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Since announcing plans to start his own newspaper more than a year ago, former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan has basked in the glow of free publicity. But so far he has had little to show for his “L.A. Examiner” project, save a snazzy prototype featuring a satirical piece by comedian Billy Crystal.
While he’s delaying the launch date of his weekly from June to September, Riordan’s looking to push off some of the costs onto other investors. After a month’s search for an investment banker, he’s picked Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin; a prospectus will be drafted by the middle of May.
Riordan is looking to raise between $7 million and $10 million, which he expects will keep the venture afloat for as long as three years, at which point it is expected to break even.
That means the paper should have a burn rate of at least $2.3 million according to a source. How much is the former mayor expected to throw in? About $1 million.
Examiner President Tim DeRoche said Riordan is looking for someone who is already a player in the media business. Another preferred investor would be a civic leader “interested in enhancing the life of the city.”
He has approached at least one possible candidate, real estate icon Fred Sands to invest. But Sands, who made an unsuccessful bid for the Easyriders collection of racy biker rags, didn’t bite.
RiShawn Biddle
Unusual Growth
Now that Tenet Healthcare Corp. has decided to keep Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital open, it is putting its marketing might behind it.
The company has sent a mailing to hundreds of Marina del Rey area businesspeople and community leaders calling on them to support and use the hospital. And to get its message across the mailing includes a packet of daisy seeds the residents are encouraged to plant and nurture as a symbol of their support.
“The idea is that we want people to be thinking about what it takes to sustain a hospital in the community. For that it does take planting some seeds and nourishing and watering them,” said Tenet spokesman David Langness. “It’s the care and feeding of your local hospital.”
The company reports a favorable response from its campaign, but at least one community leader is not impressed, saying the hospital’s success is more the responsibility of the company than the community.
“The planting of the seeds needs to be at Tenet first,” said Julie Inouye, the community activist who led the campaign against the proposed closure.
Laurence Darmiento
Dog Tired
Seeking to give its residents a break from the long haul to L.A.’s animal shelter to register their dogs, Culver City has started offering the convenience.
As of April 21, Culver City joined Gardena, Inglewood, and West Hollywood as the smaller cities in the county bypassing the county.
Dog registering has been a bone of contention for some county residents, since some cities charge higher registration fees if a dog is “intact,” or unneutered.
“Altering reduces the pet overpopulation problem and is healthier,” said Kaye Michelson, spokeswoman for the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control.
Culver City will join the fray, charging annual license fees of $30 for intact dogs and $15 for neutered dogs. In order to prove the dog is altered, owners need only bring written proof, not the dog.
Michael Thuresson
In the Family
When members of the media call to the office of newly-elected L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks, they are directed to one Bernard Parks Jr. That’s right: the former police chief’s son is now the media liaison for the new councilman.
While that might smack of nepotism, Parks Jr. is quick to put forward his qualifications for the post. “I spent four years writing copy for the KCBS Channel 2 morning news desk and one year working at KFWB News radio, so I’ve got a few years of media experience,” he said last week.
Of course, that begs the question: with three other new councilmembers taking office in the next few months, why sign on with his father?
“He needed someone quickly,” Parks Jr. said simply.
Howard Fine
The Roving Eye
Blue Plate Special
Johnie’s, the greasy spoon at Wilshire and Fairfax, shines a bit brighter but no, it hasn’t reopened for business.
Since closing in 2000, the venue has become a popular location for commercials and movies, making guest appearances in “Short Cuts,” “The Big Lebowski,” “City of Angels” and “Reservoir Dogs.”
Now, the building at 6101 Wilshire Blvd. has a new set of light bulbs (including those on its roof) and a fresh coat of white-and-blue paint.
“The owner of the facility, the family that owns 99 Cents Only Stores, is sprucing it up and making it nicer,” said Albert Lee, a spokesman for 99 Cents Only. “It’s such a landmark, they wanted to bring it to a nicer sort of look.”
David Gold, founder of the discount retail chain, bought the property in the mid-1990s for its parking lot, which is now used by patrons of an adjacent 99 Cents Only store.
Johnie’s, which opened 48 years ago as Rome’s Times Square restaurant, has been targeted by the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Modern Committee for preservation as an historic piece of post-World War II architecture.
Ken Bernstein, director of preservation issues at Conservancy, praised the recent changes to preserve Johnie’s and speculated that the Gold family was considering leasing the property.
“It’s at a key intersection that could be a good economic generator for the Fairfax district,” Lee said. “We encourage the Gold family to take the next step to attract a tenant that would bring it back to its former glory.”
But don’t expect to order up a cheeseburger and fries there any time soon.
Said Lee, “It will be a while before the family decides what to do with the property.”
Amanda Bronstad
