GM fires the LA Times

[wolfdogs]

They did it in "retaliation" for what they deemed a number of unflattering stories/commentaries in what they said is "the largest circullation daily paper in the biggest car buying state in the nation".

Apparently, the final straw was a review of the Poncho G6 by Dan Neil, the PUlitzer Prize winning auto writer at the LA Times. In it, Neil said GM should FIRE Rick Wagoner and Vice Chairman Bob Lutz noting :

"this is an uncompetitive product, an assertiion borne out not by my say-so but by sales numbers. When ball clubs have losing records, players and coaches and mangers get thier walking papers. At GM, its time to sweep the dugout".


GM has pulled all its advertising from them which is about $10,000,000.00 a year


hmmmmmmmmmm

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Good! These news papers need to realize there is a price to pay for the word they use. There should be consequences to their writings like if they make up a story like News Week did people could die.

[Rhode Island Red]

gee pull advertising from the largest newspaper in the largest car market because a few managers are upset to make the newspaper pay a penalty for the bad publicity... hmm

I only see GM losing out on this one more than the newspaper losing out on 10,000,000. I am sure that, that $10M in advertisings helps bring in far excess of $10M in net profits from direct advertising in that circulation area every year. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

[Jeff_in_Atl]

gee pull advertising from the largest newspaper in the largest car market because a few managers are upset to make the newspaper pay a penalty for the bad publicity... hmm

I only see GM losing out on this one more than the newspaper losing out on 10,000,000. I am sure that, that $10M in advertisings helps bring in far excess of $10M in net profits from direct advertising in that circulation area every year. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

Yea but sometimes you just have to teach people a lesson.

[TODD 2000 V6 CAMARO]

Oh I'll bet there will be some reconcilliation on the part of the paper. They will probably work some deal to get the advertising job back and everything will go back to the way it was within a year. The big-wigs at the Times won't look too lightly on the loss of a $10,000,000/YR advertising income. That is probably one of their biggest single paychecks from advertising each year. I don't see them firing a pulitzer prize winner, but I also don't see them shrugging off that kind of loss. Hopefully they learn a lesson though. Oh, and hopefully GM will start making better vehicles too.

[Jay 02 TA ws6]

What the LA Times said was correct. The G6 is uncompetitve and sub-standard for its market segment. You need only to drive a Camry, Accord, or Nissan Altima for proof. Especially the Altima -- exhilarating by comparison.

Maybe GM should produce more competitive automobiles... hmmmm....

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

What the LA Times said was correct. The G6 is uncompetitve and sub-standard for its market segment. You need only to drive a Camry, Accord, or Nissan Altima for proof. Especially the Altima -- exhilarating by comparison.

Maybe GM should produce more competitive automobiles... hmmmm....

I have to side with Jay. I think GM needs a major shakeup. I never thought they knew what they are doing with all the different but similar brands and the lousy marketing & support. The pushrod engine development is awesome, as well as the new Vette, but what else is there to separate them from anybody else, or even to keep up? If my next car isn't a Corvette, it will be a different brand. Maybe I'm secretly glad that they haven't come out with a 500 hp Firebird, though, cause where would that leave guys like me who modded the heck out of the car to get it there? As it stands, I have a car that's no longer made, and that makes it a little more special than, say, a mid 90's Cobra which will get eclipsed by a newer standard model Mustang.

[Jay 02 TA ws6]

I agree with Kevin, except for the pushrod engine comment. It's a perfect motor for the Vette, GTO, CTS-V, etc... but it's one of the G6's biggest shortcomings.

Even the "fast" G6 GTP - which is 3.9L - won't make the horsepower or torque that the 3.5L Nissan VQ motor makes.

GM should take lessons from Nissan on how to make a V6. It's long past time to put the pushrod V6 to rest in family sedans...

[Jeff_in_Atl]

What the LA Times said was correct. The G6 is uncompetitve and sub-standard for its market segment. You need only to drive a Camry, Accord, or Nissan Altima for proof. Especially the Altima -- exhilarating by comparison.

Maybe GM should produce more competitive automobiles... hmmmm....

BTW I agree with what the paper said. They just need to realize that what they say may have consequences and accept them when it happens or choose not to say them.

[fastTa]

I also feel that newspapers need to show a little discretion when it comes to writing articles about car manufacturers. I've always been one to appreciate a no-BS story, but you do have to draw the line somwhere....and that line is very thin when it comes to issues of a tactfully sensitive nature.

I also agree with J in that GM needs to bury the pushrod V6. They have put a lot of time and R&R into their V8's, so I know they have the resources to implement a much more technologically advanced 6 cylinder. GM already has a 3.0L DOHC 24-valve V6, so I don't see whatb the hold up is. Heck, take the Ecotec and add a couple cylinders.

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

Yeah, I was talking about the LSX V8 engines and the power they make for being 'Low Tech'.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I also feel that newspapers need to show a little discretion when it comes to writing articles about car manufacturers. I've always been one to appreciate a no-BS story, but you do have to draw the line somwhere....and that line is very thin when it comes to issues of a tactfully sensitive nature.

Could you add the US military in there too? Some discretion on the part of News Week could have prevented 16 people from being killed from riots somewhere over in the middle east.

Discretion doesn't seam to be a part of the news media in the last few years. A prime example would Dan Rather.

[fastTa]

Could you add the US military in there too? Some discretion on the part of News Week could have prevented 16 people from being killed from riots somewhere over in the middle east.

Discretion doesn't seam to be a part of the news media in the last few years. A prime example would Dan Rather.

I agree wholeheartedly. The US media is a significant engine of evil feeding on ratings and those little green pieces of paper. It's a shame that people are exposed to a greater chance of dying just because Dan, Peter, or Barbara want to be the first to cover the story.

Let's form our own version of "Rolling Thunder" with f-bodies in place of the bikes, and our cause will be to bring humility to the media. Yeah right.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I agree wholeheartedly. The US media is a significant engine of evil feeding on ratings and those little green pieces of paper. It's a shame that people are exposed to a greater chance of dying just because Dan, Peter, or Barbara want to be the first to cover the story.

Let's form our own version of "Rolling Thunder" with f-bodies in place of the bikes, and our cause will be to bring humility to the media. Yeah right.

LOL I might even buy a Loudmouth for that.

[MN6WS6]

I think that GM should have taken a hint from them, instead of "I'm taking my ball and going home."

I am one of those people that wants an unbiased view of products. If it's great, tell me, if it's a POS, tell me, forget the advertisers.

If I were GM, I would have read the article, then read other reviews of their product. Find out what people don't like about the car and change it. Use the negative and turn it into a positive, by using that input to make the car better. That's what Nissan is doing, and that's why they are whoopin' the proverbial butt cheeks of just about everybody in the market. They finally turned a profit, and a big one I might add, since they have started their rebuilding of everything they make. If you walk on a Nissan lot, there is not a single car there now that was there 5 years ago. They have changed the entire line. Ford can't say that. Chevy can't say that. Dodge can't say that (but they're getting awful close and look how much profit they're turning). Heck, even Honda and Toyota can't say that right now but they probably can next year.

The bottom line is GM is in a lot of trouble, and they are failing to realize that not only are their old vehicles stuff that people don't want anymore (hence the employee discount available to everybody), but also their new lines are not what people want. So GM's pulling of advertising is a "I'm gonna go in my corner and not play with you anymore", where it could have been a "OK, let's hear what the public wants us to build since all our infinite wisdom is leading us down the toilet."