Daily Kos and a group called the Courage Campaign are running petitions to keep the LA Times out of the hands of the Koch Brothers. Together the two groups have gathered about 45,000 signatures.
The LA Times is up for sale at a price rumored to in the neighborhood of half a billion dollars. Numerous parties have expressed interest. Word that the Koch brothers might be in the market broke earlier this month at LA Weekly, though a spokesman for the brothers would neither confirm nor deny their interest. The Koch brothers may consider partnering with Doug Manchester who owns two San Diego papers.
The Kos’ petition to discourage the Tribune Co. from selling to the Kochs is a typically cartoonish effort:
Right-wing super villains Charles and David Koch have reportedly
expressed interest in purchasing some or all of the holdings of the
Tribune Company, which owns newspaper and television stations across the
country, including the Los Angeles Times.Millions of people count on the Los Angeles Times for strong and
unbiased reporting, including their endorsements for political
candidates and ballot initiatives. It would be a travesty to the fourth
estate if the Koch brothers purchase one of the most respected
newspapers in the country in order to peddle their discredited ideas and
right-wing propaganda.
Another potential won’t be any more popular with the Kos crowd. Rupert Murdoch has also expressed interest in the Times. Murdoch already owns the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.
Other parties who have expressed interest in the Times include billionaire Eli Broad who reportedly would like to transform the paper into a non-profit.