Scott's comp isn't $5 mil

It's "only" 800k

Why is there no CFO listed under freedom communications officers on the freedom.com website?

the family is going to go broke? really? yet they allow all these trips and perqs? so when they sell they won't make money and laff all the way to the bank? Freedom has such shitty leadership. average joe has to take furloughs, but the higher ups still go on trips? bite me. and believe me, when i find another job i am outta here.

Well a "universal" BUENO is needed to punctuate the latest Freedom Communications' junket. This time dozens of former Gannett rejects (now Freedom Communication executives) sucked off the corporate tit in the country where the rain falls mainly on the plains.

And what a wonderful surprise (and honor) all enjoyed when the jet-setting Scott Flanders graced the assembled with his presence if only for ONE DAY by dropping in on the corporate annoited. (yes, there were a smattering of actual clients in attendance to keep the junket tax write-off-able)

Despite a 16-hour one way flight from SNA to MAD, Scott could only stay for one day because he was needed back in the USA to attend one of his six board of director meetings he uses to suppliment his overpaid salary at Freedom.

How does one get a gig as a BofD like our own Scott Flanders whose only claim to fame is selling records for 1 cent and is now successfully running a news media conglomerate into the ground?

Ay Caramba!

I got that email & the sentence DID NOT SAY Nassau and Spain. It simply refered to a newspaper conference that was going to be missed.

Whoever posted that is lying and making up stories. Pretty pathetic, great journalism.

The owners have nothing to do with the day to day operation of Freedom, which is part of its problem. However the trip to Hawaii is something all co. do to get advertising dollars. If a client is told, you get a free trip to Hawaii if you spend over 100k with us, then it is well worth it to furnish a trip for said client.

Sportsbook,

the only thing redacted from the original email posted above was the name of the spouse and the signer's name.

Dear Some People......:

Sure, clients need to be wined and dined. No one argues that point. The problem at Freedom is that for every 1 client that gets to go on a trip a gaggle of Freedom suits tags along.

During the recent trip to Spain, there were more former Gannett rejects (now Freedom higher ups) sipping sangria than clients.

What was the purpose of SF flying in for one day then leaving?

The original email said "Vegas and NNA" I have it right here. NO MENTION OF SPAIN OR NASSAU! That was added by someone else.

Hey RC:

Flanders flying in for one day....ask Blackstone if that was a good use of THIER money. The family is clueless.
Flanders.... a one trick pony.

Let's not forget Terry Horne in this mess. He's the guy who told us at the Register that his big plan for the Freedom paper in Phoenix was going to be a huge success. He said the East Valley Tribune would have more circulation than the big Phoenix paper within two years. Instead, the East Valley Tribune is now published three days a week with about a third of its former staff. Terry also told us how he vowed never to do layoffs because he remembers, with a tear in his eye, how his father was laid off. He called layoffs "a management failure." Hundreds of layoffs later, my how he has failed.

Clarence:...thats how it happens at Freedom, management fails and people get laid off except the management.But Freedom management does know more than us, as evidenced by the business model of increased debt, poor credit ratings, bad morale, layoffs, etc, etc, etc.....
You have to hand it to senior management,...whats that saying,....There is a sucker born every minute, and it was the Holies gang.

Everyone read the latest on the pension. I quote "This information is required in the notice and is not an indication that Freedom Communications, INC has decided to terminate the pension plan"
BS who do you think you are kidding Scotty this is absolutely what you are going to do. Stick it to the associates one more time. Watch out

How one can blame the family just amazes me. The Hoiles family who brought in Blackstone in order to buy out disgruntled family members, many of them didn't take ONE dollar off the table. Now, like the rest of the industry, mind you, they owe more then the co. is worth. If they fire Scott they will still have to pay him, via his contract. No one has the answers...there are no buyers out there, the co. is going to go under eventually, and sadly its because the family thought too much about "the associates". Had they been smart they would have just sold the whole thing and been set for life. Or at least done an IPO and taken some cash off the table. Don't be surprised if this paper fails and declares bankruptcy.....I feel sorry for them.

sportsbook:

What!!!!!!! family caring about the associates??????????? Those trust fund babies could care less about the associates

Yeah, as if...Tim Hoiles ever cared about the guy and gal working the late shift in the mailroom.

All he cared about was his Harley and his parent's bank account.

Who says Freedom's esteemed leader Scott Flanders doesn't have BALLS. Even with his company in free fall and his top execs unaware that three of its daily newspapers are changing format from broadsheet to tabloid and as he shamelessly darts off to board meetings to tell other companies how to run their enterprise,(as if...) he jets into the nation's second largest pork producing state at the height of the pan-epidemic swine flu scare to admonish some publishers and regional presidents starting with Miss Piggy herself, Jennie Lambert.

You go Scotty.

RC:

Scotty can fix everything, just ask him. He will cure the flu epidemic, cure world hunger, and invent a cure for the common cold. He is super man!!!!!!!!!! But first, he needs to finish running Freedom into ground with this "tranformation" process. Guess we know know what that means now. Who would have guessed?
Hey, where are those family board members.... did Scotty lay them off too?

Why are all you people complaining about Scotty. He's set to be named CEO of Playboy very soon. Seriously. He'll be gone and he'll take one of his cronies with him.

Davie:
Is that the naked truth you speak about scotty? I guess he will "lay" some of the bunnies off there also as he transforms playboy. Another publication will go into the rabbit hole.

Lets see,

The DarkBoulder boys let Scotty sacrifice Columbia House to the Internets.
Then the DarkBoulder boys gave him Freedom to sacrifice to the Internets.
Now they will give him an opportunity at the only business model that works on the Internets; adult content. Let’s see if he can ruin Playboy in a proven business model!

Just how many lives does Scotty have?

Watch for announcement about Scotty and Playboy after Freedom board meeting next week.

tim:
Say it aint so Joe!!!!!!!!!! There is no hope.

Did Scotty get a push from fellow Freedom Board of Director Spanfeller for the Playboy gig?

Maybe a push out the door onto another poor unsuspecting company. Amazing what one trick pony can do. Wonder who is next for freedom CEO?

You are right about Tim.....it was he who forced the issue, and wanted liquidity...dividends weren't good enough apparently...he and his "side" cashed out, much of the family took very little off the table....because of concern for the associates in fact, and now they have nothing....it is quite sad actually.

Sportsbook:

How do you know the remaining family members didn't cash in much because of their concern for associates? Might it have been their desire to keep their dividends flowing and maintain the libertarian philosophy? I've never seen much concern for the associates. If they cared that much, they would have prevented all the layoffs.

Concerns for the associates + Hoiles family does not equal concern for associates. They could care less about associates, it ALL ABOUT THE MONEY for those trust fund baby's. What a joke!

How a company that owes 700 million, yet is worth 200 million is going to avoid layoffs is beyond my managerial experience. How one can blame a family that isn't even involved is crazy talk.

The issue here is newspapers are done. This paper used to be a bright star in a big muck of So. Cal. Newspapers....sadly that is not the case any longer.

I will be shocked if Scott announces anything after the board meeting re: Playboy. How did you come to this info?

Lastly, I know someone who is close to one of the family members, and they have not had an income in a year, many of them are outraged at the lack of control they now have over what happens at Freedom, but are unable to do anything...how one measly shareholder can stand up to Blackstone or Mgmt that has shown to be non-family friendly is also beyond me.

Family board members are asleep as usual and the family sold interest to a privtae equity firm. You cannot tell me they have nothing to do with whats going on now. Just because they had $$$$$$ in there sights.... its all about money!!!!! And BOO HOO about them not having any income. If they were not greedy and had to have mo money, they should not have invited blackstone to take over their control. But wait, doesnt the family have 51% interest??? Guess they aint too bright to let this happen. BOO HOO family, let me get you more tissue...what a joke....

But they seem to have money to burn so that regional presidents like Miss Piggy from Gastonia can fly out to Irvine on the company dime to celebrate Segal's 60th BD this Thursday!
all the while the folks in Yuma are required to use left over newsprint as paper towels in their lavatories

I think J. Lambert is being flown out to attend the board meeting on Thurs. Jons party is not on the company dime, and it's fri. pm.

Yuma information is once again exagerated.

Alrighty, Karen j. Stand by to be shocked with the Flanders Playboy announcement. You can count the days maybe even the hours. As for the family control they have board members including the chairman. Maybe they have been misled by management and weren't smart enough to see it.

maybe flanders is apperaring in playby, not running it. Anyways, Gordon Geckio was right.....

if the family were smart they would just concentrate on printing (which can still be profitable) and NOT news/information. newspapers are dying, no doubt, and i seriously doubt they can make any money from the internet, but PRINTING is not. But i'm sure they are unable (out of stupidity or contractual agreements) to separate the two.

Tim

The playboy shareholders and board meeting is this Wed. And according to the press relaease from playboy, the board meets right after the shareholder meeting at playboy. Lets see, freedom board meeting Thursday.... the plot thickens!!!!!!

hef:

The playboy deal is done. Scotty wants the timing to be that he tells the Freedom board and then make the announcement to the rest of Freedom. It's coincidental that the Playboy board meets at about the same time.

From Scott Flanders CEO Corner on Freedom website;

CEO Corner: Creating opportunities during a recession and industry change :

Apparently Flanders going to Playboy, if confirmed, would be creating opportunties for HIMSELF!!!!!!!

i trust one of our excellent reporters will find out if the freedom board has engaged Houlihan Lokey as bankruptcy advisors.

Probabaly will hire noted attorneya Howard, Fine, and Howard.

To back of Kennedy Family member claim that all the Hoiles heirs care about is themselves and money, I give you this quote from Tim Hoiles, the grandson of RC Hoiles. (who wrote this short bio on himself: "I went to Fountain Valley School after Immanuel, then attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA.
I worked summers at the Gazette Telegraph until 1973, then worked at the Pampa Daily News in Texas and the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum in Ohio. I then became the publisher of the Pampa Daily News in 1974, then the publisher of the Victor Valley Daily Press in Victorville, CA until 1990.

He became publisher upon leaving (not graduating) college at the ripe old age of 22!

Excerp from the OC Business Journal, Aug. 5, 2002:

The Freedom board's "contemplated" tender offer was for $118.50 a share, Hoiles said, which would give him $79 million (and impute a company value of $924 million), with the payout over five years and subordinated to company debt payments.

Hoiles said he didn't like the conditions or the price. He said he asked for $135 a share, which he upped to $150 when he got no response from the board. The higher price would have brought him about $100 million and imputed a value to all of Freedom of $1.2 billion.

Hoiles said he considered his offers "fair," since he thought they still understated the company's true worth. But he said in light of the board's rebuffs and his subsequent contacts with potential suitors for Freedom, he no longer would settle for even $150 a share.

His grandpa must be spinning in his grave knowing his genetics spawned this greedy bastard.

Just as I thought, another rumor about playboy ceo coming from a company in SoCal.

Davey and Tim
Hey...wheres the BIG announcement????? Apparently someone had MISINFORMATION!!!!!!

patience grasshopper

Master Po

Young grasshopper has need for knowledge in his quest for truth and fending off evil in empire.

Besides Jack Stoner's mom, is there anyone within Freedom who honestly believes that this washed up Gannett hack who only traspes the circuit of Freedom's dwindling dailies so as to be the eyes and ears of corporate (read Mike Burns) ever has a week when he actually makes a difference.

Seriously, when has this squinty-eyed dinosaur ever made by adding an inch to the local newspaper or delivering a new copy to be thrown onto a new subscriber's driveway.

Yet he flits around the country on the corporate dime staying in hotels more times than he stays in his own Indianapolis bed.

Why does this happen within a company that is is hemoragging red ink? Kevin and Flan dust off your resume. Your days are numbered.

But whatever you do, don't forget to enter it in Salesforce.com because if it's not in SF, it didn't happen.
Yeah right!

How much is Flanders milking Freedom because of his relationship with Cakebread and SF?

Master Po

Richard Branson to buy Playboy?????? Guess Freedom keeps current CEO??????

Grasshopper seeks truth!!!!!!

patience grasshopper

"Richard Branson is throwing cold water on the word that Virgin Group was considering a bid for Playboy Enterprises "

Master Po

Grasshopper find it interesting Freedom has new CFO.....

Grasshopper,

The lease was up on the old one.

Grasshopper,

News from the Journal of the Street of Wall:

" Playboy Enterprises Inc. is expected to offer Scott Flanders, president and chief executive of Freedom Communications Inc., its vacant CEO post as early as this week, according to people familiar with the matter.

No contract has been signed, and the intended hire could still fall apart. But after a couple of recent visits to the Playboy Mansion, Mr. Flanders has emerged as the clear favorite, the people said."

To all you doubters.

From the Wall Street Journal website tonight:

By RUSSELL ADAMS

Playboy Enterprises Inc. is expected to offer Scott Flanders, president and chief executive of Freedom Communications Inc., its vacant CEO post as early as this week, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Ghost of Tom Joad: Stoner is a good man and one of few real assets on the Corp. team. Point your fingers elsewhere - MB, FM or even JS --

must wholeheartily disagree, Stoner is a Tool.

You're right about Stoner. he waltzed into our office unannounced one day like these regional sales people always do expecting us to drop everything and cater to their schedules and demanded to go out on sales calls with the reps.

One rep took him to a store where all they sell is Christmas items. Stoner stood silent during the 3-4 minutes after the rep explained why Stoner was here today. The rep and the owner discussed how things were going.

Finally Stoner piped up and asked one question. What is your busiest time of the year.

The rep ceased the conversation and they left embarrassed. After all it was a Christmas shop.

And this clown gets paid how much?

(AP) Irvine, CA--June 9, 2009

Jon Segal Announces Visit to Jacksonville, NC in Late June

Jon Segal, president of the newspaper division of Freedom Communications announced he will travel to Jacksonville, NC to see first hand the facility tasked with producing The Daily News, Sun Journal and the Free Press.

On June 1 all three dailies altered their format from broadsheet to tabloid.

This decision was made in North Carolina by Gastonia publisher Jennie Lambert, not California where Segal resides. Segal learned sometime later of the change. Local V.P. of Operations Jeff Ashe was assigned the duty of seeing to it that the new Goss press was operational by June 1, 2009.

Lambert and all involved did not allow any time for test runs. The press went live on the eve of the first edition's first day. The results were predicable and horrendous.

The results after this first day have been less than positive.

Calls to Lambert and Ashe were not returned. Segal was involved in a heated doubles match at the Santa Ana Country Club when an Associated Press reported asked the silver spooned VP for comment.

He declined comment then delivered a wicked ace inches off the base line before a stunned Dr. McGinley, the past club singles champ. Bully, Jon!

Segal's visit to North Carolina will be the first visit to an FENC property in 4 years when then incoming CEO Scott Flanders paid a brief visit to The Daily News and promised "change"

He delivered on his promise because today, many employeess who listened to Flanders in the cramped, mouse infested breakroom on Bell Fork Road, have changed their job because Flander's failed initiatives cost many their jobs.

Flanders has given his notice to the Freedom board that he will leave the company to assume the helm at Playboy on July 1. Furloughs mandated by Freedom management to affect all employees did not affect Flanders.

His base salary at Playboy will be pegged at $850,000 plus incentives that could double his annual compensation package.

Freedom Communications, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., is a national privately owned information and entertainment company of print publications, broadcast television stations and interactive businesses. In addition to the television group, the company’s portfolio includes 33 daily and 77 weekly newspapers, including The Orange County Register, magazines and other specialty publications, plus news, information and entertainment websites to complement its print and broadcast properties. Freedom’s newspaper publications have a combined circulation of more than one million subscribers. The broadcast stations – five CBS, two ABC network affiliates and one CW affiliate – reach more than 3 million households across the country.

Let me get my facts staright Mr. Murrow, Mr. Flanders is leaving and J. S. going on a field trip????... I am shocked, shocked I say, that this type of behavior can go on at Freedom.
Good thing Freedom has a top notch leadership team to keep this from ever happening again.
Maybe Perry White can step in now.

I Must Agree 2:

Get your facts straight - Stoner did not show up "unannounced" - your fearless leader(s) AD and Publisher knew of his visit weeks in advance - and like usual, did nothing to prepare for it, to include informing the staff. Stoner is forced to make someone take him out and there is 0% likelihood for productivity.

Stoner is lucky, he gets to do this over and over - across Freedom and for less money than the average Ad Director is earning...

So why is Stoner being paid if he's unwelcome and his efforts don't produce anything?

Hello all! Who can help? This summer I ate a lot of strawberries, and now I have it terrible allergic reaction ... Please advise what some anti-allergy pills.

Hello all! Who can help? This summer I ate a lot of strawberries, and now I have it terrible allergic reaction ... Please advise what some anti-allergy pills.

Hello all! Who can help? This summer I ate a lot of strawberries, and now I have it terrible allergic reaction ... Please advise what some anti-allergy pills.

Hello all! Who can help? This summer I ate a lot of strawberries, and now I have it terrible allergic reaction ... Please advise what some anti-allergy pills.