Stereophile (TEN) Sold to AVTech Media Ltd (UK)

[Brinkman Ship]

7 hours ago, mrvco said:

 

So obviously that post was removed by a mod, but it boggles the mind how he could think that vitriolic response to an otherwise forgettable comment helps his or his employer's cause in any way.

yes...indeed. And anyone one else would have been banned...

 

I was nothing but polite but later you will see he called me a "clown" because he did not like the thread title.  I think

he can become unhinged rather unpredictably...It IS good entertainment...

[HalSF]

Michael Fremer is a great hi-fi journalist but I don't enjoy his vitriol any more than I enjoy his Jerry Lewis-in-France stabs at comedy. 

 

But sometimes I do feel a sneaking admiration for his willingness to kick back hard and mean as a snake when some audio troll insults his life's work or calls him a bought-and-paid-for advertorial hack. 

[Brinkman Ship]

42 minutes ago, HalSF said:

Michael Fremer is a great hi-fi journalist but I don't enjoy his vitriol any more than I enjoy his Jerry Lewis-in-France stabs at comedy. 

 

But sometimes I do feel a sneaking admiration for his willingness to kick back hard and mean as a snake when some audio troll insults his life's work or calls him a bought-and-paid-for advertorial hack. 

So you are ok with name calling and rudeness as long as it comes from a pseudo celeb or reviewer?

[wushuliu]

Wow, some of you guys will just b*tch anything. It's a miracle Stereophile is still around as print AT ALL. Just be happy someone is willing to keep it running with current staff as opposed to hiring 20-something English majors to write 'hot takes' about the latest CNET-level gear.

 

I bet if you do a blind test of Stereophile before and after new ownership, you won't be able to tell the difference. Ba-dum-bum. (That one's for all the objectivists out there)

[Brinkman Ship]

"Following the acquisition, Stereophile's new owners took a long, hard look 
at the value each full-time employee brought to our ventures. As result, 
Stereophile music editor Robert Baird and AudioStream editor Michael 
Lavorgna were let go. In addition, they decided that at least for a while, 
our editorial coordinator and talented videographer Jana Dagdagan would
stay but as a contractor rather than a full-time employee."

 

John Atkinson

[kumakuma]

2 minutes ago, Brinkman Ship said:

"Following the acquisition, Stereophile's new owners took a long, hard look 
at the value each full-time employee brought to our ventures. As result, 
Stereophile music editor Robert Baird and AudioStream editor Michael 
Lavorgna were let go. In addition, they decided that at least for a while, 
our editorial coordinator and talented videographer Jana Dagdagan would
stay but as a contractor rather than a full-time employee."

 

John Atkinson

 

Ironically, the only reason I still read Stereophile is for the music reviews. 

[wushuliu]

2 minutes ago, Brinkman Ship said:

"Following the acquisition, Stereophile's new owners took a long, hard look 
at the value each full-time employee brought to our ventures. As result, 
Stereophile music editor Robert Baird and AudioStream editor Michael 
Lavorgna were let go. In addition, they decided that at least for a while, 
our editorial coordinator and talented videographer Jana Dagdagan would
stay but as a contractor rather than a full-time employee."

 

John Atkinson

 

Yeah, maybe they can try to not to get rid of the only woman on staff with any visibility.

[HalSF]

33 minutes ago, Brinkman Ship said:

So you are ok with name calling and rudeness as long as it comes from a pseudo celeb or reviewer?

Yes. I'm super hypocritical that way. 

[Brinkman Ship]

24 minutes ago, HalSF said:

Yes. I'm super hypocritical that way. 

well thnks for honesty...

[HalSF]

1 hour ago, Brinkman Ship said:

well thnks for honesty...

I’m also a paid bot for MQA and Stereophile’s anger therapist. Not only that, but I think I’m gonna take her away with my money and my cocaine.

 

Future Brinkman Ship post:

 

”HalSF, by his own admission an MQA bot, Stereophile shill, and the subject of Tom Petty’s scathing ‘Listen To Her Heart'..."

[Brinkman Ship]

...let’s add Mind Reader to your resume...

[HalSF]

37 minutes ago, Brinkman Ship said:

...let’s add Mind Reader to your resume...

So to sum up: 

 

Out of three possible responses to my dumb jokes —

 

1) Ha ha, what dumb jokes!

2) That's not funny! You still suck!

3) I know you humans have these things called jokes but I am not programmed to detect them, my sole mission is to kill MQA.

 

You choose 3.

[tmtomh]

2 hours ago, Brinkman Ship said:

"Following the acquisition, Stereophile's new owners took a long, hard look 
at the value each full-time employee brought to our ventures. As result, 
Stereophile music editor Robert Baird and AudioStream editor Michael 
Lavorgna were let go. In addition, they decided that at least for a while, 
our editorial coordinator and talented videographer Jana Dagdagan would
stay but as a contractor rather than a full-time employee."

 

John Atkinson

 

Wow, that sucks about Jana Dagdagan - the videos were some of the only innovative material they were producing. And as noted above, to take the only woman with any prominent role and demote her from employee to contractor, sheesh. On a practical level it's of course better to have employment than not, but on the human level demoting her to contractor is almost more of a slap in the face than laying her off outright.

 

On the other hand, while I take no personal delight in anyone's misfortune and I hope he lands on his feet, I can't say that Lavorgna's departure will be a loss in terms of the content or his online demeanor.

[The Computer Audiophile]

26 minutes ago, HalSF said:

So to sum up: 

 

Out of three possible responses to my dumb jokes —

 

1) Ha ha, what dumb jokes!

2) That's not funny! You still suck!

3) I know you humans have these things called jokes but I am not programmed to detect them, my sole mission is to kill MQA.

 

You choose 3.

Enough Hal. Nobody is interested in this conversation. 

 

 

[Ralf11]

ind. contractor = "piece work" = no healthcare or benefits

[Indydan]

I am sad to see Robert Baird go. I enjoyed reading his music reviews. Oh well, at least this guy still has a job at Stereophile...

 

 

 

[HalSF]

On 4/9/2018 at 1:01 PM, The Computer Audiophile said:

Enough Hal. Nobody is interested in this conversation. 

 

 

Will do, sorry.

[rando]

On 4/9/2018 at 10:30 PM, Indydan said:

Oh well, at least this guy still has a job at Stereophile...

 

 

 

 

Not sure if you are serious. 

 

I found this incredible.  First Fremer having a posse of Furries and now this.   The secret lives of Stereophile staff.

[Indydan]

11 hours ago, rando said:

 

Not sure if you are serious. 

 

I found this incredible.  First Fremer having a posse of Furries and now this.   The secret lives of Stereophile staff.

 

I am very serinus! Oops, I mean serious. ;-)

[emcdade]

I hope Lavorgna starts a new blog or something, I really liked his reviews.  This sucks.

 

 

[Ralf11]

I heard he was starting a new blog on the Art of Axemanship

[NOMBEDES]

The only takeaway I got out of this vile thread was the claim that "Stereophile makes money"  in this day and age when print makes money, ....that is a big deal.

[kirkmc]

Yet another example of the disconnect between this industry and the people it serves. As someone who does not self-identify as an audiophile - I love music - I am constantly stunned by the primacy of the magical-thinking wing of this industry. It has driven the low-end music fan away from audio hardware through contempt for their interests and a focus on ridiculously expensive hardware. (I subscribe to an all-you-can-read magazine thing, and read Stereophile there out of curiosity, and I am stunned by ads for $40K turntable.) 

 

By increasingly focusing on the rich, turning music appreciation into a luxury pursuit, the audio industry - and the publications that live off its advertising - have marginalized themselves to only focus on a dwindling demographic of people wealthy enough to buy this overpriced hardware. 

 

One comment on this, quoted from Michael Fremer:

 

Quote

The new owners took a look at the spreadsheets and the numbers and here's what they found: they bought the group because it makes money.
 

 

That doesn't mean they won't decimate one or more of its publications, or turn them into 100% advertorial. I'm a journalist, and wrote as a freelancer for more than 15 years for one of the leading magazines in its sector. When the group was bought out, the publication I wrote for - which made a comfortable profit - was destroyed, with most staff being laid off, and most experienced freelancers being let go. The publication is now a den of low-level ads, with auto-play videos, text link ads, "sponsored" articles, and more. So the fact that the group makes money doesn't mean it will continue in its present form. 

[John_Atkinson]

3 hours ago, kirkmc said:

 

Quote

The new owners took a look at the spreadsheets and the numbers and here's what they found: they bought the group because it makes money.
 

 

That doesn't mean they won't decimate one or more of its publications, or turn them into 100% advertorial.

 

That is not what is going to happen as long as I remain Stereophile's editor. I discussed this subject in my keynote speech at AXPONA yesterday.

 

John Atkinson

Editor, Stereophile

[plissken]

On 4/7/2018 at 1:32 PM, LawrenceDavid said:

Hooray! Let’s all celebrate people losing their livelihoods because of another bullshit buyout. Let’s throw a party to celebrate the people that work incredibly hard creating the articles

 

I don't celebrate anyone getting a pink slip. But let's just say I'm not surprised ML was let go.