Bye Bye!

The National Post newspaper will cease operations unless a Toronto court approves a new ownership structure for the paper by Friday, the paper's owners say.

Hopefully David Akin lands on his feet.

Jonathon Kay Soon To Be Flipping Burgers

TSX Delisting Review - CanWest Global Communications Corp. (CGS, CGS.A)

I intend to drive past the National Post building on 1450 Don Mills at lunch, throw dimes at the window, and yell "I wanted fries with that!" until Jonathon Kay runs out of the building carrying me an order of fries.

Rumour: Ipsos Mystery Poll To Appear Monday

Reported in my comments here. As has been pointed out by several readers, Ipsos Reid--which will apparently claim that the Tories are "flirting with 40%"(so what really--about 38% or 39%?) and therefore flirting with a majority --1) skews Tory, very Tory, 2) polls for CanWest, publisher of Canada's most crazy-assed Tory newspapers, and 3) is following upon a Tory plea to its supporters Canada-wide to talk up its need for a "stable majority".

Given the explanation for the figure noted above here, we can probably rewrite tomorrows Natty Post headline as "No Movement Noted!"

Quebecor To Acquire CanWest Newspaper Assets?

Quebecor and Canwest have signed a deal whereby their carriers will be able to deliver either newspaper, thus paving the way for Quebecor to take control of Canwest newspaper assets down the road.

Die media die.

Is CanWest Still Canadian? Was It Ever Really?

OTTAWA, Aug. 4 /CNW Telbec/ - Prime Minister Stephen Harper needs to assure Canadians that the country's largest media company has not fallen under foreign control, says Canada's largest media union.

[...]

"When Canwest Global purchased Alliance Atlantis, it barely reached the Canadian ownership threshold by including all of its broadcast operations in the deal - but since the value of those assets has now dropped so sharply, it's clear that Canwest's U.S. debt holders may now be calling the company's shots," explains [Peter Murdoch, Vice-President, Media for the Communications, Energyand Paperworkers Union].

[...]

"But Parliament has demanded that our communications media remain inCanadian hands, to ensure our sovereignty and security. Canadian newspapers receive tax breaks and Canadian broadcasters benefit from many regulatory incentives, all to promote Canadian ownership.

"Since Canwest's existence hinges on the consent of its major creditors -largely foreign - CEP's concern is that control of the company has de factoshifted to non-Canadians already - a situation that requires federalgovernment intervention.

How Broke Is CanWest?

Too broke to pay their own lawyers.

So can I start defaming ferret face now?

Canwest Vs. Adbusters: The True Story

Another version.

Bourque Finds One!

Headline on Bourque:

ANALYST STILL SEES VALUE IN CANWEST

He's, like, a stealth analyst.

Don't Use The National Post For Anything But Fish Wrap

Put aside the content for a moment, this is supposed to be a message from the Leader of the Opposition, who may become PM someday:So far so good: no misspellings in the title, which believe it or not is not a slam dunk in the NP. But then, about 30 lines in,Bung Job! Or, put it another way: either Iggy's a moron, or somebody on the NP editorial staff is. I know where I'm placing my bets.

And then, a little later...Iggy apparently breaks into free verse!

Seriously, if you wrote this stuff up in grade school you'd get flunked, and 30 seconds worth of proof-reading could have fixed everything. What are they thinking over there? "Six days, and darkness, sweet darkness, shall claim us all!"

National Post Fans Separatist Flames

Just when you thought Que. Separatism was dead, the Western Separatists at the National Post decide to call out their old pals for one last dance o' division.

And then the inevitable occurred.

Some advice for Jonathon Kay and the gang: literally, given your financial situation, treat every editorial as though it might be your last. Do you really want to end things on an ugly note?

R Wee Andy Sematic Yeti?

Fyred Alll Teh CopiEditurz, didd wee? At 30 One Sense, Yr Stock Izz OvurPryced!!

Die Media Die

Y There Stok Iz Down

And You Will Also Have To Share A Desk With A Stinky Journalist

Further to this story about CanWest's desperate attempts to cut costs:

CanWest Gobal has asked federal regulators for a ruling that will reduce diversity of news coverage and “gut newsrooms,” says a representative of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP), the union that represents many CanWest employees.

CanWest's plan is collapse their newspaper and television staff into one homogeneous blob of scribbling humanity, and thus save money by having journalists prepare stories for several media. Of course, even if this goes through there will be culture clashes within the newly merged units. For example, because tv journalists perform before an audience of millions, they are required to bathe. Some of the print reporters at the National Post...well, lets just say that you can smell them over the phone. And you don' t want the camera inadvertently catching one of your print guys chugging a mickey behind his desk at 7:00 AM. Care will have to be taken.

There's also a rumor going around that the National Post has made all of its bathrooms unisex, and is leasing out the freed-up space to a group of mycologists who are attempting to raise Shitake mushrooms in these dark, dank holes. But that's more a rumour I'm trying to start than one I am trying to spread.

Secret CanWest Memo: No More Meeting Munchies!

And lay off your damn cellphones and blackberries! And put on a sweater, start burning old copies of the National Post for heat! And lay off the fucking copier machines! And no more magazines in the lobby! Burn the back copies for heat! And any travel shall proceed via the company bicycle! If everyone can save a little money, we can all make it through this! Sell your old Conrad Black paraphernalia! That picture of him strangling a hippy oughtta be worth a few bucks!

And so on, and so forth.

Canada: Home Of Cheap Media Labor

Sources tell CBS 2 the paper is taking steps to cut its unionized copy and layout editors.

They include people who handle things like headlines, who check articles for accuracy, and who make the pages the way you see them.

So who would pick up the slack?

The same sources say the Sun-Times might send the work to a firm in Canada or India.

If it wasn't for the thing about checking for accuracy, I'd say use the gang from Can-West. They're definitely going to need an alternative source of income. I saw one of their staffers yesterday licking the NP front page for the calories in its ink.

Meanwhile, Canoe might dump CP:

What it basically comes down to is a phasing out of the wire. We're told now to avoid using Canadian Press as much as possible and I predict in a year or so Sun Media will no longer be associated with CP, or at least at the smaller daily papers. A couple have already cancelled the service in the past year.

The start of a broader trend?

Ottawa Citizen Withdrawing Service In Ottawa?

4 out of 7 Ottawa Citizen newspaper boxes I passed on a walk at lunch today were being taken out of service. They had those same notices that were put up in the Nat Post boxes recently.

A rumour so far, I suppose, but from an Ottawa citizen that's always been a good source.