LATEST WAVE OF J/S BUYOUTS

MORE DEPART
ON CALL FOR $40 A DAY
COMPANY'S "MANUFACTURING" PLANT LOOKING EMPTY,
WORTH $12 MILLION?

By Michael Horne

[This report of the departed used to be an annual feature at Milwaukeeworld, in 2007 and 2008. It looks like we can increase the frequency, based on the demand. Our coverage will be limited only by the number of remaining J/S staff. --Ed.]

The most recent list of newsroom employees to take a buyout offer from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel include Geeta Sharma-Jensen, Tannette Johnson-Elie, Tim Cuprisin, Damien Jaques, Dave Tianen, Tom Strini, Alan Borsuk and Lisa Sink. The deadline for applications was Monday, July 27th, 2009.

The paper may also terminate some staffers who did not apply for the buyout. For instance two Editorial Department positions will be eliminated, including the Letters Editor position. For some employees, especially those with limited service with the paper, it would be better to be terminated than to voluntarily separate for unemployment compensation and other reasons. Some may also hope to be transferred to other positions. It does strike this desk that the Editor / Reporter ratio at the paper is getting mighty rich. It's practically at the University School Faculty / Student ratio, but less supportable longterm.

There are other concessions being demanded by management. For instance, some reporters will be asked to make themselves available on-call on weekends and holidays for a $40 flat fee. If they don't get called into the shop, they're two Andy Jacksons ahead. [They have to promise to refrain from alcohol during the 12-hour on-call periods.] But if they are called in to work, the compensation will be in additional time off. The union says this may violate Federal law. So, there is bound to be lots more fun over at Fourth &State.

The departing staffers join the earlier fallen, most of whom have never been heard from again: [from a 2007 post]

IN MEMORIAM TO THOSE WHOSE CAREERS HAVE FALLEN IN THE SERVICE OF THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

Gould, Whitney [Architectural writer, 1st Class.]
Skiba, Katherine [Washington, D.C. Bureau, formerly embedded with servicemen abroad, interviewer of statesmen; fashion inspiration to the Corps Diplomatique, member, Harvard Club, Washington.]
Stanford, Gregory [Editorial Writer, Sagacious West Side Dweller & future book author.]
Derus, Michele [Residential Real Estate writer.]
Doege, David [Reporter to the Court of Waukesha County; husband to prominent early J/S casualty Gretchen Schuldt. Mr. Doege was one of the few to remain in journalism. Regrettably he died not long after joining the Business Journal.]
Riepenhoff, Bob [Outdoorsman, Frontier Correspondent, survived by Best Friend Cody the Dog.]
Pufall, Dick [Sports dude, and like the above, a union official.]
Feyrer, Richard [Assistant to the Grand Vizier of the Waukesha Bureau.]
Helf, Bob [Designer, Entertainment Division.]
Brome, Nancy [Headmistress, Waukesha Home Bureau.]
Lynch, Jim [Newsroom laureate; Copy Editor.]
McDoniels, Verne [Copy Editor whose name looks misspelled, yet is not.]
Ziegler, Jerry [Another Copy Editor whom correct's reprorters' misteaks.]
McCann, Dennis [Peripatetic Travel Columnist who moved out of Milwaukee years ago. (Up north, eh?).]
Meyer, William [Photographer.]
Dembski, Barbara [Opinion molder in her role as Senior Editor in charge of the Sunday Crossroads section.]

JOURNAL BUILDING STILL A "MANUFACTURING FACILITY"
STATE VALUES PLANT AT $12,970,800

The Journal Sentinel building at 333 W. State Street is getting mighty empty. Although its printing plant moved to West Milwaukee years ago, the downtown building is still listed as a "Manufacturing" facility according to the City Tax Assessor's records. [This means, among other things, that the State, and not the City, assesses the property.]
The lobby, once the site of a flurry of activity, is now desolate, although still nicely paneled. But you can't buy bus passes, maps, tickets, books, stamps get directions or look through back issues there anymore. Other street level spaces are also barren, including the short-lived offices of MKE. The Carl Milles sculptures hanging on the perimiter fence might fetch a couple of dollars, as might the artwork presumed to still be on the executive floors. The cafeteria likely is a rather somnolent place, if still operating. But the Luclullan feasts that were a daily rite there are surely sadly diminished in quantity and scope.
The land for the building is valued at $6,084,000 and the improvements are valued at $6,886,800 for a total of $12,970,800. The tax is $335,875, paid on the installment plan, with the most recent payment being made earlier this month, July, 2009. A balance of $106,684 remains.
So, it looks like Journal Communications has a real estate problem as well as an everything else problem.
Shall we investigate the crippling debt service the firm is suffering under due to its purchase of broadcast media around the country? Perhaps at another time. But we should remember that Television and Radio stations were ostensibly going to be the salvation of print media companies. Looks like those days are done, too.
--Michael Horne


http://itmdapps.milwaukee.gov/assessment/AssessmentIndexServlet?a=00000000000&itaxkey=3610559111