Day Umpteen of the Boston Herald’s flogging its new Garage Broadband Radio station featured this newsvertising page in Saturday’s edition of the dicey local tabloid:
The unbylined piece claims that the Herald has routinely been the assignment desk for Boston’s broadcast news media.
And all this time we thought the Herald was just a lively index to the Boston Globe.
Go figure.
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Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, dicey local tabloid, Garage Broadband Radio station, lively index to te Boston Globe, newsvertising | 
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Pop Quiz: How many kidney punches can you count in the lede of this Boston Herald story today?
The Boston Globe drags down Times
Falling revenue at the Boston Globe’s media group only heightens the urgency for The New York Times to finally unload the newspaper — even at a disappointingly low sales price — before it can drain any more of the company’s attention and resources, newspaper experts told the Herald.
“That paper’s still struggling,” said Ed Atorino, a media analyst for The Benchmark Co. “They can’t wait to get rid of it, so I see them giving it away to somebody. It’s been going downhill, taking up a lot of management time. It’s really been a disappointing asset. I think they wanted to sell it a long time ago and couldn’t.”
The piece says Globe revenues were down 7 percent last quarter: ad revenue fell 10 percent, circulation revenue 2 percent, other revenues 14 percent. The Herald doesn’t mention where it got those numbers, although it attributed them to “Times execs” in a previous piece.
The feisty local tabloid also doesn’t mention its own dismal numbers during the past year: a knee-buckling 11.6% decline in daily circulation and a 10.8% dip on Sunday.
Then again, that would just be pulling its punches.
(Answer to our Pop Quiz: Twelve.)
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: ad revenue, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, circulation numbers, Ed Atorino, New York Times, The Benchmark Co. | Permalink
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From our Walt Whitman desk
Hey, kids! Mark your calendars! It’s Day Two of the Great Herald Radio Countdown.
As the hardreading staff noted yesterday, the Boston Herald devoted two full pages of Monday’s edition to the gala announcement of an Internet radio stream that will debut next week. What we neglected to mention, however, was that one-half of Monday’s Page One was devoted to the glad tidings.
And they’re no less glad today.
Once again, the feisty local tabloid also devotes two full pages to promoting the new venture.
(The e in the Herald’s e-edition must stand for erratic, since those little green numbers pop up entirely at random.)
Anyway, here’s our choice for Plug o’ the Day:
No shit, Sherlock. The Herald just spent two pages of what they laughably call the newshole telling us exactly that.
P.S. Crosstown at the Boston Globe, the Names column has this plug for RadioBDC, the Globe’s Internet ghost of the nearly departed WFNX.
Be interesting to see if some news/talk shows start turning up on the indie rockstream.
3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Herald Radio, Frank Turner, Fred Smerlas, Herald Radio Countdown, Matt Basir, Names, RadioBDC, Walt Whitman, WFNX | Permalink
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Boston is blessed not only with two daily newspapers, but with two very talented editorial cartoonists: Dan Wasserman at the Boston Globe, and Jerry Holbert at the Boston Herald.
(You can count on two hands the number of daily newspapers nationally that employ editorial cartoonists. And yes, technically Wasserman may be a syndicated cartoonist rather than a Globe staffer, but his drawings still have a Globe identity.)
In Thursday’s editions, the two coincidentally visited Six Flags Over Anthony Weiner.
Holbert:
Wasserman:
Smart, as usual.
4 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Anthony Weiner, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Dan Wasserman, editorial cartoonists, Jerry Holbert, Six Flags Over Anthony Weiner, WeinerWorld | Permalink
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Well, the Boston mayoral candidates released their campaign finance reports for the second quarter and darned if the local dailies didn’t notice the same thing: No bucks yet from the big-bucks set.
Business elite wait for the herd to thin
From businessman Jack Connors to developer John Fish to Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and concessionaire Joseph O’Donnell, many of the city’s top power brokers are playing it safe in the mayor’s race — but leaving the crowded field of candidates hanging in the balance at a crucial time in the election.
A Herald review of the latest campaign finance reports found that Connors, Fish, Lucchino, Kraft and O’Donnell have yet to contribute to any of the dozen candidates running to replace Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
Also sitting on the sidelines so far are Putnam Investments CEO Robert Reynolds, Hill Holliday CEO Karen Kaplan, State Street Bank’s Jay Hooley, Suffolk Downs chief Richard Fields, Celtics owner and venture capitalist Stephen Pagliuca, Red Sox co-owner John Henry and former John Hancock Insurance CEO David D’Alessandro.
As the feisty local tabloid points out, all of the above are subject to the $500 maximum contribution per candidate, “but they also boast the extensive contacts to organize fundraisers that can bundle tens of thousands of dollars in donations at a single pop.”
Popping crosstown to the Boson Globe, newly minted Business columnist Shirley Leung devotes her maiden voyage to the same topic – and pretty much the same names.
Businesses watching mayoral race from sidelines
If you are a serious candidate for mayor, you have driven past the scrubby warehouses of Newmarket Square, to the headquarters of Suffolk Construction, for an audience with CEO John Fish.
And when you arrive, expect a surprise. Fish, an unofficial kingmaker in Boston, told me he’s in no rush to support anyone — not with his time, not with his money. Will he ever? “Time will tell,” Fish explained.
He’s not the only one disappointing candidates this season.
Many of Boston’s business elites are sitting on the sidelines in the first truly open mayoral election in 30 years. It would be unfair to call them apathetic. Their doors are open to candidates and they’re following the issues, but their wallets are closed and their BMWs are free of bumper stickers.
(Wait – 30 years? What happened to the eight-way donnybrook in 1993?)
What sets Leung’s piece apart, though, is her inclusion of some bigwigs who have ponied up at this stage:
Not everyone is abstaining, even if they are not exactly revealing their support. Boston developer Ronald Druker is doing his best impression of a high roller at a Vegas roulette table, betting the maximum $500 each on Felix Arroyo, Dan Conley, John Connolly, Rob Consalvo, and Mike Ross, according to state campaign filings.
“I may ultimately give to some more,” said Druker.
Developer Joseph Fallon, who is building out the Fan Pier office and condo complex in the Seaport District, gave $500 in May to Conley, the Suffolk district attorney, and raised another $30,000 for him. Fallon also contributed $500 to Consalvo’s campaign this month and has given to Marty Walsh’s run.
One final note: Both papers also mention the Vault, a “cabal of executives” who engaged in a very high level of backroom politics for decades. The Vault was to mayoral elections in the ’50s and ’60s what the money primary is now. May the best (financed) man or woman win!
UPDATE: The hardreading staff didn’t read hard enough. The Herald also mentioned the developers who have coughed up dough to several candidates.
Apologies all around.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston 1983 mayoral election, Boston 1993 mayoral election, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, David D'Alessandro, Jack Connors, Joe Fallon, John Fish, Joseph O'Donnell, Larry Lucchino, money primary, Robert Kraft, Ronald Druker | Permalink
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Well, actually, The Vineyard.
That’s the new unreality show that debuts tonight on ABC Family.
Here’s what the cable channel says about it:
ABC Family’s newest original docu-series, The Vineyard , is set against the idyllic backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard, MA, and features the island’s iconic Black Dog Tavern. The series follows a mix of locals and transplants living and playing together for the summer. Rounding out the cast of seven girls and four guys is a Latin pop princess, a hopeless romantic and a pre-med student, just to name a few. It’s sure to be an intriguing combination of new friends, new rivals and tight quarters, all resulting in a summer of trouble and romance.
Except . . here’s what the TV critics at the local dailies say about it.
Mark Perigard in the Boston Herald:
‘Vineyard’ dim bulbs are biggest losers
ABC’s new “unscripted” series “The Vineyard” — set in Martha’s Vineyard — has a lot in common with the CBS hit summer drama “Under the Dome.”
Both shows feature people in a tight geographical area. One features people behaving unspeakably stupidly and vile, the other is based on a Stephen King novel.
Shouldn’t that be “vilely”? Funny you ask – the Boston Globe’s Matthew Gilbert says, not really.
On some reality shows, the characters seem partly real and partly the creations of the director; on “The Vineyard,” the characters seem almost entirely designed by the director, as if the cast members have been given extremely precise instructions. Katie and the oh-so-chivalrous and ab-tastic Lou are going to be the romantically tortured “A” story.
OK, I have to be transparent. I just went to Thesaurus.com and searched for “repulsive,” and right now I’m feeling overwhelmed by the number of appropriate choices I have to round out my final thoughts on “The Vineyard.” “Odious” is good, but maybe a little too sniffy; there’s no point in being sniffy about a show so obviously rigged to be vapid. “Vile,” too, is an overreaction. I mean, these people are so flat and unreal, it’s pointless to waste sharp words on them. Ah well, even “repulsive” won’t do. I’ll stick with “hollow” and “generic” and get out.
Of course you’re wondering: Will the hardreading staff be watching tonight’s premiere?
Get out.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: ABC Family, Black Dog Tavern, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Mark Perigard, Martha's Vineyard, Matthew Gilbert, The Vineyard | Permalink
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Saturday’s local dailies had – wait for it – very different takes on the State Police photos of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s April 19 apprehension by law enforcement officials after a “massive manhunt.”
From the Boston Globe:
Some praise officer for bloody images
Sergeant with State Police faces hearing on action
The State Police sergeant who released dramatic photos of the capture of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev without the agency’s permission received enthusiastic support Friday from an array of backers.
“The department received dozens upon dozens of calls and e-mails today from citizens around the country supporting Sergeant Murphy and what he did,” State Police spokesman David Procopio said Friday.
Sergeant Sean Murphy, who released the images of a bloody Tsarnaev to Boston Magazine Thursday, also drew praise on social media, including Twitter. He said he released the photos in response to Rolling Stone magazine’s putting Tsarnaev on its cover with an image that critics said made him look glamorous.
“Great photos,” one person wrote of Murphy’s images. “I support your decision.”
But not everyone felt the same way, as the Boston Herald’s front page noted:
The inside scoop:
Dzhokhar’s dream photos?
Cop pics could help defense
The leaked state police photos of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s bloody, woozy capture and surrender in Watertown may be exactly the evidence the Boston Marathon bombing suspect’s legal team needs to help him talk his way out of the death chamber, a former federal prosecutor said yesterday.
“I absolutely think they’re going to be using these in terms of mitigation — that he’s been injured enough, that he suffered, that he was fired upon without firing upon the others,” attorney R. Bradford Bailey told the Herald. “These are the precise types of facts that make a persuasive argument against imposing the death penalty.
“This is certainly material for Judith Clarke and her experience with capital punishment cases,” he added, referring to the San Diego death-penalty specialist who has been appointed to Tsarnaev’s case.
This one is, as they say in the betting line, pick ’em.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston magazine, Boston Marathon bombings, capital punishment, death penalty, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Judith Clarke, R. Bradford Bailey, Rolling Stone, Sergeant Sean Murphy, State Police photos | Permalink
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First off, it should be noted that the Boston Herald broke this Rolling Stone story on page 3 of yesterday’s edition (don’t ask about the little green numbers – no idea why they keep popping up):
Today, the feisty local tabloid went for broke:
The one dissenting voice was columnist Margery Eagan, but she was drowned out by the other coverage, which included a couple of news reports and the always-enlightening comments of Herald readers.
Our personal favorite among the reader responses:
But wait – the paper’s not done yet. There’s also a smashmouth editorial, along with a venomous column from Michael Graham:
Magazine’s the picture of desperation
‘McDreamy’ photo won’t get oldies loser Rolling
Hey, Rolling Stone magazine! Next time you want to prove how provocative and edgy you are, put a flattering photo of George Zimmerman on your cover.
Right. Like that’s ever going to happen.
And that’s part of the reason for Boston’s completely righteous anger over the magazine’s “Terrorist Teen Beat” cover featuring Dzhokhar McDreamy. It’s insulting and stupid, and they know it.
But if it sells magazines (or even better — drives up Web traffic), they don’t care.
Sounds a bit like the Herald itself.
Crosstown rival Boston Globe has a more evenhanded debate on its front page:
There’s also a news report and this comme ci comme ça editorial:
[T]he magazine’s advance hype for the story — “a riveting and heartbreaking account of how a charming kid with a bright future became a monster” — hinted at a somewhat more sympathetic portrayal of Tsarnaev than many readers might expect.
Then again, the cover also identifies him as a bomber — going farther in asserting Tsarnaev’s guilt than the criminal justice system has at this point. All of which suggests that Rolling Stone is better at trying to create buzz than at recognizing the sensitivity of a recent incident that led to four Boston-area residents’ deaths and inflicted horrifying injuries on many more. Still, readers shouldn’t assume that a cover story about a suspected evildoer represents an attempt to glamorize him. This issue of Rolling Stone should be judged not by its cover, but on the information that it brings to the public record.
Well . . . judge for yourself.
5 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Margery Eagan, Michael Graham, Rolling Stone, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Ty Burr, Yvonne Abraham | Permalink
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Now that the Bay State’s umpteenth U.S. Senate special election is done, the Boston news media can turn their attention to the first real mayoral race we’ve had here in Mayberry since 1993.
From Tuesday’s Boston Globe:
Conley set to launch television ads
Suffolk DA’s are 1st of Hub mayor’s race
Boston mayoral candidate Daniel F. Conley, leveraging his significant fund-raising advantage over 11 opponents, will launch the first television advertising campaign of the race Tuesday, part of a sustained blitz that will continue through the Sept. 24 preliminary election.
Conley’s campaign has paid for five ads, at least four of which will begin running Tuesday on local and cable television stations. The Conley campaign declined to say how much it is spending on the ad campaign, making it difficult to determine the frequency and prominence of the ads.
The Suffolk district attorney’s ads will be quickly followed Thursday by a commercial buy from Felix G. Arroyo. The first ad from the Latino city councilor will be in Spanish and will air only on Spanish-language media.
And then there’s this:
The ads were produced by Joe Slade White and Co., a media strategy firm that has worked on campaigns with other Democrats, including Joe Biden when he was running for reelection to the US Senate from Delaware. Conley’s campaign has paid the company $23,000 for its work, according to campaign expenditures filed with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign & Political Finance.
First of all, $23,000 for producing five ads? Those guys need management.
Second of all, Joe Slade White and Co. is carpetbagging in this race.
Home page:
That’s New York/Texas/DC in the lower bar for oldies like us.
Client list (click to expand):
Funny, Dan Conley doesn’t appear on this expanded client list either.
Then again, 23 grand doesn’t exactly put you on the radar screen.
Oddly enough, Tuesday’s Boston Herald reported this:
Conley, Arroyo plan TV ad blitz
The air war in the mayor’s race has officially begun as Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley launches a series of TV ads today and City Councilor Felix G. Arroyo follows later this week with what may be the first Spanish-language-only ads in a Hub mayoral race.
Conley’s campaign is launching five new ads to begin airing on cable and local TV today. In one spot, created by a Portland, Ore., production company, he talks about “cracking down on illegal guns” and how he created a Suffolk County gun court that has a 90 percent conviction rate. Other ads focus on education and the city’s innovation economy.
(The web version of the piece calls it a “Buffalo, New York, production company” – no correction appended. The Herald doesn’t do corrections.)
Buffalo – Portland, Ore. (not even Maine?) – whatever. The ads were not produced in Boston.
Surprisingly, neither local daily made a big deal of it.
But the hardreading staff is.
3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston mayoral election, Buffalo, Dan Conley., DC, Felix Arroyo, Joe Slade White and Co., Massachusetts Office of Campaign & Political Finance, New York, Ore., Portland, Texas, U.S. Senate special election | Permalink
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Former U.S. Senate hopeful Gabriel Gomez apparently learned at least one thing during his special-election campaign against Ed Markey: The broadsheet is mightier than the tabloid.
From today’s Boston Globe:
Gabriel Gomez could be up for another run
‘Nothing’s off the table,’ he says of federal or state campaign
COHASSET — Less than three weeks after losing a special US Senate election, Republican Gabriel E. Gomez said he is open to making another run for political office.
“If something does pop up and I’ve got the same passion that I had for this last race, then I would be interested in it,” he said.
In his first postelection interview, Gomez was reflective about his US Senate run, admitted to some missteps in his initial high-profile bid for elective office, but appeared to be at peace with the results.
So the Globe gets the at-home sit-down with Gomez while the Boston Herald gets . . . what?
Gabriel Gomez prime for 2014 run
Election-battered GOP newcomer Gabriel E. Gomez is back, mulling a return to the political scene just weeks after losing his freshman U.S. Senate bid, with Republican sources saying he is eyeing a 2014 statewide race, and a top aide saying he’s open to any office — including the state’s top job.
“Gabriel Gomez has a strong future in Massachusetts should he decide to run, and no office is off the table,” his former campaign manager, Lenny Alcivar, said. While Alcivar added that Gomez is currently “focused on Little League games and spending time with his family,” other Republican sources said the Cohasset businessman is considering a 2014 run.
While most state Republicans said that Gomez likely would stay out of the gubernatorial showdown if Charlie Baker or Scott Brown decide to enter, political analysts agreed a quick Gomez comeback is feasible.
The Herald piece also mentions treasurer and attorney general as possible statewide slots for Gomez to seek. The Globe reports that “[l]ast week, US Representative Greg Walden, the Republican charged with keeping his party in control of the US House of Representative, hinted to a Capitol Hill newspaper that Gomez should consider a bid against Democrat William R. Keating, who represents the Ninth District.”
Right now, though, we’re betting the only thing Gomez is seeking is a fence-mending session with a Herald reporter.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Ed Markey, Gabriel Gomez, Greg Walden, House of Representatives, Lenny Alcivar, U.S. Senate, William Keating | Permalink
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It's Good to Live in a Two-Daily Town 