Newsday is America’s 10th largest daily newspaper with the bulk of its readers on Long Island, a long Island abutting New York City and home to just under 3 million people if you don’t count Queens. Newsday is part of the Tribune Company which was recently purchased by Samuel Zell, the real estate magnate.
It was reported today that Newsday is going up for sale and the three likely bidders are News Corp., owner of The New York Post, Mort Zuckerman owner of the NY Daily News (NY’s Home Town Paper,) and Charles Dolan, the godfather of Cablevision.
Unfortunately, I don’t get a vote but if I did it would be for Mort Zuckerman. The New York Post has grown circulation the last few years and cut into the lead of the Daily News but is still hemorrhaging money. The Dolans have had some hits and misses over the years but don’t get the news business. Their Cable TV channel “News 12 Long Island” is unwatchable. It reminds me of a news program one might see in Bumpus Mills, TN.
The Daily News is all about the news. It cares about the news. Its plan is to build circulation by focusing on the communities it serves – the boroughs. Newsday’s way forward is also to better serve the many LI communities it serves. I wrote a brand position for them a number of years ago which should be their mantra: “We know where you live.” If Newsday delivers on that promise and hooks up with smart newspaper people, its future will be bright.