Archive for October, 2005
The task facing David Kirk
Max Walsh paints a grim picture of the problems facing new Fairfax CEO David Kirk as he grapples with the legacy of Fred Hilmer’s seven-year reign.
In a piece in The Bulletin, Walsh says Kirk will “have little alternative other than to continue his predecessor’s tight grip on costs”. He adds: “If that means dumbing down … then austerity could well be counter-productive.”
In the same issue, Alan Deans and Nick Tabakoff (ex-Fairfax types - as is Max Walsh) stick the boot in to Fred Hilmer.
“He [Hilmer] became obsessed with costs,” an unnamed senior manager at Fairfax is quoted as saying. “We had endless strategy meetings that went nowhere. There was a real sense of torpor.”
Cutting costs will undermine your business
Here’s some good advice from a bloke who should know what he’s talking about. Dave Gusse from big media planning firm Newspaper Services in the US has warned publishers that focusing on the bottom line, cutting editorial budgets and winding down standards and quality will undermine their businesses.
The one that got away
Alan Kohler tells it straight in his column detailing how Kerry Packer’s PBL outsmarted Fairfax (once again) to grab control of of the leading online motor vehicle classifed site carsales.com.au.