Monday 6 April 2009

Paton Pub. of 09

Editor & Publisher has named John Paton Publisher of the Year for 2009, another impressive resume bullet for a man whose print media career began in 1977 as a Toronto Sun copy boy.

Paton, chairman and CEO of the New York based impreMedia, launched the first successful U.S. Hispanic newspaper, print and digital company five years ago.

A great quote from E&P's story explains what TSF members have asked him:

"People ask me, how can this Canadian who can't speak Spanish come in here and think he can fix this company?" El Diario Publisher and CEO Rossana Rosado says in the E&P feature. "I tell them, John doesn't speak Spanish - but he speaks newspaper."

It is the first time E&P has honoured the publisher of Spanish-language newspapers.

The E&P story also says:

He began his career as a copy boy at the Toronto Sun, and climbed the ladder through editorial leadership positions. Paton was assigned to turn around the struggling Ottawa Sun, and was a figure in the $400 million management leveraged buyout of its parent, Sun Media Corp., and its subsequent initial public offering. In 1999, he was instrumental in selling Sun Media to Quebecor for $1.3 billion, creating the second-largest newspaper company in Canada.

Well, says TSF, nobody is perfect re the sale of Sun Media to Quebecor.

Congrats, John.

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