Truth in comics

A Seattle Post-Intelligencer cartoon:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mgg.asp?date=20090105

Re Sam Pazzano

While flipping the AM radio dial on the weekend, a familiar voice was heard on the tail end of Arlene Bynon's Toronto Weekend talk show.

It was Sam Pazzano, the veteran Toronto Sun court reporter recapping the more sensational trials he covered in 2008 and there were some dandies.

Two things came to mind: First, Sam has an easy going radio presence. Second, why doesn't the Sun promote its own when it comes to guest appearances on radio and TV?

As a Toronto Sun Family member since 1975, it is always of interest to hear the vets on radio and watch them on television, but most times it is tuning in by chance.

We do know Lorrie Goldstein is a regular guest on 640's Charles Adler program. We caught columnist Mark Bonokoski on his Moose FM broadcasts. Peter Worthington is often on air, as are columnists Joe Warmington, Mike Strobel, Christina Blizzard and Bruce Kirkland.

But most often it is hit and miss. So how about some advance notice for Sun readers who are interested in what their favourite Sun people have to say?

Meanwhile, kudos to Sam Pazzano, one of the unsung heroes of the tabloid, for his years of dedicated court coverage as court bureau chief.

It takes discipline, numerous contacts, a way with police, court officials and judges, and a nose for cases of interest to Sun readers. Five days a week, 52 weeks a year.

The early Sun had a justice columnist, Alan Anderson, who wrote about legal issues, but it did not have court coverage until then city editor Les Pyette sent this staffer in to set up a bureau in 1976.

The lovely and talented Jan Lounder soon came aboard and the Sun court bureau was off and running. Great tab fare, including Keith Richards' 1977 drug bust court appearance; a horrific torso murder case; Ace Hamel, Ontario's oldest criminal etc.

Two solid years of courts maxed this staffer out, but there's Sam still going strong after how many years? Ten? Fifteen?

We're not sure how often Sam has been on radio, but he sounded like a pro in replaying the more interesting trials of 2008. Here's hoping the 640 website will add the full program to its audio archives.

Attention Sun radio and TV celebs: If the Sun can't spare space for advance radio and TV appearance promotion, send TSF the details and we'll give you a plug.

OttSun update -3

The Ottawa Sun's job losses from Black Tuesday stand at three, but Andre Forget's photo job was saved by a buyout, says a source.

Photographer A.D. Wilson took a buyout to keep Andre on the job, the source says.

Rachel Rowe, central desk, and Scott Taylor, a general assignment reporter, were the two other Ottawa staffers cut.

Andre landed his Ottawa Sun job after his previous employer, the Halifax Daily News, folded last February.

Meanwhile, now that Ottawa has its own presses running again, the tabloid has a new 11:40 p.m. deadline, up from 10 p.m.

That will be good news for sports fans who want scores and reports from evening events in their morning newspaper.

TorSun count

Updated
A couple of TSF readers, management most likely, have challenged our December clearing house numbers for the Toronto Sun.

Reliable sources told us 49 employees at 333 lost their jobs in the weeks before Christmas. We respect our sources so we stayed with 49, including full time and part time employees and freelance columnists.

The 49 men and women all have names, which conglomerates would prefer to ignore. They were at the Toronto Sun from less than a year to more than two decades. Many have families.

They face uncertain futures not because the Toronto Sun is losing money, because it isn't.

Some union jobs could be saved if other employees take a buyout before the eight-week notice period expires in February, but the staff cut count won't vary.

Editorial:

(1) Linda Leatherdale, business editor;

(2) Jane Stevenson, chief music critic;

(3) Scott Morrison, freelance hockey writer;

(4) Jason Buckland, reporter;

(5) Dave Ellis, assistant city editor;

(6) Ken Winlaw, copy desk editor;

(7) Ernest Doroszuk, photographer;

(8) Dave Abel, photographer;

(9) Calvin Reynolds, photo desk, quiz master;

(10) Debbie Holloway, photographer;

(11) Amy Chung, reporter;

(12) Bryn Weese, reporter;

(13) Jenny Yuen, reporter;

(14) Don Peat, reporter;

(15) John Kerr, freelance Outdoors columnist;

(16) Derek Tse, entertainment desk editor;

(17) Jason MacNeil, music critic;

(18) Tim McKay, sports desk editor;

(19) Dave Hilson, sports desk editor;

(20) Gregor Chisholm, sports desk editor;

(21) Jon McCarthy, entertainment desk editor;

(22) Clarisa Feliprada, librarian;

(23) Danielle L'Ami, librarian;

(24) Davina Biln, librarian;

(25) Adam Bishop, librarian;

(26) Josh Robinson, proofreader;

(27) Ashley Hampson, proofreader;

(28) Dila Velazques, proofreader;

(29) Alan Marshall, part-time webber;

(30) Kurt Larson, video editor;

(31) Ajit Jain, op-ed freelance columnist;

(32) Nicholas Davis, op-ed freelance columnist;

Corporate sales office:

(33) Maria Girimonte, national sales director;

(34) Peggy Perin, national sales manager;

(35) Shannon McPeak, vice-president corporate sales;

(36) Ursula Bak, marketing research manager.

Real estate advertising department:

(37) Jana Stern;

(38) Name deleted as requested;

(39) Cindy Aristizabal;

Help Wanted advertising sales:

(40) Laura Murphy, Help Wanted advertising sales rep;

(41) Maria Grey, Help Wanted coordinator;

Retail advertising sales:

(42) Kathleen Hillier, retail advertising sales rep.

Plus:

(43) Andrew, automotive coordinator;

(44) Rick Payne, creative;

(45) Joanne Houston, payroll office;

(46) Carol Nicholls, payroll office;

(47) Penelope Wild, special section manager;

Also laid off in December but not named:

(48) a full time security guard;

(49) a part-time security guard.

Sincere thanks to our reliable sources for the accurate Toronto Sun numbers, a count that wasn't picked up by some other blogs and mainstream media.

TSF will try for accurate updates of all job losses at sister Sun tabloids and for any of the former Osprey Media newspapers, if sources can provide names and accurate counts.

Our Calgary Sun source said 22, a number which has also been challenged. We will try to update Calgary.

While some pink-slipped employees left the building in December, a number of union members will continue working through their eight-week layoff notices.

The pain of the early December layoffs and Black Tuesday hasn't ebbed as this new year begins.

The hurting continues.

5 columnists cut

Toronto Sun columnists listed online at torontosun.com are a shrinking commodity and it is difficult to keep the keepers and the discards score card up to date.

In the good old days of the Toronto Sun, when Doug Creighton was at the helm, if you didn't see your favourite columnist in the paper for weeks at a time, you didn't fret.

He or she was probably on vacation, maternity leave, on a leave of absence or enjoying an eight-week paid sabbatical for each 10 years of service.

Today, chances are missing columns today mean your favourite columnist has been axed.

At least five regular Toronto Sun columnists have been cut since early December: Freelancers Scott Morrison, John Kerr, Ajit Jain and Nicholas Davis, and veteran full time columnist Linda Leatherdale.

A sixth columnist we have noticed absent for several weeks hopefully is still freelancing and will return soon. Stay tuned.

Scott Morrison out

Scott Morrison, a former Toronto Sun sports editor and one of Canada's most knowledgeable hockey writers, has been dropped from Sun Media's freelance lineup.

We noticed Scott's hockey columns missing for several weeks, but we thought he was probably taking time off during the holiday season following the death of his wife, Kathy, in late September.

So we e-mailed him.

"Thanks for noticing my absence," Scott replied. "Sadly, I have departed Sun Media again. Prior to the (Dec. 16) staff layoffs, PK wiped out a bunch of the freelance columnists.

"I just can't believe how that guy (PKP) is allowed to run anything because he only knows how to run things into the ground," says Scott, who has watched the Sun he loved evaporate.

Scott's departure and the exit of business editor Linda Leatherdale prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the people making these decisions are brain dead.

Scott, a Hockey Hall of Fame print and broadcast icon and author of numerous hockey books, left the Toronto Sun in 2001 after a 22-year stay. He moved on to Osprey Media, which carried his freelance columns.

He returned to the Sun Media fold when Sun Media bought Osprey Media in the summer of 2007, much to the delight of longtime Sun readers who missed his hockey coverage.

Last month, Sun Media dropped Scott and in its typical Quebecor-induced lack of courtesy to him and his readers, did not advise readers of his departure.

When will Sun management get some backbone and tell readers why their favourite writers are no longer in print? You did it with John Downing, Valerie Gibson, Linda Leatherdale and others and it is so petty.

A protege of the late, great George Gross, founding Toronto Sun sports editor, Scott is widely known from 30 years of hockey coverage in print, on radio and on television.

As the Toronto Sun and Sun Media go these days, Scott is too good for PKP and his rapidly deteriorating newspapers.

But there is no need to go cold turkey.

Scott has two best-selling books on the shelves - Hockey Night In Canada: My Greatest Day and the re-release of Hockey Night in Canada: By The Numbers.

He is still writing for CBCsports.ca and The Beer Store's Chill magazine on a regular basis.

Scott can also be heard and seen on the:

Bill Watters show at 6:10 p.m. on 640 four nights a week;

Hockey Night in Canada radio Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Sirius Satellite;

CKNW radio on Thursdays;

The Grill Room on Sun TV once a week (don't tell PK!);

And CBC radio when called upon.

BTW: Here is how 640 promotes a regular contributor:

"Elmer Ferguson award winner and member of Hockey’s Hall of Fame, Scott Morrison is one of the industry's great insiders. Hockey Night in Canada’s Scott Morrison has a reputation in the hockey world that serves him well. He can be heard weekdays on AM640 Toronto Radio’s Leafs Lunch, providing behind-the-scenes news and expert analysis for the Leafs Nation."

Sounds like a guy you would want to protect and keep on the team at any cost.

All the best, Scott.

Print dominates

Print vs the Internet.

Exhibit A in the argument that Sun Media print newspapers tower over the Internet is a chart showing Quebecor Inc.'s 2003-2008 performance.

It was created by a reliable TSF source using Quebecor's own financials fed through Excel to see just how 'badly'' the newspaper segment was performing.

(The source says the above chart, which does not represent 2008 fourth quarter performances, shows the operating profit figures in millions of dollars. So the X axis goes up to $250 million.)

"Although it may not be apparent from looking at the chart, the Internet/Portals segment and Interactive Technologies and Communications reported profits in all the years from 2003 to 2008," says the source. "However, they are so small in comparison to the newspaper profits that they barely register on the chart.

"If PKP is betting the farm on the future of the Internet, he better have some digital rabbit he can pull out of a hat, because to date Quebecor has failed to figure out how to monetize the Internet."

TSF thanks the source for time spent on the performance chart.

It leaves us speechless.

After the Buyout

Amy Fuller's After the Buyout piece was posted today on the Ryerson Review of Journalism website.

Among those interviewed by Amy: Maryanna Lewyckyj, former Toronto Sun staffer, and Mike Jenkinson, former Edmonton Sun staffer.

Both thought they would retire from the Sun jobs they once loved, but opted for buyouts in the 2007 crunch of Quebecor cutbacks.

Amy also interviewed the Toronto Star's Bernadette Morra, who took a buyout in 2008.

Re London FP

Butch McLarty, a London blogger, posted the following comments on TSF about London Free Press cutbacks and Paul Berton's editorial/opinion:

"Revenue and profit at the Quebecor-owned London Free Press remain robust, although both are down from previous years.

"It's impossible to ignore the ol' chicken or the egg question, since ongoing cutbacks leave the newspaper a mere shell of its former self, with no revenue being re-invested in the paper.

"You can milk a cow for only so long before realizing that the cow needs to eat as well.

"Quebecor is great at milking profits in the short-term, but in a few years they will have totally destroyed their newspaper assets.

"I can guarantee you that the late Walter J. Blackburn would be totally ashamed of what's happened to his once-proud and comprehensive newspaper.

"He'd also be embarrassed by what's happened to the staff morale, whereby people schlump into work every work day with the energy of a sleepwalking zombie, counting the days to retirement.

"I totally agree that this sad scenario is a very real threat to democracy.

"How can an uninformed electorate hold their civic/government officials, elected and non-elected, accountable?

"Regarding Paul Berton's column on the state of today's newspaper industry, he's muzzled by his corporate paymasters so he's beating around the bush not speaking his mind about what he knows to be true."

12 a.m. slate

For a split second after midnight every Jan. 1, the slate is wiped clean.

No murders, no traffic fatalities, no fire deaths, no pedestrians struck and killed, no snowmobile fatalities, no fatal house fires, no drownings, no overdoses, no suicides.

You know it won't last, but it is comforting to know for that one second no bad news is good news. The best you can hope for in the coming year is all of those annual stats will be lower.

Death, except for terminal diseases, natural disasters and old age, is preventable.

For all things preventable, all police, fire and other safety officials can do is advise everyone to be careful out there and chill out.

Don't become a sad Sun story and a 2009 stat.