Monday Note

Would it makes sense for Google to buy AP? Yes, says a contributor to Wired.Com. AP is a non-profit cooperative with 1500 members, many of them on the verge of extinction. (See the latest’s figures form the New York Times which is bleeding ad revenue at a yearly rate of 13%), or the terrible situation of Tribune Co.

Google, by comparison is in excellent health and needs content. In August 2006, it agreed to pay for AP stories appearing on Google News (except for Agence France Presse, everyone else is giving abstracts for free). Starting from this, buying such a news gathering capability would make sense. At least it is much cheaper and way more tangible than any social network.

Related columns:

1. The French press if officially a charity business Is this a new sign of the ultimate decrepitude of the press sector in France ? The five professional organizations representing all categories of print media has received the the permission by the French government to launch the Association Presse & Pluralisme. Its main characteristics is to offer tax deductibles to its generous contributors. What is [...]...
2. The J-curve of the global print press The J-curve is an economics metaphor, a way of saying things will get worse before getting better. That’s the prospect for the global print media sector. For the American press, advertising revenue keeps dropping at a steady yearly rate of 12% to 15%. No industry can withstand a sustained double-digit decrease of its core business. [...]...
3. CBS buying CNet, the content equation When an aging TV network acquires one of the oldest independent web media properties, what does it mean? Last week, CBS took a major step to increase its internet presence by acquiring CNet Networks for a $1.8bn (euro1.56 bn). Created in 1992, CNet Networks is of the oldest media property on the internet. It runs [...]...
4. Bloomberg hires a press veteran as content chief Out of the blue, Bloomberg LLC, the financial news service giant created by New City mator Michael Bloomberg, created a new position to fit the size of its new recruit: Norman Pearlstine. The man is a veteran editor: 22 years at the Wall Street Journal (including 9 at the top news executives) and 11 years [...]...
5. Press is bleeding faster than ever “Tomorrow will be the final edition of the Rocky Mountain News. (…) You all did everything right, but the business model of the press changed, the economy changed and the Rocky became a victim of that”.  Last Thursday, these were Rich Boehne’s (CEO of EW Scripps) terse words when announcing the end of the 150 [...]...