Re: Re:Re:Re:Wired.com on Reversing Consolidation

["Sean Smyth" <ssmyth@suscom.net>]

Dave Faneuf writes:
>> In discussions with several wannabe players in radio in Lowell they all
urge a marriage between The Lowell Sun and WCAP each of them pointing to the
editorial and news coverage it would provide.  I maintain the word coverage
should and would be replaced with the word control.  Fortunately the current
owner of WCAP refuses to sell to anyone affiliated with the paper, but I
fully expect the publisher of the paper to try to gain control upon the
death of the current owner. <<

I wonder how much longer Wallace will have control there, especially with
the sale to MediaNews a number of years ago. MediaNews has expanded their
north/central Mass. cluster (adding the Fitchburg paper as well as the
Nashoba weeklies) and at some point I wouldn't be surprised if they brought
someone in from the inside to run the whole thing. And I don't think
MediaNews currently has any electronic outlets, meaning their purchase of
WCAP would seem unlikely.

I hear from some on the inside (how accurate they are is another matter)
that Purcell is dealing with a high debt load from the Herald/CNC purchases.
I am curious if Murdoch would at any point re-purchase the Herald, then sell
off the weeklies and have a Herald/Ch. 25 conglomerate to throw out there.