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dead people server: Pat Hingle, 1/3

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:01:18 -0500

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pittsblog: Investing and Entrepreneurship in 2009

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:44:08 -0500

When it comes to economic and technology futures, Pittsburgh isn't Palo Alto. The market for startup capital in the Silicon Valley is wider and deeper than it is in Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh investors have idiosyncrasies of their own. (They have an aversion to risk and an affection for short-term returns that is both curious and notorious for an early stage capital market.)

But connections between the two communities are strong, with individuals, firms, and money flowing back and forth more readily than outsiders might realize. So it's wise for Pittsburgh investors, technologists, and economic development firms (small fish) to pay close attention to what's happening on the West Coast (big fish).

Today's Times has a terrific summary of what the future looks like in Menlo Park. [Link here.] Are there likely to be similar developments in Pittsburgh? Excerpts from the Times:

Conversations with some of the leading venture capitalists about the types of companies that will receive some of the estimated $31 billion venture capital firms raised in 2008 offer a glimpse at the future of technology.
read more

pittsblog: Explaining the Pittsburgh dialectic

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:53:55 -0500

Who am I? Why am I here? Points for those who remember hearing live that quote from a far greater American than I. Mike is on to something and has again asked me to contribute. I assume the long introduction isn’t necessary for most readers here. I have some more regular ramblings over on Null Space which I think will continue much as before. There is a method to Mike’s madness and he has a vision for Pittsblog 2.0. Along with others I hope, I will add my own musings from a self-admitted reactionary Yunzer. I think we will all share a vision of improving the greater community. Feel free to define that community as you wish. Improvement means both highlighting the positive, and let’s just call it constructive criticism of the negative.

pittsblog: Where do the PG buyouts end?

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:51:00 -0500

According to the PG itself, Wednesday was the deadline for 195 PG staffers to accept a 2nd round of buyouts. 195 editorial staff must represent the bulk of the newsroom down there, not just those considering retirement. Except in dribs and drabs it sounds like we won't learn the complete list of takers for some time, if ever. Thursday Samantha Bennett wrote the semi-obligatory column saying goodbye. Because this second round covers so many folks in the PG newsroom, it may be surprising who takes the offer in the end.

Back to the original list of buyouts though. The public at large does not know who took the original PG buyout offer. Here is a list swiped verbatim from the Pittsburgh Media Scoops and Gossip Forum, so take it for what it is worth (i.e. unverified and potentially incorrect). The first round of takers for the PG's recent buyout offer included:

Phil Aselrod, David Bear, Dave Budinger, Arlene Burnett, Bill Campbell, Karen Franschini, Joe Grata, David Guo, Monica Haynes, Paul Meyer, Bill Moushey, Marlene Parrish, Dave Peters, Chris Rawson, Carolyn Reuter, Dan Rick, Cristina Rouvalis, Bob Smizik, Tom Sterling, Larry Walsh, Jim White

That list does not include book editor Bob Hoover which I had said earlier over on Nullspace was on the list. I had heard he had taken the offer from more than a couple sources, but it seems to not be the case. Some of that list list was written up in the CP last week along with some of Potter's discussion of what it all means for the ink distribution business.

Each departing journalist or editor has their own story I am sure. Between Grata and Bear the PG is losing both ends of the travel equation is one thing I notice. Others have filled long time beats mostly on their own. It will be telling to see what beats get filled as they reconstitute themselves down there. I still wonder what their real target the PG ownership wants to get down to. The goal may be to get to a breakeven level of operating expenses, but in the business world clearing out your payroll is often a precursor to getting a potential buyer onboard.

I have no idea if the PG will be sold, though the rumor it has been shopped around are not new. There isn't that much chance that Pittsburgh will soon become a no-newspaper city as Governing put it last week. The Trib, whether it survives on its owners largess or not, had its 5 year plan approved recently I hear... so whatever that level of support is, it does not seem to be an immediate issue. If the Trib wound up as the survivor in a one-newspaper city that support might actually wind up generating a decent investment return. That is if newspapers survive at all. If you didn't catch it, one of the biggest meta-media stories of last month was that both major Detroit newspapers are ending daily home delivery. It's not a new idea to think about whether the future of the newspaper industry exists only as nonprofits.

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