Robinson: NY Times Committed To New England Market
PHOTO/BRANDON BUTLER
Janet Robinson, CEO of the New York Times Co., addresses members of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce at Mechanics Hall.
Janet Robinson, the president and CEO of the New York Times Co., which owns the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, affirmed the company's commitment to the Worcester and New England media markets this morning during her remarks to a monthly breakfast meeting of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
There have been rumors swirling for several years that the New York Times would sell either the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, or its other New England media property, the Boston Globe. There was a serious bid from the owners of Worcester-based Polar Beverages for the Telegram & Gazette in 2009, but that deal fell apart. The most recent interest comes from a group of Boston businessmen who say they are preparing an offer to purchase both the Globe and the T&G. (Read more about the group in this Boston.com article.)
While Robinson didn't address sale rumors head on, she did say repeatedly that the New York Time Co. is rooted in this region.
"The Globe, T&G and New England Media Group are very important to the New York Times Co.," she said.
Robinson, who has held her position since 2004, also emphasized the importance of businesses in all sectors transforming and adapting to business and market conditions.
For its part, the New York Times Co. has taken major steps in the past few years to do just that, she said. Specifically, she said the company's media properties have diversified into multi-platform news and information operations.
Last year, the Telegram & Gazette instituted a paywall for its website which restricts non-subscribing readers from certain online content on Telegram.com.
Robinson said the T&G led the way for other publications to follow suit, including the New York Times, which installed a similar system on its site, NYTimes.com, this March. The paywall for NYTimes.com caps the number of articles non-subscribers are able to read per month. Full access to New York Times content is available to paid subscribers of the paper.
The Boston Globe, she said, plans to install a paywall as well, but it will also break content up into two separate websites. One site, Boston.com, will be a free site for breaking news and information. The other site will have a Boston Globe brand and will feature content from the paper that is restricted to subscribers only.
Overall, Robinson said the New York Times Co. has done significant restructuring in the past several years to rebalance and diversify its revenue streams. She said more than $850 million in operating savings have been instituted since 2006, including $171 million last year alone.
The breakfast event also included salutes to area businesses including: Harr Toyota, Masterman's, Tighe & Bond, Mercadante Funeral Home, Tower Hill Botanical Garden and Rotmans.
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