By: Lucia Moses Boston Herald/CNC Deal Poses Threat To Globe
Boston Globe Publisher Richard H. Gilman has called for "urgency" in responding to aggressive expansion plans by the Globe's tabloid rival.
Herald Media Inc., publisher of the Boston Herald, announced last week that it agreed to buy Boston based-Fidelity Investment's Community Newspaper Co. (CNC) for an undisclosed price, giving it a suburban base from which to compete with the Globe for readers and advertisers.
CNC publishes 88 weekly and four daily papers; with the Herald, Herald Media claims its readership will top 2 million as a result of the deal.
In an Oct. 3 memo to employees that was leaked to the Herald, Gilman said a "Strike Team" of top Globe executives began meeting in "extensive sessions" Sept. 29, the day after the CNC deal was announced.
"Beginning today, this group is already putting into place measures that will tell our story to our customers and to you, our employees. It has also identified dozens of measures to accelerate the ways by which we will increase our value for both readers and advertisers," Gilman wrote.
The Globe had been strengthening its coverage of Boston's growing western suburbs when the CNC deal was announced.
"This event could go down as a turning point to the good," Gilman's memo continued. "Through the intersection of our strategies, hard work and competitive opportunities, we can turn this into a fresh surge of energy and growth, and if you think you don't have a personal stake in the outcome, let me be very clear. You do."
Through a spokesman, Gilman declined to comment further, saying the memo speaks for itself.
Lucia Moses (lmoses@editorandpublisher.com) is an associate editor covering business for E&P.
Copyright 2000, Editor & Publisher.
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