Why Selling the Orange County Register to George Argyros is Censorious
The Orange County Business Journal is reporting that local mega-slumlord George Argyros is interested in buying the Orange County Register (we'd link to the OCBJ, but you have to pay to read the article--get with the 21st century, Rick Reiff!). This is a horrible idea, and not just because Argyros knows nothing about journalism and is notorious for buying properties and putting no money in them (best examples: Seattle Mariners during the 1980s, his apartments). It boils down to this: George Argyros supports censoring journalists.
How do I know? Because I suffered George's portly wrath.
In March 2004, a week after the deadly Madrid train bombings, I wrote an article haranguing Argyros--then the non-Spanish-speaking ambassador to Spain--for his role in forcing Spain to enter the War on Terror, a war opposed by nearly 90 percent of Spaniards. Two months later, Argyros was at Chapman University, my alma mater and a school where Argyros graduated from and was the longtime chair of the Board of Trustees. He was at Chapman to escort around former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, a gavilán (chicken hawk) if ever there was one. Athnar (spelling deliberate to emulate the Castilian lithp) gave a speech of some sort, and then was going to give a press conference.
I covered Athnar's speech, then went to the press conference. Before I could enter the room, Chapman's then-head of public relations, a diminutive creature by the name of Ruth Wardwell, told me I was banned from the press conference for my Argyros article. Apparently, Argyros was so infuriated by my piece that he demanded retribution, and his will was done to a formerly proud Chapman alumni.
I've received private apologies from Chapman administrators and teachers who remember me in the years since but never a public one from President Jim Doti (indeed, he once told students who wrote a never-published story on the incident that I "didn't reflect Chapman values") or Argyros for their role in banning me from a press conference and setting a stellar example for their students. Fuck them, of course: I'm giving all my pennies to Orange Coast College when I retire.
But if Argyros pulled such petty stops at a university that he doesn't own to go against an enemy and protect his friends, imagine what he'd do with a newspaper. Consider all the connections he has with the lords of Orange County. The thought of an Argyros-owned Register should send chills down any lover of the free press. Argyros would make the pre-Otis Chandler Chandlers seem as unbiased as Jesus.
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Elroy El says:
Full speed ahead I say. The sooner Argyros buys the Register the sooner it goes into the tank. Argyros isn't going to subsidize a media which is quickly running itself into a sinkhole.
Please buy it George. I'm 99.99% certain you'll turn it into a caricature of a news outlet not unlike the World Net Daily or Newsmax.
With all the credibility that comes with it.
Posted on Monday, Sep. 15 2008 @ 1:40PM
Ben Bradley says:
One hopes when Goerge buys the Register he jettisons the smarly howdy dowdy CEO, Scott Flanders and the rigid Linda Fisk.
Posted on Tuesday, Sep. 16 2008 @ 7:43PM
Stephen Cakebread says:
How much compensation does Scott Flanders receive from Salesforce.com?
Posted on Tuesday, Sep. 16 2008 @ 7:48PM
Ben Bradley says:
Is there ANY way we could entice the Greek to accept Flanders in the packaged sale of the OCR?
This dufus sits on more boards than a carpenter on his lunch break all the while his primary business is buring up in ruins.
Are the Hoiles kids that blind (we know they aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer) that they can't see that Scotty and Linda are bleeding them to death?
Posted on Wednesday, Sep. 17 2008 @ 6:07PM
No one says:
Agree with Ben.
Posted on Tuesday, Sep. 30 2008 @ 3:00PM
RC Hoiles says:
After Flanders gets done running this company into the ground like he did with Columbia Records he will get his golden parachute and move onto another BlackStone company. Perhaps Freedom could save some money and stop paying for his multi-million dollar home and Bentley.
Posted on Wednesday, Oct. 1 2008 @ 1:12PM
Ben Bradley says:
Heard on the street that Freedom only has $5 million cash on hand. Guess those Bentley's cost a little bit of coin.
How many days a year is Flanders out-of-the-office and at some other company's doorstep sitting on their board and feathering his nest for his next move.
Doesn't Balckstone have an interst in Hilton.
Posted on Wednesday, Oct. 8 2008 @ 6:56PM
Ben Bradley says:
Mr. Argyros, here's a way to shave off $2million of expenses immediately once you gain control of grandpa Hoiles little newspaper chain.
A) Remove Scott Flanders: not only will this free up his wasted salary but it allow you to save face from the remaining employess who grew tired of seeing little Scotty constantly jetting off to ANOTHER company's board meeting. Do you know he cashed in his stock options for a little known company in 2003 to the tune of $600,000?
B) Discontinue your company;s arrangement with Salesforce.com. This is a BAD legacy of Scotty's relationship with Steven Cakebread who he met while sitting on the BOD of eHealthcare.com. Ask Scotty what he got under the table from Salesforce, errr SalesFarce.com. Each Freedom associate and there were 750 employees were charged $87 each per month to use this USELESS platform.
C) Stop the President's Club trips. These only give purpose to jon Segals useless existence. He's dumb and he's costing you money. Stick him on a clay court with a can of tennis balls and camera and he'll be as happy as a mental patient on Saturday.
Posted on Thursday, Oct. 9 2008 @ 7:40PM
Ben Bradley says:
Mr. Argyros, here's a way to shave off $2million of expenses immediately once you gain control of grandpa Hoiles little newspaper chain.
A) Remove Scott Flanders: not only will this free up his wasted salary but it allow you to save face from the remaining employess who grew tired of seeing little Scotty constantly jetting off to ANOTHER company's board meeting. Do you know he cashed in his stock options for a little known company in 2003 to the tune of $600,000?
B) Discontinue your company;s arrangement with Salesforce.com. This is a BAD legacy of Scotty's relationship with Steven Cakebread who he met while sitting on the BOD of eHealthcare.com. Ask Scotty what he got under the table from Salesforce, errr SalesFarce.com. Each Freedom associate and there were 750 employees were charged $87 each per month to use this USELESS platform.
C) Stop the President's Club trips. These only give purpose to jon Segals useless existence. He's dumb and he's costing you money. Stick him on a clay court with a can of tennis balls and camera and he'll be as happy as a mental patient on Saturday.
Posted on Thursday, Oct. 9 2008 @ 7:41PM
Bob Kohl says:
After reading Gustaro Arellano article on George Argyros possibility of purchashing the Orange County Register I find it the best news since graduating from Chapman in 1958. George is a pure capitalist and a great American who has given so much to America as a citizen and a public servant. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the purchased takes place. God Bless George for standing up to liberal journalists.
Posted on Friday, Nov. 28 2008 @ 12:00AM