Posted on 09/15/2008 8:46:51 PM PDT by TheDon
Two prominent Orange County businessmen have expressed interest in buying The Orange County Register, the longtime, family-owned flagship newspaper of Freedom Communications Inc.
Newport Beach billionaire businessman George Argyros and Lawrence M. Higby, chief executive officer of Apria Healthcare Group Inc. who also is a former chairman of the Los Angeles Times Orange County edition, have had what was described as preliminary talks about making a bid for the Register.
Scott Flanders, Freedom’s chief executive officer ... noted that with the financial difficulties facing the company, he is having discussions with a lot of people.
...
A possible bid for the Register would come as newspapers across the country have fallen on hard times. The challenges include a continuing decline in circulation, a major loss of help wanted and real estate advertising, skyrocketing newsprint prices and increased competition from the Internet and other media.
In response,the Register has gone through three rounds of layoffs in the last year, reduced the width of the newspaper,cut back on pages,moved Marketplace into the main news section six days a week and eliminated other standalone sections like Business Monday.
If a deal with Argyros and Higby or anyone else were to transpire, it would end ownership of the Register by the descendents of Raymond Cyrus “R.C.” Hoiles, who bought the newspaper in 1935 as an editorial vehicle for his libertarian philosophy and made it the cornerstone of a nationwide media company.
...
It is unclear what, if any, plans Argyros and Higby have in mind for the Register. The two, both Newport Beach residents, are major Orange County movers and shakers, active in both the business community and Republican politics. They are both founding members of The New Majority, a group of Republicans pushing for a more diverse and socially moderate party.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at ocbiz.freedomblogging.com ...
Hmmm... I'm guessing Sarah has thrown a monkey wrench into such notions.
Abb did you hear about this????
RINOS
They better not cut Corky Carrolls column!
The paper has already moved to the left outside of the libertarian editorial page. With these two it will probably move further to the left.
Wrong state. (NJ I believe)
NY. But those two (along with Mikey) = Orange County.
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