The New York Times | New York | Seeking Alpha | Guardian
Incoming New York Times Company CEO Mark Thompson "repeatedly missed opportunities" when he was director general of the BBC to learn why one of its news programs canceled an investigation into sex-abuse claims against entertainer Jimmy Savile, reports Matthew Purdy in The New York Times. Thompson "said he knew nothing of the Savile investigation before it was canceled by the editor of the BBC’s 'Newsnight' program," Purdy writes.

As for what he knew afterward, his statements have evolved: He first said he was unaware of the investigation, but then acknowledged he was subsequently told of its cancellation by a reporter at a cocktail party. He said while he “may have formed an impression” about possible areas of a Savile investigation, including his charity work, he was unaware of child-sexual-abuse accusations.

Other news organizations covered the "Newsnight" decision, and clips from coverage of the BBC were discussed in daily executive conference calls, Purdy writes. In testimony to Parliament, new DG George Entwistle explained that, in Purdy's words, "only the rarest program issue reaches the director general."

An incredulous member of Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport committee, Damian Collins, said “if this doesn’t qualify, you wonder what the bar is.”

(more...)

The New York Times | The Daily Mail
Incoming New York Times Co. CEO Mark Thompson's BBC office was contacted twice by journalists seeking comment after one of the network's news shows spiked a program investigating claims of rampant sexual abuse by a BBC star. Neither request made it to Thompson personally, his spokesperson told Britain's Sunday Times.

Thompson, who was the BBC's director general until September and was named the Times Co.'s CEO in August, has said he only heard about the decision in late 2011, at a party where BBC journalist Caroline Hawley asked him about the segment, which had been scheduled to run on a show called "Newsnight" and investigated a longtime BBC personality named Jimmy Savile. But in The Sunday Times this weekend, a journalist named Miles Goslett wrote that he'd filed a freedom of information request for internal BBC correspondence regarding the decision, and that Thompson's office referred him to the BBC's media relations department when he called for comment after that request was denied. (more...)

The New York Times Company and the Newspaper Guild of New York have reached a tentative deal for a newsroom contract, ending a prolonged dispute. Guild President Bill O'Meara sends along a statement:

The Guild and The Times have reached conceptual agreement on a new five-year contract. The tentative compromise reached late today with the aid of a mediator is subject to ratification by Guild members. At the request of Mediator Martin Scheinman, details will not be released until language is finalized. The Guild Negotiating Committee has voted to support the settlement, which preserves a Defined Benefit Pension, protects the jointly trusteed medical plan, and includes increases in compensation. We will provide more information in coming days, and a ratification meeting will be scheduled in the near future.

Earlier this month the Times Co. and the Guild agreed to bring their dispute to a mediator, Martin Scheinman. (more...)

Google Finance | Bloomberg | paidContent
New York Times Company stock fell about 22 percent Thursday after the company released weaker than expected earnings. Stocks of other companies that own newspapers dropped too: Gannett Co. was down a little more than 5 percent, and News Corp., Media General and Lee Enterprises were down as well. McClatchy, which also released earnings Thursday, finished unchanged. The Dow closed up .2 percent. (more...)

The Guardian | The New York Times
The British Broadcasting Corporation killed a news report investigating allegations of child abuse by one of its longtime stars when Mark Thompson was the BBC's chief. He's now the incoming CEO of the New York Times Company, and questions about how much he knew are getting louder.

Thompson has said he first heard about the report, prepared for the BBC show "Newsnight," at a holiday party last December. The Guardian's Adam Gabbatt writes that a Thompson spokesperson told the Times of London, "Mark attended a party late last year where a journalist mentioned the fact that 'Newsnight' had been investigating [Jimmy] Savile. The journalist said words to the effect that, 'You must be worried about the "Newsnight" investigation.' " (more...)