Everyone with a stake in the newspaper industry will be observing with keen interest the final phases of bidding this week for the assets of San Jose, Calif.-based based Knight Ridder. While many big newspaper companies are still highly profitable, the general sense among investors is that newspapers may soon be hobbled by the seemingly unstoppable growth of the Internet, which in a variety of ways appears to be a better economic model for distributing content and advertising. "If big newspaper owners such as Gannett Co. don't step up and make what investors believe to be a strong bid, pessimists …

While the constant drumbeat of sky-is-falling chatter has persuaded many observers that the newspaper industry will soon be toast, one media strategist has a different point of view.  Gordon Borrell, head of Internet research firm Borrell Associates, believes the industry needs to relax.  The end is not necessarily nigh.  His take, according to Media Life, is that "publishers must stop thinking of the Web site as a version of the paper.” Borrell argues that publishers must reinvent their Web sites as separate businesses with the end of growing them dramatically. That means leaving the local news in the printed …

Those who attended the Financial Times conference on the future of digital media in the United Kingdom heard a series of industry leaders speak rapturously about what lies ahead.  The theme that emerged surprised no one:  The future will go to those who understand that multiple streams of content--coming from multiple sources and deployed to various platforms--is what consumers will increasingly demand. Suggesting that advertisers who are not mindful of the Internet's personalization capabilities might be missing a trick, Microsoft's Neil Holloway noted, "Today only about 5 percent of global advertising is online, yet 20 percent of media is …

A study by Frank Magid N. Magid Associates reveals that consumers who own Apple iPods or are contemplating purchasing one would gladly tolerate some advertising in exchange for free downloads of TV shows. The survey presumed a single 30-second advertisement per show. "It appears that the option to download content of choice for free will dramatically increase interest in purchasing a video iPod, thus potentially increasing video iPod sales and penetration," the study concluded. While not conclusive--the survey is not regarded as comprehensive--it strongly suggests that both Apple, which developed and sells the iPod, and the TV networks themselves have …

Terri Wells, who writes for Search Engine News and looks frequently at the growth of Google, has a good piece online about the vast ambitions of the company--its relentless focus on new markets, its scooping up of advertising dollars, its intrusion into areas previously dominated by old media. And old media definitely has reason to be frightened, Wells says. Google's business model, which places ads where they are most relevant, is hard to beat. Print and broadcast businesses cannot do that, at least not with such precision. Google is therefore positioned to steal ad dollars increasingly. On the other hand, …

The Philadelphia Inquirer's review of the new book by blogger extraordinaire Glenn Reynolds concludes not only that the work is well worth its $24.99 price but that, if you're employed somewhere in the world of traditional media, you had better read it for insight into why your company may be in jeopardy if it sticks stubbornly to its rigid old ways of doing things.  Reynolds, the author of the enormously popular InstaPundit.com blog, says that the days of non-interactive media are numbered. Today's model favors small, nimble, technologically savvy individuals or companies with access to like-minded others via the …

The first issue of Rolling Stone written in Chinese for the Chinese market has been a big success, reports the Times of London.  The magazine hit newsstands several days ago, and it has been selling out quickly.  "On the cover of the first edition... of the American bible of pop culture is Cui Jian, the godfather of Chinese rock and roll. Featuring the 44-year-old rock star was a bold choice," reports the Times.  "Cui only last September played his first public concert in China in 12 years, to nearly 10,000 fans in the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing."  Getting him …

While many newspapers in the U.S. struggle to capture ad revenue in an increasingly competitive environment, papers in Ireland experienced a flush 2005, up 15 percent in ad revenue over the year prior.  In part this may be the result of an aggressive campaign by National Newspapers of Ireland, an industry organization that campaigned heavily last year on behalf of the country's papers.  Commenting on the development, Aidan Forde, head of advertising at The Irish Examiner, said, "The spend in newspaper advertising in 2005 reflects the strength of this particular type of media. It reinforces the fact that press …

Noting that measured ad spending in network television was down last year for the first time since 2001, Ad Age wonders if this signals a permanent shift or merely represents a one-year anomaly caused by decreased spending by a few top advertisers, most notably the automotive sector.  The trade also took note of an apparent decrease of interest in big-event TV--the Super Bowls, the Olympics, and so forth.  Ad Age: "So is this the beginning of the much ballyhooed end for network TV? Certainly not, said Marv Shapiro, managing director at Veronis. 'Network TV is not going to see …

The kids' cable upfront, occurring now, is expected to largely duplicate last year's numbers, according to a report in Mediaweek. The final tally will most likely be $850 to $900 million. And among the top topics of discussion within the industry will be--what else?--the so-called third screen. Alternative means of delivery is on everyone's mind. Also, the kids' market must still contend with the possibility of a lawsuit from a consumer advocacy group that alleges certain advertisers target children's shows for the sale of foods that lead to childhood obesity. That suit, not yet filed, has the possibility to …