Petrelis Files

NYT's Auditorium Lacks
Webcasting Capability

Did the New York Times spend buckets of money building its sparkling new headquarters and really fail to make the auditorium webcast ready? The paper's official spokeswoman replies to my letter:

In a message dated 4/17/2008 6:54:12 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, mathis@nytimes.com writes:

Michael,

Thanks for your e-mails to me and to Arthur. I have checked and we do not have webcasting capability in the auditorium.

Best,
Catherine

My reply to her:

Hi Catherine,

And thank you for getting back to me. I am disappointed the Times' auditorium is not equipped to provide webcasting services, either during the annual shareholders' meeting or at other times.

It's quite shocking to learn the Times spent enormous amounts of money on the new building and can't webcast meetings from the auditorium.

You and Arthur might want to look at the growing number of American companies webcasting their annual shareholders' meetings. The Times should join their ranks.

Here is a link to the results from a Google search on this subject.

Lack of webcast capabilities aside, I still want to participate in the meeting on April 22 through teleconferencing, a request included in my original letter to you and Arthur.

Surely your auditorium has telephone capabilities that will allow me to listen in to the meeting, and for me to also address the board during the question and answer periods over the phone.

Please get back to me about how the Times will work with me to ensure my voice, as a shareholder, is heard at the annual meeting.

Best,
Michael

In this modern technologically advanced era that we live in, it should be a piece of cake for the Gray Lady to possess the tools that would allow shareholder participation from San Francisco.