Koch Brothers Interested in Buying LA Times?

Interesting. Via the Hollywood Reporter:

The Kochs, who some sources say are interested in the clout they could gain through the Times' editorial pages, could bid on their own or combine in a bid with Doug Manchester, the San Diego real estate magnate who bought the San Diego Union-Tribune in November 2011.

I'd be less interested in their editorials than in their insistence on actual balanced coverage -- negative stories about both Republicans and Democrats, with equal resources and attention to both; what a concept.

If they buy this thing, I'd suggest they ask Mickey Kaus and Patrick Frey for some critiques of the paper as it currently stands. Kaus has a number of non-political complaints about the paper, chiefly, if I remember, that it's boring, and apparently deliberately so, and seems aloof to the city's number one industry, entertainment. Which is crazy -- not only are entertainment stories more interesting than people care to admit, but in the case of the Los Angeles Times, they should be the paper's beat. It's like the Wall Street Journal deciding they find economic & market news so beneath them.

Every newspaper smuggles entertainment stories into the news to drive sales. The Los Angeles Times is the only big paper with a justification for doing so.

Speaking of conservative entries into the media, the Herring broadcasting company is planning a cable news channel to compete with Fox.

One America News Network will provide Americans a new, credible source for national and international news and investigative reporting as well as talk shows designed to foster an independent, cutting-edge debate about the policies, issues and solutions facing the country,” CEO Robert Herring Sr. said in an announcement on the Washington Times website.

And Glenn Beck would like you to call up your local cable station and ask them to carry Blaze TV.

After all, if you are a cable subscriber, your money is already bankrolling MSNBC, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS a host of other foreign news and overwhelmingly number Leftist leaning "information" channels. And as of July, you will be helping to pay the salaries of Al Jazeera TV. (Al Gore recently sold his Current TV to Al Jazeera for an amazing sum of money- considering the low viewing audience they have).

Now- Beck has put out a call to all journalists and bloggers to "Link Arms"- and to share information with one another -in order to get news and information out to wider and broader audiences- outside the mainstream media.

Sounds about right.

posted by Ace at 04:50 PM

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