Media Appraiser & Broker Kevin Kamen: 2009 Could Be  Difficult Year For Many Publishers
 
(Baldwin, N.Y.) - Print & Digital Media Appraiser and Broker Kevin B. Kamen, President/CEO of Kamen & Co. Group Services of Baldwin, NY, a leading media financial valuation and brokerage firm in the publishing trade, believes newspaper companies will need to fully integrate their online and broad channel efforts to fend off weak print advertising sales for the first six months of 2009 and possibly beyond or they will inevitably be forced to either consolidate their operations with local competitors or perhaps have to face the reality of closing. Kamen recently stated, “With the financial markets, housing, mortgage, auto, manufacturing and farming industries all struggling, something will have to give and publishing executives will need to become smarter business folks and more creative than ever before. Free and paid enhanced (linked) local business listings should be offered online that are accurate and updated weekly. Publishers must develop online material that is consequential and useful to its readers and the optimization of content must be reflective of the communities served by your publishing enterprise.”

“Publishers have no choice but to embrace all potential channels of reaching their market, whether it be generating video, building sustainable blogs, incorporating cell phone downloads, optimizing search engine capabilities by linkage and more domains or organically reconstructing sensible websites that effectively meet the daily needs of their readers and ad buyers,” stated Kamen, who appraises publications both nationally and internationally. He continued, “Publishers must wake up, invest in industry technology, focus on e-newsletters and webinar series, use editorial content that does not make the cut in their newsprint products online and make the rationale that times are bleak in the industry and cost-savings measures must be put into effect across the board.” Kamen added,” If change is not made at most weekly and daily newspapers over the next 12 months, then change will come in the way of closings and this will have a tremendous impact on the local economy. Publishers of all titles must remain resourceful and focused and seek new ideas that challenge staff and readers alike. Cutting back services does not have to mean sacrificing quality at a newspaper. Evaluating and listening to constructive advice matters tremendously and carefully nurturing new concepts, refining old techniques both online and in print is required in these tough and uncertain economic times. To not do so would be a mistake.”

Kamen concluded by stating, “We do not want to see this happen but now it is all about scalable website platforms, both readers and ad buyers receiving the information they require within a click or two and making everything reachable in seconds. In order to do this, publishers need to spend less on printing and production and more on their websites, where the forum is greater and the marketability of the product is essentially 24/7. As we enter 2009 with a new president, new congress and new vision for the future, publishers who offer their investors streamlined profit margins and greater mass coverage will be the select group that see the value of their publishing enterprises increase.”

For more information about Kamen & Co. Group Services visit www.kamengroup.com

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Celeste Myers, Office Manager – NY
Kamen & Co. Group Services
3009 Grand Blvd.
Baldwin, NY 11510-4719
(516) 379-2797