Marriage Shows Signs of Strain

In a January 11, 2007 article, Washington Post [1] Staff Writer Frank Ahrens writes:

"Television once was a coveted partner of newspapers. Executives talked of synergy between the two media, with newspaper reporters broadcasting their expertise on television, and TV stations providing a wider reach for the print brand. The high profit earned by TV stations, as much as 40 percent during years when the stations are fattened by political advertising, was seen as crucial to the bottom lines of newspaper companies..."

Ahrens writes that Belo, The New York Times Co., Tribune Co., and E.W. Scripps have moved to sell or split their TV holdings from their print operations. 

Ahrens goes on to note that as recently as 2000 executives such as Times Co. Chairman Arthur Sulzburger, Jr. touted newspaper-TV relationships as essential to their financial success. Now newspapers are looking increasingly at the short form video on the Web as the key to the future.

Click here for Ahrens' full article on the Washington Post website. [2]