1 of 1- RadioActive
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The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
Talk about the lion lying down with the lamb. There are reports talks are underway for a merger between the Toronto Star and the Postmedia, which publishes the Toronto Sun and the National Post. What seems an unthinkable joining of liberal and conservative editorial stances comes as newspapers are losing money and are under siege trying to survive.
"Both companies have faced economic hardship during increasing digitalization of news which has meant cuts, layoffs and cost reductions.
"Negotiations for the media mega-deal are ongoing and the merger is not a done deal, company officials said."
National Post story:
Postmedia, Toronto Star owner in merger talks
Toronto Star story:
Toronto Star owner in talks to merge with Postmedia
- Dial Twister
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
The Titanic orchestra members looking to merge with Titanic passengers. Merger or not, the ship's going down.
- Dale Patterson
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
Dial Twister wrote:
The Titanic orchestra members looking to merge with Titanic passengers. Merger or not, the ship's going down.
And no Carpathia to save those in the lifeboats...
"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
- cash
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
It's dead, Jim!
- paterson1
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
This isn't the first time. October 1998 Torstar tried to buy the Sun newspaper chain from Quebecor. They offered $485 million to buy the Sun in a hostile takeover. Eventually the Star did acquire The Hamilton Spectator, KW Record, Guelph Mercury, Cambridge Reporter and a few others from Quebecor.
At the time Torstar said that they would not be changing the Sun papers editorial position if successful. The paper also commented that the Sunshine Girls would remain.
This time if successful, the editorial positions of the two papers would likely stay the same. Although at some point it would a real possibility for one Toronto paper to close if economic conditions for all news media doesn't improve. But maybe that should be taken with a grain of salt. Since 1998 critics have been predicting that one of the Toronto dailies would close.
- Glen Warren
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
It's dead, Jim!
Fascinating...
- betaylored
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
It's dead, Jim!
Fascinating...
The needs of the money outweigh the needs of the you.
- Radiowiz
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
If this merger goes ahead,
Pure speculation: Does this mean National Post can shut down everything except their business section and merge it into the Toronto Star? (terminating the Star Business section)
- georgio1
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
If this merger goes ahead,
Pure speculation: does this mean National Post will shut down its thin sports coverage?
Another thing, why does this forum react in horror when a broadcasters loses his/her job but seems to relish print media's financial challenges?
- RadioActive
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
Another thing, why does this forum react in horror when a broadcasters loses his/her job but seems to relish print media's financial challenges?
I'm not sure SOWNY members like seeing anyone lose their job. The interesting part of this story is that two such completely opposite philosophical entities would try to get together, demonstrating how desperate the industry has become. It would be like the CBC merging with Fox News. It's just not something you'd ever expect to see.
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Thread Starter- georgio1
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
The interesting part of this story is that two such completely opposite philosophical entities would try to get together
Speculation about the low prospect of four dailies surviving in the GTA has been rife for the past 25 years. If a friendly merger doesn't occur it will be a matter of time until creditors force a shotgun wedding (some say)
- paterson1
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Re: The Unbelievable Odd Couple: Toronto Star & Postmedia Talk Merger
Another thing, why does this forum react in horror when a broadcasters loses his/her job but seems to relish print media's financial challenges?
I'm not sure SOWNY members like seeing anyone lose their job. The interesting part of this story is that two such completely opposite philosophical entities would try to get together, demonstrating how desperate the industry has become. It would be like the CBC merging with Fox News. It's just not something you'd ever expect to see.
As mentioned above, this isn't the first time that The Star and Sun have discussed a merger or buyout. It could have happened back in 1998. Then it would have been more dramatic and interesting than now. In 1998 newspaper chains were profitable and still had healthy circulations. Toronto was in the midst of a huge newspaper war. Today it is a matter of survival. The CBC/Fox comparison is a bit overblown.
georgio1 makes a valid point. With mergers or layoffs in the newspaper business, the focus here seems to be about how desperate and weak the print media has become. We could argue the same for OTA broadcast media, rather than all of the wailing and anger that happens anytime there is a merger or layoff with Rogers or Bell.