L.A. Times sells print run to WSJ

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on January 8, 2010 at 4:41 PM

The deadline for the Los Angeles Times front page has been moved up five or more hours, to 6 p.m., because the Times is closing its Orange County printing plant and has sold its print run time slot at the remaining plant to the Wall Street Journal, Sharon Waxman reported for The Wrap yesterday. The Tribune Co.-owned Times print run used to be 11 p.m. and midnight.

Because of the change, breaking news will now appear in another section of the paper, and 80 people from the pressroom will be laid off. Eddy Hartenstein, publisher of the Times, wrote in a memo to staff that the change is being made to "further streamline our operations and reduce print production costs."

The Times is also cutting its stand-alone Business section on Mondays and will place them in the main news section, as well as move its Food section to Thursdays, so weekend subscribers will receive it and to help boost food-related ad revenue, such as restaurant ads.

The Times reported that late-breaking news will be published in a new section called LATExtra, which will begin appearing Feb. 2 on Mondays through Saturdays. The width of the paper will also be smaller, from 48 inches to 44 inches.

Employees are "livid" about the decision, Waxman reported, with one newsroom insider telling her that printing the WSJ to make extra money is fine, "But they shouldn't prostitute themselves to do it."

Meanwhile, New York Times media columnist David Carr announced on Twitter: "in a long series of indignities @ Los Angeles Times, this may be the ugliest... News at LAT steps aside for WSJ..." and snarky east coast blog Gawker wrote "LA Times Sells Ability to Have Relevant Information in Print Edition to Rupert Murdoch."