Tag Archives: Hearne
Hearne: No Joy in Mudville Update
Lawrence is a funny town… On one hand it clings to and celebrates its small town charm. On the other, it longs for a taste of superficial, big city amenities with chains like Ulta and Chick-fil-A. Think I’m kidding? Let’s cut to … Continue reading
Hearne: How (Not) to Fix KU Football
Rhetorical questions, anyone? Coming up with clever column ideas isn’t always easy. Case in point, Lawrence Journal World boss hawg Dolph Simons, Jr.’s most recent effort. His latest; What Will It Take to Turn KU Football Around? Now there’s a $64 million … Continue reading
Hearne: Future Vision Gets Reality Check
There’s a fine line between Big Brother and George Jetson…. Millions of Baby Boomers grew up delighting in the antics of Fred Flintstone and his feet powered cars, but at the same time with their eyes pointed toward a future … Continue reading
Hearne: The American Royal’s Coming Unglued
What’s next, waving a white flag and shouting uncle? Seems like only yesterday the heavy handed civic leader backers of the American Royal couldn’t wait to pull a fast one on taxpayers by tearing down Kemper Arena for a $50 to $70 million into an overpriced … Continue reading
Hearne: Dissecting The Pitch ‘Best Of KC’ Awards
Who doesn’t like a good tip? Like, you should check out this new band, restaurant, etc, But at some point there is such a thing as to much of a good thing. And in the case of the 1014 Pitch … Continue reading
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Tagged Charles Ferruzza, Hearne, Pitch Best of KC
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Hearne: City Market Concerts Reportedly to Relocate to Berkley Park in August
One local concert venue’s loss is another one’s gain…
So it is that the recently cancelled to save the Steamboat Arabia museum, "Buzz Under the Stars" concert series will magically reappear in August at the Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park, sources say.
The word on the street being that the fest (August 9 or 10?) will feature a kickass bill thought to include headliners Fun and Garbage with Silversun Pickups and Alabama Shakes.
The Buzz fest will follow in the footsteps of the Dancefestopia Music Fesitval in June at Berkley Park, which incidentally will be going head-to-head with Entercom’s Buzz Beach Ball at Livestrong.
Today: Uptown Theater Mardi Gras Wilding, ‘Carnivale du Soul’ Saturday
Get the jump on Fat Tueday this weekend at the Uptown…
The 2012 Carnivàle du Soul featuring the band Hearts of Darkness goes down Saturday night at the Uptown Theater at 3700 Broadway.
"It’ll be a Mardi Gras event with Hearts of Darkness, the band Goodfoot and there’ll be DJs as well," says the Uptown’s Fred Cannon. "The doors are at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. and goes until 1 a.m."
Wanna save some money – like a lot of money?
Star Search: Oops! Star to Print Readers; 75% of Joplin ‘Virtually Gone’
Breaking news, it’s the Achilles Heel of print journalism…
Yesterday’s Joplin tornado dissaster was a news nightmare for Kansas City’s paper of record. All newspapers, really. And not just because locals who still prefer to fish their news from their driveways were the last to know. That’s part of it.
But not only are newspaper readers the last and least informed, they’re often the most ill-informed.
Take the Star’s money quote and headline in today’s story, "Joplin Shredded."
" ‘I would say 75 percent of the town is virtually gone,’ Kathy Dennis of the American Red Cross told CNN."
What’s wrong with this picture?
Today: The Ridiculously High Blood Alcohol Content of Brian Euston & What It Means
About deceased Westport party boy Brian Euston’s blood alcohol levels…
After spending an evening at Kelly’s in Westport with his friends, Euston blasted off in the wee small hours of the morning at closing time last fall for parts unknown. Then, after being "overly friendly" to a man’s girlfriend near America’s Pub – and being warned to leave her alone, but persisting in "getting into" her face – Euston was punched, fell, hit his head and later died, prosecutors say.
Now forget about the racial or security aspects of the incident…
The bottom line is Euston’s blood-alcohol level was .387, nearly five times the legal limit for drinking and driving. Five times!
".387 is pretty damn high," says an area attorney specializing in DUI law. "I mean, close to the highest I’ve seen. I’ve heard of people dying of alcohol poisoning at less than that. The fact that the kid could even walk is surprising to me. If you’re at .300 even there’s a good chance you’re face down in your own vomit."
Today: Star Layoffs/Cutbacks Update & Cautious KU Elves
First let’s wonder aloud about the recently announced layoffs and or cutbacks at the Kansas City Star...
Department heads were told of the coming cuts three weeks back, so the deed could go down any day.Like tomorrow, Tuesday. That’s because the newspaper tends to lower the boom at the beginning of a pay period. Last Friday being payday and today being a holiday – Martin Luther King Day – Tuesday could be Blues Day.
Remember, cutbacks and/or layoffs are triggered at McClatchy when quarterly targets are not met.
So while the Star more than likely made money – radio advertising and retail sales were all up – remember, this is an ailing industry. Print circulation and readership continue to spiral downwards and this is a trend a healthier economy cannot unto itself cure.
Yes, an end to this recession would lift all boasts, but as former Star publisher Art Brisbane noted two years back, when the dot com recession went away, the Star‘s bottom line improved but classified advertising did not come back. And some of the newspaper’s largest remaining advertisers – grocery stores and car dealers – all continue to look and find more contemporary and cost effective ways to reach their target audiences.
And while the Star boasts of the readers it reaches online, unfortunately that’s not where the all-important big profits are.
All that said, my hunch is this round of cuts won’t be a big one.
