Illinois Governor's Advice To Zell: Change Tribune Editorial Board

Chicago Tribune:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich said today he didn't view it as surprising that Tribune Co. filed for protection under the federal bankruptcy code and said he believed one part of the reorganizing process should be to change the Chicago Tribune's editorial board, which has repeatedly criticized the Democratic chief executive.

"I think it's been sort of understood that the Chicago Tribune has had some difficulty for a long, long time, that people haven't been reading--haven't been buying their newspapers and hopefully haven't been reading them," Blagojevich said outside Tribune Tower during a visit for an interview at CNN's Chicago bureau.

Blagojevich said he did not view the bankruptcy filing as the fault of real estate mogul Sam Zell, who acquired the company last year in a debt-laden purchase.

"This is not Sam Zell's fault. Sam Zell bought this company when it was in financial difficulty and I think he's trying to reorganize and make it a concern that actually makes money and is a profitable business. And so this evidently this is part of his effort to do that," the Democratic governor said.

Read the whole story: Chicago Tribune

Comments

[Stilts9]

12:54 PM on 12/09/2008

Zell bought the Trib with one of those "innovativ­e" financial tools that capitalist pigs have been concocting ever since the Rs took Congress in 1994.

Zell is one of those "My corruption is okay, yer corruption is okay" kind of innovators­.

[weeklyworldnews]

11:17 AM on 12/09/2008

The guy has only been around for a year. Can't be all his fault... More than one person usually runs a company

haha - apparently the Weekly World News is planning to buy Tribune?

http://www­.weeklywor­ldnews.com­/headlines­/weekly-wo­rld-news-i­n-talks-to­-buy-tribu­ne/

[lynettema]

11:16 AM on 12/09/2008

Blago... made this statement, when? LOL

[doyle005]

11:14 AM on 12/09/2008

"... that people haven't been reading--h­aven't been buying their newspapers and hopefully haven't been reading them," Blagojevic­h said

HUH? The the....doe­s this mean? People are stealing the Trib to read it?

[jpmdevildog]

11:13 AM on 12/09/2008

Of course Zell will be alright, there's already a new buyout on the table:

Zell met with an alien contingenc­y to sell the Tribune to Weekly World News.

http://www­.weeklywor­ldnews.com­/headlines­/weekly-wo­rld-news-i­n-talks-to­-buy-tribu­ne/

[roald]

10:27 AM on 12/09/2008

Though innocent until proven guilty, I think Blago's advice carries much weight anymore.