Meet the New Prez, a Syndication Veteran Like the Old Prez

By: Dave Astor Universal Press Syndicate will still have three decades of institutional memory in its presidential post when Lee Salem succeeds Bob Duffy in early July.

Salem joined Universal in 1974, while Duffy came aboard in 1976. Both men (Salem from the editorial end, Duffy from the sales side) helped build Universal into a syndication powerhouse known for "Doonesbury," "For Better or For Worse," "Cathy," "Dear Abby," the on-sabbatical "Boondocks," the now-defunct "Far Side" and "Calvin and Hobbes," and many other features.

"We want to continue what we've learn to do well," said Salem, when asked about his presidential plans during an E&P conference-call interview that also included Duffy. That means syndicating comics, columns, and other features while also offering less traditional products -- including ones that earn ad revenue for newspapers at a time when many papers can certainly use the money.

Two examples of that type of product were introduced during the last two years of Duffy's presidency. One is "Fronteras," a weekly Spanish-language newspaper that Kansas City's Universal and Mexico's Danilo Black launched in 2004. The other, which made its debut this year, is a CD-ROM insert for newspapers from Universal and iMedia.

Another highlight of Duffy's presidency, which began in early 2000, was the 2004 purchase of internationally oriented Atlantic Syndication.

Why is Duffy stepping down? "It just felt like time," he replied. "I always thought I had the best job in the business. To stay in it any longer would be just greedy."

After June 30, Duffy will continue to serve on the board of syndicate parent Andrews McMeel Universal, occasionally consult for AMU, and may also do non-AMU work. "I just have to be careful that I'm not as busy in retirement as I was before," he said with a laugh.

Duffy, 60, who plans to stay in the Kansas City area but live in a warmer climate part of the year, said his AMU consulting could include keeping an eye on possible future acquisitions and partnerships for Universal. "That's probably where I can help Lee the most," noted Duffy.

Meanwhile, Salem will retain the title of Universal editor when his promotion from executive vice president to president takes effect in July. "I tried to convince John I should get two salaries, but he didn't go for that," joked Salem, referring to AMU Chairman John McMeel, who co-founded Universal in 1970 with the late Jim Andrews and served as president until Duffy succeeded him in 2000.

Salem, 59, who was promoted to executive vice president and editor when Duffy became president, did say he hopes to step down as editor after a transitional period. In the meantime, Universal plans to hire another editorial staffer to allow Salem more time to concentrate on his presidential responsibilities.

Mentioning McMeel once again, Salem said the Universal co-founder gave him, Duffy, and others plenty of autonomy over the years. Salem recalled that when "The Far Side" creator Gary Larson was looking to leave Chronicle Features more than 20 years ago, the cartoonist's attorney called Universal seeking a contract very much in Larson's favor.

"John was out of town," said Salem. "Bob and I were on the phone with the attorney, and we wondered if we could cover the numbers. John gave the OK. He trusted the judgment of his people. We ended up exceeding the numbers much earlier than we expected," as Larson's comic rocketed to widespread popularity. "You couldn't work for a finer owner," Duffy added.

He and Salem said the syndicate business has changed significantly during their decades at Universal -- with the advent of the digital age and the Web, the shrinking of newspaper space and newspaper feature budgets, and other developments. But the basic goal of syndication remains, said Duffy, which is to help newspapers (and other clients) "inform and entertain readers."

Duffy joined Universal as sales manager in 1976, and was promoted to national sales director in 1980 and vice president of sales in 1984. In 1996, he also became director of Universal New Media, now known as uclick.

Salem came to Universal as assistant editor in 1974, and was named managing editor in 1980 and vice president/editorial director in 1981. Among his responsibilities: personally editing Garry Trudeau's "Doonesbury" for more than 20 years.

"I've enjoyed working with the writers and artists," said Salem, "and I've learned a lot from them."

Salem and Duffy added that Universal's editorial and sales departments have also worked well together over the years.