In Sunny Minneapolis at the AABP Summer Convention

Summer 2009

Beginning Thursday, I’ll be in Minneapolis at the annual summer conference of the Alliance of Area Business Publications. The organization represents 70 publications that deliver customized regional business news to more than 1.2 million business pros in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Australia. Members include the Los Angeles Business Journal, the Crain’s family of newspapers and magazines like Florida Trend.

The conference includes various sessions for publishers and editors. I’ll be moderating one on the emerging role of social media in business news reporting. Our panelists are Alan Baker of Crain’s Detroit, Eric Olson of the Springfield Business Journal, and newspaper consultant Kevin Slimp.

I'll tell him you said hi.

Other panels address the challenges of staffing and managing a print and online newsroom, what online journalism tools are available, integrated sales and how to maintain value in a down market.

We’re hoping to learn a lot from these sessions, in addition to networking with our fellow business news organizations to see how they’re making it in this choppy economy. And I’m looking forward to checking out Minneapolis, a city I’ve never visited before.

More updates from Minnesota coming soon.

More

AABP Web site at Bizpubs.org

New Bulletin Providers Exclusive National Business News

Little Rock hosted the conference in 2005.

Last year’s event took place in Charleston, S.C., and Denver played host the year before.

A Quick Note: More #LRTweetup Pics Here

Thanks to Leif Hassell, who as a young journalism student I watched build the first ASU Herald newspaper Web site in the late 90s, for submitting some additional #LRTweetup pics, which I’m only now getting around to posting.

What surprises await? How ’bout the Think Tank bowtie and an early Arkansas Internet pioneer? Click here.

Salary Cuts at Gannett Hit KTHV

Ugh. It’s another challenging day for Gannett Co.-owned CBS affiliate KTHV-TV, Channel 11.

Arkansas Business’ Mark Hengel has the local angle on Gannett’s latest cost-cutting measures, which you might have noted brewing for several days now on the Gannett Blog:

The company that owns Little Rock’s CBS affiliate is imposing permanent wage cuts of up to 6 percent on employees, according to a memo leaked Tuesday to a blogger. The cuts will take affect July 1.

The cuts are the latest in a rash that has affected several media companies since the economy began to struggle. The company imposed furloughs in January.

The Gannett Blog obtained two memos sent to employees of Gannett Co.’s broadcast division – including KTHV-TV, Channel 11 – that outlines the cuts. The cuts result from a “permanent reset of the American economy on the other side of the economic storm,” division president Dave Lougee wrote.

The cuts will not affect employees making less than $30,000.

Hengel has more details on the cuts and how they break down, as well as comments from Larry Audas, KTHV’s president and general manager, here.

The Gannett Blog has more on today’s moves here, including word on possible cuts in Gannett’s newspaper division, which includes giants like USA Today — and the Baxter Bulletin in north Arkansas.

* Disclosure: Arkansas Business and THV have a news sharing partnership, and I appear on THV news programs to deliver business news headlines.

Local TV Ratings, Million-dollar Homes in This Week’s Arkansas Business

Arkansas Business’ new edition is available now in newsstands and online. Here’s a sample of this week’s stories and opinion:

Who pays $1 million (plus) for a home? We’ve got a list of Pulaski County homes that sold for more than $1 million right here.

Meanwhile, condo sales at 300 Third in Little Rock surpass $41 million. George Waldon tells us who bought what units and for how much.

In the May ratings race, KLRT capitalized on Kris Allen-mania and “American Idol,” KTHV maintained the biggest audience and KATV continued to lead at 5 and 6 p.m.

Gwen Moritz weighs in the health care debate. Someone’s ox is about to be gored.

The View From Here

At DeGray on Sunday.

Weekend’s over. Back to work.

Hankins, Back at the Table, Tonight on ‘Arkansas Week’

Tonight

Watch/listen now: Video | Audio

Arkansas Business President and Publisher Jeff Hankins is back at the table on tonight’s “Arkansas Week,” hosted by Steve Barnes on AETN. Who are the other panelists? We don’t know! Mainly because we can’t seem to talk to Hankins about anything besides the new iPhone 3GS, which is desperately been trying to get his hands on all day now. Sheesh.

When we know more, we’ll let you know. Meanwhile: Safe to say today’s Arkansas unemployment numbers will come up, as well as that Indian pipe-maker’s decision to cancel plans for a new plant at the Port of Little Rock.

Check it out, 8 p.m. on your local AETN affiliate.

Great Success! at the 2nd #LRTweetup Last Night

Click for the official site

I think it’s safe to say a good time was had by all at last night’s 2nd #LRTweetup at the Capital Bar & Grill in downtown Little Rock. I think our group was at least as big — if not a little bigger — than at the first event, and there again seemed to be a variety of professions and businesses represented, making it a choice networking event for all in attendance.

Special thanks to KATV for shooting some video of the Tweetup, which aired on its 10 p.m. newscast last night in conjunction with a story on Twitter’s growth and role in — no joke — Middle Eastern politics.

Tsudo’s got more on last night’s festivities at the Official #LRTweetup blog, including shout-outs to our hosts at the Capital Bar & Grill and Brant Collins, who fashioned some snazzy name tags for everyone to wear.

We hope to have a few pics from last night available later today (send them here if you’d like me to post them). Meanwhile, keep watching for news on our next event. And thanks again to everyone for coming out and creating another memorable Tweetup.

UPDATE: The official estimate of last night’s event: 50-60 folks. A couple of photos, after the jump:

The Return of Media Notes: Why Print Beats Kindle, and Google’s New Flipper

Google Flipper

At long last, another round-up of media notes from the world over:

Red All Over – Slate’s Farhad Manjoo on how print newspapers are still better than the new Kindle. Oh — and so’s getting your news on the iPhone.

They Call Him Flipper – Google’s working on another new tweak to Google News called “Flipper,” a visual way of sifting through the day’s news online. All this news innovation, and yet none of it from newspapers themselves. As usual!

That’s The Way It Is – TV news icon Walter Cronkite is “gravely ill.”

Sick Leave – Gannett Co. CEO Craig Dubow takes medical leave, increasing worry about the state of the media company.

Face the Book – Authors ready a Facebook tell-all soaked with money, sex and greed. Of course.

iPhone Fail – WSJ tech guru Walt Mossberg waited in line today, but couldn’t get his iPhone. Will Jeff Hankins have better luck?

In Celebration of the 2nd #LRTweetup, An Arkansas Twittersphere Update

To mark tonight’s 2nd #LRTweetup event, let’s check in with some new additions to the Arkansas Twitter Guide!

We put out the call, and you answered. See the full, updated guide here and check the new entries below:

New Entries

Keith Crawford, aka Tsudo, the brains behind the Official LRTweetup Web site: http://twitter.com/tsudo*

BorkDog (Philip Martin) – http://twitter.com/borkdog

Kelley Bass – http://twitter.com/KelleyBass

Jamie Gates, Conway Chamber of Commerce – http://twitter.com/chambergates

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock – http://twitter.com/ualr

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families – http://twitter.com/AACF

Steve Sullivan, KATV – http://twitter.com/sully7777

Even more! After the jump.

Sams Honored at Little Rock Media Fellowship Luncheon

BJ Sams, with his THV couch cake, poses for pics.

The Little Rock Media Fellowship honored retiring “Today’s THV This Morning” anchor BJ Sams at its regular luncheon today at Ump’s Bar & Grill at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. The group, a fellowship of Christians in broadcasting, chipped in to buy Sams a Hartmann travel bag for all his world travels post-retirement. His final day is in July.

Sams, who spoke to the group about his years in broadcasting and his reliance on faith in hard times, was also honored with kind words from some of the many folks he’s worked with in his 50-year broadcasting career, including former morning show co-host Beth Ward, former KATV news director Jim Pitcock and long-time Arkansas broadcaster Steve Stephens. He also received a print of the Old Mill from the city of North Little Rock, presented by Alderman Charlie Hight.

After the jump, photos of Ward and Stephens during their presentations.