demise of WHDH (AM) was: Nightcap

[Mark Laurence]

On Jan 4, 2009, at 10:17 AM, Scott Fybush wrote:

> Kevin Vahey wrote:
>> Scott
>> Detroit and Seattle still have two broadsheets slugging it out as  
>> we enter 2009.
>
> Sorry, I should have specified "fully competitive" - Detroit and  
> Seattle, as well as a few other markets (Denver, Fort Wayne,  
> Charleston WV, Salt Lake City) remained two-paper towns under JOAs,  
> Joint Operating Agreements that guaranteed certain levels of profit  
> to the "failing" paper. In each of those cases, there's a commonly- 
> owned newspaper agency selling the ad space in both papers and  
> handling circulation, so it's not a truly competitive situation.

Hmm, I guess you already knew all that, since were typing the same  
things.  :)

It's interesting that Canada has so much more pure newspaper  
competition, in Toronto (2 national, 2 local), Montreal (3 French, 1  
English), Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Quebec City, and Ottawa, also  
2 co-owned dailies in Vancouver.  Most of these papers are owned by  
two huge national chains, both with problems.

Canada has never opened the floodgates of radio deregulation to the  
extent of the US.  There are a lot fewer radio and TV stations per  
market, and I wonder if this has kept the doors open a little wider  
for newspapers.