Friday, March 23, 2007

The TL test kitchen serves up more vittles

The stories from Mary Therese Biebel about what her newsroom colleagues think of her cooking are cute and all, but what's with only using first names?

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Has Times-Shamrock bought the Hazleton Standard-Speaker?

Anonymous said...

What about the books?

Anonymous said...

Yes they bought it, althought it's a hard pressed issue with everyone else

Anonymous said...

Who hit a new low? I give a shit about TS buying up every paper from the NY State line to what amounts to the northern 'burbs of Philly and Harrisburg. That's a boatload of news flow that one family can control.

Tom Carten said...

Well, maybe a boatload of print newsflow and print advertising, but with the local tv news operations, in addition to all the cable news networks, it's not as if someone in Scranton can keep information from reaching us.

I don't think we'll be seeing the NEPA Citizens' Times Standard anytime in the future.

Anonymous said...

Here, eat this!

Anonymous said...

Times Scumrock is very close to buying the Standard Speaker. If I worked at the SS I would be very afraid. Just ask the poor bastards who go axed at Pottsville to make room for that Holeva wannabe -- Pete Banko.
Guys, and gals, don't buy the bullshit that there's a place for everyone. Get ready for the fuckin', especially if you're competent.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Times Scumrock can really crow about its media holdings. It just about owns every dying newspaper in former coal towns from Scranton to Shamokin. That's quite an accomplishment. Shit in, shit out.
If they were smart, and that's not the case, they would start a spanish newspaper in the Hazleton area.
Oh, but I forgot. Our hispanic friends wouldn't buy a product put out by a gringo.

Anonymous said...

12:26 AM -- not to defend Banko or anything ... but the previous editor was fired over a dispute with the publish.

Tom Carten said...

If they were smart, they would start a spanish newspaper in the Hazleton area ... Our hispanic friends wouldn't buy a product put out by a gringo.

(1) Good idea.
(2) Probably right.
(3) Why not combine 1 & 2?

Put out a small Hispanic paper, maybe the size of a high school or college newspaper (I see the CV printing them all the time) with a total Latino staff. Perhaps only one or two paid at the start, with volunteers and growth possible. Drive it to WB and local areas.

Anonymous said...

Am I missing something? I thought the Times-Shamrock folks bought the Standard Speaker a couple of years ago. Or was I drunk?

Tom Carten said...

Or was I drunk?

Maybe you crushed up some dried mushrooms, went to the Anthracite Newstand (note to the newspapers: Only one "s"), weighed it on a scale, got some zip paper and smoked it.

Oh, wait -- the scales and papers are only for cigarette smokers. My wrong.

Anonymous said...

3:11

No...the Standard-Speaker has been owned by the same family for a long time...

Anonymous said...

A few points:
1) Hazleton already has a Spanish-language newspaper called El Mensajero.
2) The Walser family continues to own the Standard-Speaker. If anyone has any real information to prove otherwise, they should put up or shut up.
3) KRT and Cap Cities both were keen to buy the S-S but couldn't get a deal done.
4) Competence is in short supply at the S-S, but those who are competent probably have more to fear from the current owners than any subsequent ones. Mediocrity is not only tolerated in Hazleton, it is demanded.
5) The S-S got sucked into this whole NEPA News Alliance nonsense several years ago and set itself up to get knocked down by T-S. With the Connor takeover at the TL and the Lynetts' game of Risk that they've been playing, homogenization in area media is now a fait accompli. One more notch in their belt at this point isn't going to make much difference.

Anonymous said...

Hey hey, Mr. NEPA Media, I got some great news for you!!! Edward Lewis, in Sunday's TL, reports that the books are being put back on the shelves of the Hoyt Library!!!! And he told us in the second paragraph!!!! Phheewww!!!! Now we finally know about the books!!!! They still had no comment, though.

Tom Carten said...

11:26 -- 2) The Walser family continues to own the Standard-Speaker. If anyone has any real information to prove otherwise, they should put up or shut up.

I have it unconfirmed, but from inside the media, that the Walsers want to retire from the SS. That's the Standard-Speaker, not the Schutzstaffel. I'll let you know, if the announcement doesn't come before then -- and it might. It would help if we knew who you are and the basis for your thoughts. You may be dead-on right, or you may just be repeating rumors.

Anonymous said...

And based on the Corbett comments, rest assured that if Carten says it, it MUST be true!!!!!!

Tom Carten said...

Mike...

Can't come to a conclusion on that one, as I have two good sources who remember it two ways and both of them are upstanding members of the legal and media communities closely involved with the case.

As to the present instance, I'm merely passing on for your edification and amusement what Anonymous' 7:42, 12:26 and 3:11 have said or hinted about.

My media contacts aren't the same as anyone else's, so I'm not passing on anything second-hand.

Anonymous said...

Face it already, Tom, you were wrong on the Corbett accusations. Just admit to it and maybe we'll be done.....on that one.

Tom Carten said...

If I thought I was wrong (or is it "were wrong"?), I'd be the first to say so. I've just got two really good sources who say two different things. Early on in that thread, I said something to the effect (paraphrasing): "I really think I'm right, but apologies to Steve if I'm not." Or something like that.

So if people (you, anons) can come off the broken record on every thread where you find me, that would be nice, ok?

Anonymous said...

2) The Walser family continues to own the Standard-Speaker. If anyone has any real information to prove otherwise, they should put up or shut up.

I've heard it from two people who for the S-S.

How's that?

Tom Carten said...

Heard that they're staying, or that they're retiring?

Anonymous said...

""Hey hey, Mr. NEPA Media, I got some great news for you!!! Edward Lewis, in Sunday's TL, reports that the books are being put back on the shelves of the Hoyt Library!!!! And he told us in the second paragraph!!!! Phheewww!!!! Now we finally know about the books!!!! They still had no comment, though. ""

Somebody seriously needs to get over this and move on.