It's the stupid economy

Len Cutler offers a succinct commentary on the investor's mindset and why making money is no longer enough for newspaper owners.

Meanwhile, the Tribune's innovator-in-chief, Lee Abrams, compares news and information to rock and roll, all the while forgetting that rock and roll journalism (new journalism, gonzo journalism) had its heyday, and that the music industry is sucking on the same sour eggs as newspapers.

Listening to him, it's clear he is not a dumb guy. It's also clear he's a businessman at heart who knows very little about news. But, then, who among the new newspaper titans does?

He's the Colonel Parker of the Tribune Co. His job is to package and promote. If he follows the template of Top 40 radio, which he loves so well, he'll find a way to limit creativity, encourage sameness and churn out an ever-blander product that can be swallowed by the greatest number of people. Tribune as fat Elvis.