"You really don't understand the media business model, do you"

I certainly do. That is what is wrong dufus. (See, I can make it
personal also) The business model that business and corporations use now
seems to be based entirely on the greed factor. That is, simply to meet
the quarterly projection of the bottom line at all costs, whether it
involves layoffs, selling off divisions or patents or whatever the
company has that is of value, in order to keep the bottom line static.
They seem to consider that the investor should not see any negative
variation in their returns, regardless of company health or activity,
placing the load of absorbing variations in the risk of doing business
squarely on the number of employees retained at the time. Had a bad
quarter? Two? Time for a workforce reduction to "rebalance" expectations
with "reality" .

I have heard this for 30 years and been subject to the "Reduction in
Workforce" twice in that time. It sucks. Everything you were building
towards is destroyed. Families are split apart, as the layed off look
afield to find employment. People have heart attacks and commit suicide
over layoffs. It took me over a year to come to grips with the fact
that a 35 year career in Supercomputer Engineering has come to an end.
I have experience in the area of the shrinking workforce, that I hope
none of you sees or experiences.

So why don't you dry up with the one liner come backs, and explain
your position a bit?

As an example of a magazine that is written with some obvious morality
and responsibility to the reader, no cowtowing to the advertiser at all
due to the magazines policy of only allowing ads for products that will
help a boat owner repair their boat, much like CW was in the start, I
present "Good Old Boat" magazine. Seen it yet? They seem to break the
mold that you seem so proud of, and are succeeding at it, after only 5
years.

Larry DeMers

Dave wrote:
On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 14:48:29 -0600, Larry DeMers said:


It was not always so however. It used to be that there was more of
a sense of community responsibility, or public spirit or morality -call
it whatever. It was the force that said profit is ok, but putting the
guy out of business and laying off folks is not. It said that part of
the magazine can be dedicated to an ideal other than the dollar bill.



As a general example, I cite "Cruising World". In 1976, when I
startd collecting them, the magazine was practically wall to wall
cruising stories, all interesting, all written with a layer of wonder at
this fairly new occupation (cruising). It was interesting and vital.


But enter one competitor who decides to allow in 10 extra pages of
charter crap, thus helping his bottom line, and the game is on. C/W had
to follow suit to appease their bottom line. Competition sees the need
to compete with more advertising etc etc etc.

Competition takes over mindlessly, and now we have the slick and
worthless C/W.


You really don't understand the media business model, do you.