← Memos & History Bits Collection
4 documents · 1995–2000

Phoenix Newspapers / Central Newspapers Memos, Presentations
and Bits

This is a collection of memos and reports that I wrote during my time at Central Newspapers.  I joined CNI as vice president of information technology in 1997.  My role was to provide strategic guidance around technology at the company’s newspapers and Web sites.  Some of these memos are also reflected in the “Analog to Digital” timeline, which is the heart of this project. When CNI is purchased by the Gannett Corp. in August 2000, I created my consulting company, The Digital Futurist Consultancy.

1990s The internet changes everything
Phoenix Newspapers press release dated January 20, 1995, announcing the CCI pagination system contract
History, 1995 Announcing the CCI Pagination at Phoenix Newspapers

This is the press release Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. issued on January 20, 1995, announcing that PNI had signed with Computer Composition International for a new editorial pagination system. I was senior editor/information technology at the time, and this was the

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Memo, 1996 Central Newspapers and Technology

This is a memo sent by Louis [Chip] Weil, the President and CEO of Central Newspapers [CNI] to newspaper analysts at Capital Guardian, a mutual fund. The memo was a copy of a presentation I did about the technology at

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History, 1997 Named as IT Director

In February 1997, I was named as the director of information technology.  Here’s what the company newsletter wrote: Howard Finberg, director of infor­mation technology, will direct the Information Services department for the next 18 to 24 months, effective Jan. 30,

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2000s Journalism moves online
July 2000 CNI Ventures quarterly memo to Central Newspapers executives with attached investment summary and matrix
Memo, 2000 CNI Ventures: Investment Summary, 2000

As head of Central Newspapers‘ venture capital investments, I sent quarterly reports to the CEO and other senior executives. This one — dated July 12, 2000 — went to Chip Weil, Tom MacGillivray, Eric Tooker, Bill Toner, Karen Feldkamp and

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