Freedom Communications Inc., parent of the county’s largest newspaper, the Orange County Register, has revamped its board and undergone a leadership change at its No. 2 paper, the Gazette in Colorado Springs.
Six months after retiring from the top post at Freedom Communications Inc. in Irvine, Jim Rosse was elected to the board in March, replacing Mike Yanney, who retired. The board,composed of six directors from the founding Hoiles family and six non-family directors,also replaced three other members.
Among the new board members is the youngest member, 29-year-old Ray Bryan, special projects manager for Freedom Technology Media Group in New York City. He is the grandson of Harry Hoiles and great-grandson of Freedom founder R.C. Hoiles. Bryan replaces Abe Zaleznik on the board.
Retired newspaper executive Byron Campbell, 66, of Hillsboro Beach, Fla., and North Carolina replaced former Miami Herald publisher Dick Capen Jr. on the board. Campbell was most recently publisher of the Fort Lauderdale News and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel; he also was publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News.
J. Roger Friedman, 66, CEO of New York-based Lebhar-Friedman, a publisher of industry trades in the retail and food-service industries, also was elected a director. Friedman lives in New York and Santa Fe, N.M., and replaces Sarah Andersen on the board.
Also, last month Thomas J. Mullen replaced Scott Fischer as president and publisher at Freedom’s second-biggest daily, the Gazette in Colorado Springs. Fischer, 54, had spent 31 years with Freedom and had given up his post as president of Freedom’s Western newspaper division 15 months ago for the publisher’s spot.
“Scott was eager to be a publisher again after some years at corporate,” said N. Christian Anderson, Register publisher. “He is just more of an operator guy than somebody who liked corporate life.”
Fischer cited a difference in management philosophy with Freedom Communications as his reasons for leaving. The Colorado Springs Gazette reported, however, that Fischer’s departure followed corporate interviews with key employees about their perception of Fischer’s leadership.
Also, Fischer’s resignation followed the departure of Gazette editor and vice president Steven Smith, 49. Smith also cited a difference in management philosophy, style and strategic vision in his resignation letter to Fischer. Managing Editor Teri Fleming was named to replace Smith.
Fischer will remain a consultant to Freedom. Following Fischer’s move to Colorado in January 1999, Rosse combined the Eastern and Western newspaper divisions under Jonathan Segal.
The board changes and upheaval at Colorado Springs come after Sam Wolgemuth was named to replace Rosse as CEO last October.
