Monday, November 21, 2005
Knight Ridder to Three of Its Publishers: "STOP, Don't Move
Lou Heldman, former News-Sentinel Managing Editor, Told to Hold the Line In Wichita
Knight Ridder, told three of its executives who had had been announced as assuming new posts to stay put at their current positions until further notice. The move was seen as a further reaction by the company to the swiftly moving events surrounding the pressures for sale of the newspaper chain.
Peter Ridder, who had briefly been President and CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers in the 1980's, will stay on at the Charlotte Observer for the near term. It had earlier been announced that he would retire. His brother, Tony Ridder, is head of Knight Ridder.
Knight Ridder, told three of its executives who had had been announced as assuming new posts to stay put at their current positions until further notice. The move was seen as a further reaction by the company to the swiftly moving events surrounding the pressures for sale of the newspaper chain.
Peter Ridder, who had briefly been President and CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers in the 1980's, will stay on at the Charlotte Observer for the near term. It had earlier been announced that he would retire. His brother, Tony Ridder, is head of Knight Ridder.
The company had planned to move Ann Caulkins, publisher of The State in Columbia, S.C., to replace him. Lou Heldman was announced as Caulkins' successor in Columbia with Sharon Lindenbaum to take the helm at the Wichita Eagle.Lou Heldman was Managing Editor of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel when it won the Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the 1982 flood.
So, for now, Heldman will remain publisher of The Eagle while Lindenbaum will remain in her current position as vice president of business administration of the Knight Ridder-owned Kansas City Star.
