Category Archives: In the news

Alabamian Pam Siddall named Birmingham News president and publisher

Posted on January 4, 2010 by | 2 comments

First time in 100 years without a Hanson at the helm

The Birmingham News named Pam Siddall as president and publisher today. The Phenix City native spent the last 2 years a publisher of The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, part of the McClatchy chain.

Siddall, 41, starts Jan. 11, replacing Victor Hanson III, who retired in December. A member of the Hanson family had served as publisher of the daily Advance Publications newspaper since 1909.

Siddall, the News’ first female president and publisher, said in a written statement:

“I am thrilled to be the next publisher at The Birmingham News. … The Birmingham News has an outstanding reputation as the leading source of news, information and commentary — in print and online.  I am extremely excited about working with the team to embrace the transformation into a 24/7 multimedia organization.”

She was also the Eagle’s first female publisher. Her last day there is Friday.

Siddall graduated summa cum laude from Columbus State University in Georgia with a bachelor of arts degree in accounting. Her past experience (via her LinkedIn profile):

  • President and Publisher, Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer, August 2004 – November 2007
    • Vice President & General Manager, December 2003 – August 2004
  • Vice President, Chief Financial Officer/Circulation, Macon (Ga.) Telegraph, March 2001 – December 2003
  • Chief Financial Officer, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, May 1997 – March 2001
  • Division Controller, Russell Corporation, February 1994 – March 1997
  • Senior Financial Analyst, WC Bradley, January 1993 – February 1994
    • Junior Analyst, May 1991 – January 1993

She also has profiles on Facebook and Twitter (@siddallAUfan).

Photo: Mike Hutmacher/The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle

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Birmingham media in 2009: nasty, brutish and long

Posted on December 31, 2009 by | Leave a comment

A tag cloud of Media of Birmingham news headlines in 2009

Birmingham’s mainstream media professionals had a brutal 2009. Whether at newspapers, magazines or TV or radio stations, the news was overwhelmingly negative.

Nearly two dozen of our stories posted on Media of Birmingham regurgitated the alarming trends: cuts, layoffs, freezes, buyouts, slumps and terminations. Three magazines — Lipstick, Skirt and Southern Accents — folded in the past 12 months.

At least 100 people at these organizations lost their jobs. Even more frightening are the jobs that disappeared without a whisper, either by news outlets or this site. Who knows how bad it really is?

And that is the odd state of media in Birmingham in 2009. Sometimes, a blog for a professional networking group, or a whisper on Twitter or Facebook, is the only indication that a company is about to implode.

For those continuing to look for work within their current field, we can only wish you the best of luck. And for those working on Plan B for their careers, we offer our encouragement and our ideas.

Not all of you will stay in media, whether it’s advertising, marketing, journalism or whatever. The jobs are going away, and many are not coming back.

That doesn’t mean creative, smart professionals can’t carve out a new career. But it will take luck, talent and hard work, the tripod of success. Career transformation can be done, and it’s happening every day in Birmingham.

Media of Birmingham will continue to bring the news and information that matters to our audience, whether on this site or in our monthly events. We serve you, the city’s professional media community.

And we ask that you pitch in. Your ideas, your energy and your willingness to help keep this group thriving, even in a challenging year like this one.

The headlines may continue to be negative for some time. Only you can rewrite your own story.

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Media of Birmingham headlines from 2009

The bad news …

The not-so-bad news …

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Birmingham Works magazine celebrates 1-year anniversary

Posted on December 23, 2009 by | Leave a comment

birmingham works fall 2009 coverBirmingham Works magazine reached its 1-year anniversary with the publication of its fall issue.

The business publication by Vertical Solutions Media will move from a quarterly to a bimonthly schedule in 2010, and the January/February issue will be available at Books-A-Million/Joe Muggs stores.

The current issue, available online, features an interview with Michael Newsome of Hibbett Sports, making your business greener and a look at volunteer organization Hands on Birmingham.

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UAB professor Minabere Ibelema wins Sigma Delta Chi Award from SPJ

Posted on December 18, 2009 by | 3 comments

Minabere IbelemaMinabere Ibelema, associate professor of communication studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, won the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Research. He was the sole winner from Alabama and also serves as undergraduate journalism director.

He won the award from the Society of Professional Journalists for research on his book, “The African Press, Civic Cynicism, and Democracy.”

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Citadel prepares to file for bankruptcy

Posted on December 16, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The nation’s third-largest radio company is headed for Chapter 11.

Citadel Broadcasting is expected to file for bankruptcy by Dec. 31, according to a report last week in the Wall Street Journal. The company would swap $2 billion in debt to lenders for an equal stake in a reorganized operation.

The broadcaster’s stations in Birmingham are:

  • WAPI (1070 AM), news/talk
  • WJOX (94.5 FM), sports/talk
  • WSPZ (690
 AM), sports/talk
  • WUHT, Hot 107.7, R&B
  • WWMM, Live 100.5
, Adult Album Alternative
  • WZRR (99.5 FM), Classic Rock 99

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Addy award submissions due Jan. 6

Posted on December 15, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The 52nd annual Addy Awards, recognizing the best among Birmingham’s advertising community, wants your entries.

The deadline is Jan. 6, just 3 weeks away. (Late entry deadline is Jan. 11.)

Entry fees range from $55 to $90. The entry drop-off location is Think Positive Advertising, 100 Grandview Pl., Ste. 110, Inverness [map].

Full details can be found on the Addy Awards site and the American Advertising Federation-Birmingham site.

For more information, contact Carrie Pearce at carrie@thinkpositive.tv or call 262-2832.

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SPJ Alabama selects Dennis Pillion as chapter president

Posted on December 14, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The Alabama Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has selected new officers for 2010:

  • President: Dennis Pillion, sports producer, AL.com in Birmingham
  • President elect: David Joyner, executive news editor, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. in Birmingham
  • Secretary: Meredith Cummings, director of the Alabama Scholastic Press Association, journalism instructor at the University of Alabama
  • Treasurer: Jill Nolin, city/county reporter, Montgomery Advertiser

From left, Pillion, Joyner, Cummings, Nolin

The other current board members are:

  • George Daniels, assistant professor of journalism, University of Alabama
  • Abigail Morrow, attorney, Taylor Ritter P.C. in Birmingham
  • Jenn Rowell (immediate past president), military reporter, Montgomery Advertiser
  • Matt Stanley, producer, “Today in Alabama,” WSFA-TV, Montgomery

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EXCLUSIVE: Bright House Networks ending public access channel

Posted on December 10, 2009 by | 4 comments

Bright House Channel 4“Dean and Company,” the quirky fixture of Birmingham cable, debuted its annual Christmas special earlier this week on Channel 4. That’s the Bright House public access channel.

But the channel itself is going off the air in 2010. On Jan. 1, Bright House Networks is moving public access programming to its “In Demand” channels for government, religion and sports. Those channels are in the digital tier.

Bright House NetworksWhen asked how many Bright House subscribers pay for basic cable vs. digital cable, a company official replied that he “didn’t know.” For comparison, competitor Time Warner Cable has 14.6 million basic cable subscribers and 8.8 million digital tier subscribers. Such a move could shrink the audience for public access programs by 60 percent or more.

The programming will continue to be available through the cable system’s “on demand” feature.

Among the programs affected are Birmingham city council meetings, “Birmingham Public Library Presents,” “Real Arts Birmingham,” “Moving Forward from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute” and “The Best of the Sidewalk Film Festival.”

Bright House is the sole cable operator for the City of Birmingham as well as other nearby cities.

Although cable companies are required by the federal government to carry public access channels, some markets have cut their channels because of low viewership or lax city requirements. Time Warner closed 12 Los Angeles public access studios providing programming for 11 channels in January.

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In case you were wondering …

Posted on December 9, 2009 by | Leave a comment

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EXCLUSIVE: Birmingham News offers buyouts to employees across the board

Posted on December 8, 2009 by | 2 comments

The Birmingham News offered buyouts today to employees, the third round of buyouts in 16 months. Media of Birmingham has learned that all employees will be eligible this round, regardless of number of years of service or full-time or part-time status.

Birmingham NewsPast buyouts were limited to those with at least 5 years of service.

Our insiders tell us that full-time employees taking the buyout would receive 2 weeks of pay for every year of service, while part-time employees would receive 1 week of pay for every year of service. Both are capped at 6 months.

The daily newspaper is looking for “substantial staff reductions,” this time, but says no layoffs are planned for Feb. 6, when the Advance Publications’ “no layoff” pledge expires. The newspaper has not only faced an advertising shortfall because of the down economy but also a 10.8 percent drop in weekday circulation.

Earlier this year, the News cut benefits and required furloughs.

Meanwhile, the Birmingham News will look for a publisher to replace recently retired publisher Victor Hanson III.

Update Dec. 9: Another insider tells us that the buyouts have been offered at the other two Advance newspapers in Alabama: the Huntsville Times and the Press-Register in Mobile. Also, the buyouts are apparently limited to non-union employees.

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