Re: Dallas Observer Parent Company Defaults on $80 Million Loan

Posted on March 17th, 2010 10:17am by Eric Celeste
Filed under Local News

A couple of comments to this post worried this might affect Big Bob Wilonsky and the merry muckrakers at the Observer. Fret not. At least, I don’t think you have to fret anytime soon. The Observer is still one of the strongest papers in the Village Voice Media chain. Like all print media, it has its challenges, but the chain has an online classified cash cow in backpage.com, and its websites are now bringing in pretty good revenue, according to trust-y-able sources.

Now, is “strongest in the chain” weak praise? Hard to say. According to this report from the PEW Project for Excellence in Journalism, at least three of the papers in the VVM chain (San Fran, Broward (Miami), and Houston) had rough years. And, as noted, the prospects for print journalism as a whole is not what one would call “robust.” But you can’t kill Big Bob. Have you seen how big and hairy he is? Like trying to kill the Yeti.

Update: Great story from The Stranger on the entire lawsuit and its origins.

10 comments

  1. Good Lord, Eric. That picture scared the hell out of me.

    @ 10:27 am on March 17, 2010

  2. You know, I think that’s the first picture of Wilonsky I’ve ever seen.

    Had I seen it before, I probably would have minded my manners more.

    I’ll behave now.

    @ 10:55 am on March 17, 2010

  3. Why does this picture appear to have been taken by a very frighted cellmate?

    @ 11:13 am on March 17, 2010

  4. Frightened. How could I have erred so badly when Bethany has returned?

    @ 11:14 am on March 17, 2010

  5. Cannot. Stop. Looking. In. Those. Eyes.

    @ 1:46 pm on March 17, 2010

  6. Robert, what happened to your neck?

    @ 2:34 pm on March 17, 2010

  7. I DON’T HAVE ANY LUNCH MONEY, HONEST!

    @ 4:55 pm on March 17, 2010

  8. Aw, come on, I’m a softie. And, incidentally, I actually took this picture — hence its extraordinarily unflattering angle. Though there really is no excusing the face. Where’s my photo credit?!?!

    @ 5:30 pm on March 17, 2010

  9. The Dallas Observer may have better financial results than others in the chain, but Westword in Denver has much better coverage. …and all their weeklies pale in comparison to the Austin Chronicle.

    @ 5:31 pm on March 17, 2010

  10. @Robert Wilonsky: Why were you taking pictures of yourself in prison? So odd.

    @ 8:38 am on March 18, 2010

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