Knight Ridder Publishers to Retire

By: (AP) Rick Sadowski, publisher of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press since July 1997, will retire at the end of October, Knight Ridder announced Monday.

Knight Ridder also announced the retirement of Peter Pitz, publisher of The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, at year's end.

Sadowski's career includes 31 years with Knight Ridder, starting at The Miami Herald in 1970. He joined the Pioneer Press after serving as publisher of the Long Beach (Calif.) Press-Telegram.

"I feel fortunate to have worked with many fine people during almost 32 years with Knight Ridder," Sadowski said in a statement from the company. "It has been a challenging, rewarding, and fulfilling part of my life. I thank all of you who have provided such valuable support and counsel throughout the years."

Sadowski wasn't available after 5 p.m. Monday, and didn't immediately return a call to his home seeking comment.

His departure comes at a difficult time for Knight Ridder, which announced in June it would cut 1,700 jobs companywide. The Pioneer Press offered buyouts starting that month to trim its 840 full-time positions by about 10%.

Steve Rossi, president of Knight Ridder's newspaper division, said successors for both men would be named soon, "almost certainly from among current Knight Ridder publishers."

Sadowski, 54, moved from the Miami Herald to the Press-Telegram in 1979 as circulation director. In 1987, he became vice president of sales and marketing at Fort Wayne Newspapers, and later served as chief executive there before going to Long Beach as publisher.

Sadowski leaves the Pioneer Press not long after John Schueler resigned as publisher of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the state's largest newspaper.

Schueler cited personal reasons when he resigned in May after three years leading the Star Tribune, a McClatchy paper. He was replaced in July by J. Keith Moyer, who had been president and publisher of The Fresno (Calif.) Bee.

Pitz joined Knight Ridder in 1983 as director of operations at the Detroit Free Press. He was responsible for business operations at nine Knight Ridder newspapers when he was named the Eagle's publisher in 1996.