Final Word from Wednesday, April 30, 2008
HN business newspaper has been feeling the squeeze from upstart freebie E15, as some corporate subscribers reduce the number of copies of HN they take. HN pulled out the heavy artillery today, citing an LAE survey that shows that 38% of decision-makers read HN. E15 isn't even mentioned, suggesting that decision-makers are ignoring it. That's far from true, though. E15 is soaring, to quote blogger Petr Koubský. The question, though, is whether E15 can survive long enough to reach critical mass. Its chances might be increased if it's true, as rumor has it, that wheeler-dealer Miloš Škořepa is secretly behind the paper. If so, he would join the likes of billionaires Petr Kellner, Karel Komárek, Zdeněk Bakala, Tomáš Chrenek and Patrik Tkáč. To them, owning a media venture is like having a private jet. It might not always make financial sense, but it brings a lot of cachet and maneuverability. [Czech Republic Mladá fronta Hospodářské noviny Euro Respekt TV Barrandov Z1 Profit]
Glossary of difficult words
to nibble at - to gradually eat away (at someone's market share, etc.);
to feel the squeeze - to feel pressure from someone;
upstart - a person or thing that suddenly rises to a position of prominence;
freebie - something that is given free of charge, such as a newspaper;
critical mass - the minimum size needed to maintain a venture (in terms of advertisers and readers, for example);
billionaires - Kellner (Euro), Komárek (Profit), Bakala (Respekt), Chrenek (TV Barrandov), Tkáč (Z1 TV);
cachet - prestige;
maneuverability - ability to get around (both physically and, say, politically).