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Prostitution scandal knocks newspaper group manager out of job
Todd Keute, the publisher of the Grand Rapids Herald-Review and regional manager of the Superior Publishing Company, is out of a job after his involvement in a prostitution scandal. Officials from SPC’s parent company American Consolidated Media made the announcement of Keute’s departure today. SPC operates nearly all of the small dailies and many of…
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The untold perils of media consolidation
I write a column for the Hibbing Daily Tribune, which is part of the Superior Publishing Group, a division of American Consolidated Media of Texas, itself a division of a vast international company, the name of which I forget. Australian bankers, mostly. When the Superior Publishing group reorganized its management structure a year ago —…
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COLUMN: We don’t get it; any of it
This is my Sunday column for the May 6, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece aired on Northern Community Radio’s “Between You and Me” Saturday morning. We don’t get it; any of itBy Aaron J. Brown Long ago there was such a thing as a “mainstream” in American culture.…
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Keep the internet free
You might notice some changes over at Google or Wikipedia today. Many popular websites are joining in a protest over the SOPA law being debated in Washington, D.C. I am not “going dark” with my website today, mostly because I’m not convinced I know how to bring it back up. But I would like to…
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The perils of media consolidation and a new hope
I’ve worked in the media since I was 16, starting in the mid-90s. That meant I got to watch what we now call “new media” come of age at same time as me. I worked in a radio station as it first adopted automated technology. I edited a daily newspaper that was switching from paste-up…
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Keep northern Minnesota radio lively & local
Today is the final day of the KAXE-Northern Community Radio fall fundraiser. KAXE is an independent public radio station that pays its own way for a programming mix that includes a little bit of NPR news and a lot of locally-produced, locally-generated content and music. This year KAXE and I produced the Great Northern Radio…
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Dennis Anderson named co-host of Almanac North
Tonight WDSE Channel 8, the PBS station in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, announced that beloved retired WDIO Channel 10 (ABC) anchor Dennis Anderson will assume duties as the new co-host of Almanac North. This is a weekly news magazine that does a fine job of exploring the region’s headlines. It serves in the shadows of…
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Good night, everybody, and be kind
Tonight brings the final evening news broadcast of northern Minnesota newsman Dennis Anderson. He’ll anchor his final edition of WDIO/WIRT Eyewitness News at 6 and 10. the ABC affiliate in the Duluth, Minnesota, market. While the final broadcast of some news professional happens fairly often, Anderson’s career has greatly impacted the region’s quality of journalism…
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Business North looking for reporter
My friends at Business North, a great independent publication doing real economic journalism in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, are looking for a reporter. This makes them a bigger job creation project than some of the things they cover. (Hi-yo!) This post is for you, disaffected journalists of the region. Business-to-business publication covering northeastern Minnesota and…
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Denny Anderson warns about news trends in Duluth op/ed
Outgoing WDIO anchor Dennis Anderson, northern Minnesota’s equivalent to Walter Cronkite, penned a strong op/ed in Sunday’s Duluth News Tribune. This commentary includes some important observations about the news business. Anderson’s last broadcast will be next Wednesday, May 25. Related posts: No related posts.
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Darren Danielson to succeed Dennis Anderson at WDIO
The Duluth News Tribune is reporting that Darren Danielson, co-host of public television’s Almanac North, will replace northern Minnesota TV news godfather Dennis Anderson at WDIO. Reading the story, it looks like those of us who like a little substance in our local newscast have a lot to like about this. Related posts: No related…
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‘Prospects for the Arrowhead’ to shake blues off this dusty place, or dance trying
I’ll be at this MPR/Northland’s NewsCenter “Future of the Region” event on April 5, participating in some yet unknown way. Come on down, if only to see what the Oscar and Felix act of MPR and KBJR collaboration might look like. “What is this, B-Roll of people jumping in Lake Superior? Get that out of…
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Drag to leave WDIO, Duluth media to become thunderdome
Thing #597 that I love about living in northern Minnesota. When TV reporters quit the media for money and regular hours they go work for mining companies. In a surprising announcement reported in today’s Duluth News Tribune WDIO 5 p.m. anchor Sandy Drag said she would leave the station to work as regional public relations…
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Bring on the top news lists, including bears
The Duluth News Tribune released its annual list of the top 10 northern Minnesota news stories for 2010. I don’t argue with the top story, the Republican gains and defeat of Jim Oberstar in Minnesota’s Eighth District. That was easy, though. The editorial decisions made after that are dubious, in my opinion. I wasn’t going…
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Apocalypse diamonds ‘not helpful’
In the Blogging Bible it is clear that a blogger must never belabor a topic for risk of alienating his or her readers. Nonetheless, there’s even more to this LTD Jewelry “Second Coming” sale TV ad that I’ve now written about three times. Steve Kuchera of the Duluth News Tribune has now interviewed Larry Falter,…