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Group says HNA failed
By Susan Kreifels
to replace Star-Bulletin
street sales racks
Star-BulletinA citizens group working to keep the Star-Bulletin open said only a portion of the newspaper's vending racks have been restored, and charged the Hawaii Newspaper Agency is not serious about keeping the newspaper viable.
In a news conference yesterday, Save Our Star-Bulletin spokesman Richard Port said in the last 10 days, the group made spot checks at 44 locations that had lost racks, and only eight of those had been restored.
Port said at least 150 racks were taken down after Liberty Newspapers Limited Partnership, which owns the Star-Bulletin, and Gannett, owner of the Honolulu Advertiser, entered into an agreement in September to end their joint operating agreement Oct. 30.
"The point is that they are indicating they are losing money, but they are not taking appropriate steps to run a profitable newspaper," Port said. "I think the court will look at this and wonder" why they are not trying to make a profit.
Mike Fisch, president of the Hawaii Newspaper Agency and publisher of the Advertiser, said 120 machines were removed between the time the closure was announced and the injunction was filed. Of those, about 65 have been replaced - some in new locations like Waikiki - because of low newspaper sales in the old spots.
The rest of the machines are being painted and cleaned and will be replaced by Feb. 10, he said.
"This is simply rehashing old issues to keep the issues in the media," Fisch said.
"Wayne Cahill (the Hawaii Newspaper Guild's administrative officer and a SOS member) would be better off spending his time working with the management of the newspapers and HNA and identifying ways to improve the productivity of the work force to make the entire entity more profitable and viable so we don't have these cost issues."
Bulletin closing archive
