Philly.com | Philadelphia Magazine | News & Tech
Philadelphia's newspapers launched subscription sites Monday: Inquirer.com and PhillyDailyNews.com. Philly.com, which will continue to feature content from both papers, will remain free.

The sites are strictly membership-only, Interstate General Media spokesperson Mark Block tells Poynter in an email. Content on those sites is available, he writes, if:

a.) you are a Daily News single copy customer and receive your access code each day in the Daily News for PhillyDailyNews.com b.) you are a home delivery subscriber to the Daily News (for access to PhillyDailyNews.com) or Inquirer (for access to Inquirer.com)

"The membership websites will further Interstate General Media’s commitment to serving both newspapers’ loyal readers and re-ignite their relationship with the people of Philadelphia," a story introducing them says. Memberships are available via a "Subscriber Concierge." (more...)

The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia | Philadelphia Inquirer
The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia and Interstate General Media have struck a tentative agreement that will keep the presses running daily in Philly for the next two years. In a post describing the deal, the Guild says members will take a 2.5 percent pay cut, but there will be no layoffs in the contract's first year. Also, the company will begin "an annual employee review program, in order to give feedback to employees on their job performance."

Publisher Robert Hall told the Inquirer's Mike Armstrong that IGM "should be profitable this year" if the agreement is ratified. A vote is scheduled for next week. (more...)

The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia | SavePhillyPapers.org | Philadelphia Inquirer
A group called Save Philadelphia Newspapers has launched a petition drive "in support of the papers and the journalists and other workers who produce it," a notice from the group on the Philly Guild page says.

The coalition, whose slogan is, "A Great City Needs Great Newspapers" is responding both to the threat on the part of the new owners of the papers, IGM, to "liquidate" them if their demands are not met and to IGM's efforts to replace established journalists with younger, inexperienced, and less costly replacements. Members of the coalition were moved to act when, even after the Newspaper Guild agreed to the requested $7.1 million reduction in compensation to its members, IGM demand the right to fire long established writers at the newspapers.

"[I]magine opening up your paper and reading an article about politics written by a new arrival to our city who doesn’t know the difference between Frank Rizzo and John Street," reads a post on Save Philadelphia Newspapers' website. "Or an article on the Phillies by a kid fresh out of college who doesn’t know the difference between Mike Schmidt and the Philly Phanatic."

Petitioner comments include:

• "The problem of our misinformed public will not be solved by less experienced reporters being paid less"
• "A daily newspaper is a prerequisite for a healthy democracy."
• "The printed press is the only resource to really get the news. The crap on cable is biased rhetoric for both sides. The Inquirer gives clear unbiased reporting along with opinions from all across the political spectrum."

"Further actions are planned," says the group. (more...)

The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia and Interstate General Media "agreed to begin early bargaining on a new contract," Guild Executive Director Bill Ross and Acting President Howard Gensler tell members in an email. The agreement came during "a productive meeting" Thursday morning.

IGM owns the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com. Its owners had demanded $8 million in concessions from the union or would begin liquidating the company, the Guild said last Friday. Guild President Dan Gross resigned Wednesday after he said he was taking a buyout from the Daily News.

If the parties can't come to an agreement or if the Guild's members don't approve an agreement, the Guild says, "our existing contract stays in effect until it expires in October."

Daniel Denvir published an account of the news organizations' struggles' in Philadelphia City Paper Thursday, looking at "questionable editorial choices" and some newsroom sniping about Inquirer Editor Bill Marimow.

Former Sun columnist Mike Littwin, according to sources, infuriated Marimow by writing a union memo critical of management. Littwin came to Marimow’s office and told him, “Bill, it isn’t personal.” Marimow opened a copy of The Godfather and pointed out the passage where Michael Corleone says, “Don’t let anybody kid you. It’s all personal.” Littwin was transferred soon thereafter; he filed a grievance and won a settlement, sources say.

Here's the Guild memo: (more...)

Philadelphia Inquirer | Philadelphia
Daily News reporter Dan Gross is taking a buyout from the paper and will also resign as head of the union that represents workers at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com, Mike Armstrong reports. His resignation from the union is effective immediately; he leaves the paper Feb. 1.

"It would not be prudent, nor fair to the membership for me to . . . take part in any meetings or conversations with Interstate General Media about a future for which I will not be around," Gross said in the statement.

"...My decision was not based on fear, but on opportunity. Taking time to explore alternative career interests is what was the right choice for me and my family."

Gross' departure comes amid growing turmoil at the Philadelphia news organizations. Last week the Guild said new owners Interstate General Media had threatened to liquidate or sell the assets if it couldn't come to an agreement with its unions. (On Friday and again today, an IGM spokesperson declined to comment when I contacted the company.) (more...)

NetNewsCheck
The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News will split from Philly.com in early 2013, Meg Heckman reports. Philly.com general manager Steve Alessi tells Heckman the new sites will have paywalls.

All three entities are owned by Interstate General Media, which purchased them in April. IGM spokesperson Mark Block confirms the report. There will be three websites, with philly.com remaining open access, unlike the new sites for the Inquirer and the Daily News, which will both have paywalls. (more...)

Philly.com
The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Daily News and Philly.com moved out of the "Tower of Truth" in July. And now they'd like their security deposit back.

Developer Bart Blatstein tried to buy the papers but was spurned by its previous owners. He did, however, manage to buy their building, which he has said might make a fine casino. (Blatstein also floated the idea of starting a competing publication.) (more...)

The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia
The new owners of the Philadelphia newspapers are demanding immediate concessions from the Guild that represents employees of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Daily News and Philly.com, union officials Dan Gross and Bill Ross write in a blog post.

They say Gerry Lenfest and Lewis Katz, members of the group of local businessmen who bought the news organizations in April, met with Guild reps and:

spoke of the dire financial situation facing the company, and reiterated management’s recent request that the Guild bargain a concessionary contract now, despite the fact that our contract with the employer is in effect until October 2013.

In a letter to employees last month, IGM CEO Bob Hall told employees revenue at the company was down $16 million from the year before. It told the Guild the same day it would seek $28 million in cuts. (more...)

Philadelphia Magazine | Jim Romenesko
Interstate General Media is looking for $28 million in cuts from operations at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, Newspaper Guild officials Dan Gross and Bill Ross wrote in an email to members obtained by Victor Fiorillo. That follows an emailed update to all employees from Interstate General Media CEO Bob Hall Wednesday, in which he informed employees that revenue in the first half of 2012 was down $16 million over the same period the year before when the company posted a net loss "in excess of $17,000,000," Hall wrote.

"Our owners are willing to invest in future growth, modifying presses, technology, and marketing campaigns, but they cannot be expected to fund operating losses," Hall wrote. He promised an "extensive research project" will lead to "substantial changes to both our newspapers and Philly.com" and said negotiations on labor contracts will reflect the company's need to "change many practices and cost structures to meet industry standards." (more...)