Defending our revenue

We all come to work each day to make a positive difference for our customers and advertisers. In today’s competitive marketplace, we each recognize the need to fight for market share, to scrap for every dollar we earn. Our commitment to remain relevant to our customers and to defend our revenue is vital to our future.

The time is now to accept this truth: without change, Freedom will neither move forward nor shape its future. If we resist change in a transforming marketplace, we will neither improve our market position nor protect our revenue.

Defending our media territory

Traditionally, we have been the information gatherers, the story tellers, the news and entertainment experts. But, today our customers and advertisers have many more options to meet these needs. We need to take advantage of what makes us special to solidify our position in this changing market place.

Here’s another truth we need to accept: if we do not defend our territory, our competitors will invade and capture it. We can defend our territory only by working faster, exploring new ideas and implementing products that meet the needs and wants of our valued customers. As I’ve said many times before—our focus must never leave our customers/advertisers. We must understand each and every aspect of what they want and need, and then exceed their requirements in every respect.

Our customers will always seek information relevant to their lives and communities through a variety of sources. In 2008, complementing our print and broadcast products and services with online content will be critical to retaining and growing our audience and the market share of our advertising revenues.

Last year we worked diligently to advance the process of transforming our business. Consider some of our transformative successes:

• We strengthened our associate’s commitment to personal accountability for results by building a budget that reflects current industry trends.
• We created a single Newspaper company for internal efficiencies, greater collaboration among our associates and enhanced effectiveness for our advertisers.
• We launched interactive strategies that are taking hold and growing marketshare in the communities we serve in both the Newspapers and Broadcast divisions.
• Our leadership changes continue to sew the seeds that will reverse declines to our bottom line and infuse new energy into our business.

We must accept the painful reality that there were unmet challenges in 2007:

• We did not have strategies in place to cover revenue shortfalls.
• We did not successfully confront challenges in classified advertising which adversely impacted our print revenues.

We are transforming our business model as we learn new lessons. Trying new things that make our business go forward is essential in 2008. Resolve this year to change something. Your role at Freedom is critical in helping us shape our future.

Freedom’s future

In 2008, we will:

• Try new things and work smarter.
• Be efficient in operating our core assets and use the dollars captured from those activities to reinvest in our business.
• Continue to invest in Interactive, with the understanding that it will take discipline, focus and time to fill the gap in the traditional media of print and broadcast advertising.
• Through a revamped and reinvigorated sales structure, make selling a core competency.

With your continued dedication, we will figure it out at Freedom. Think about how to make Freedom your customer’s number-one information source. Think about how to convert our greatest resource into revenue for our advertisers and therefore for us. I’m depending on you to change, to defend our revenue and to help shape Freedom’s future.

Scott

Updated: March 2008

Click here to read Scott's bio. | Click here to read past CEO Corners.

eHealth Announces Appointment of Scott N. Flanders as New Independent Director

Click here to see article on CNN.com

Watch the Scott Flanders interview on the Cable Business Journal VideoCast

Watch CEO Scott Flanders on the Orange County Business Journal's Cable Business Journal in a discussion about Freedom and the future of media.


Click here to watch video.