Tribune issues buyouts, Wrapports executive leaves

While Tribune Publishing issued buyouts, the parent company of the Chicago Sun-Times lost a leader to another company.

Timothy P. Knight, CEO of Chicago-based Wrapports LLC has been named president of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, which includes Cleveland.com, the Sun News and multimedia ad sales and marketing for The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com reported Monday.

Knight will succeed Andrea Hogben, who announced in August that she is leaving the company later this year, the site said.

"Tim is leaving effective immediately, but it is all amicable," said Wrapports spokesman Dennis Culloton. He declined further comment.

For about four years, Knight has been CEO of Wrapports LLC, which owns the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader and Splash. Wrapports has also been an investor in a number of digital startup businesses, including The Cube, Aggrego, higi and Chicago.com.

Knight's previous positions include president and CEO of Newsday Media Group and publisher of Newsday. Prior to joining Newsday in 2003, he held a number of senior management roles at the Tribune Publishing Co. and the Chicago Tribune Media Group where he was responsible for the company's finance, strategy, marketing, digital and Spanish language operations. He was also a co-founder of and held senior management roles at Classified Ventures, LLC, parent of cars.com andapartments.com, the site said.

Knight started his career as a corporate attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom based in Chicago and London. He earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from Marquette University and juris doctorate with honors from DePaul University College of Law, the site said.

Knight will be relocating to the Cleveland area with his wife Stephanie and their two sons, the site said.

In addition, long-expected buyouts expected to trim about 80 positions from newsrooms throughout Tribune Publishing will soon be underway, according to a memo to employees from company CEO Jack Griffin, Poynter.org reported Monday.

Employees will have until Oct. 23 to consider the buyout for nonunion employees with more than one year of service, according to the announcement, Poynter said.

"At least 50" editorial positions will be culled from the Los Angeles Times in coming days, according to CNN's Dylan Byers. If the desired cuts aren't reached through buyouts, the company will do layoffs, Byers reports.

The announcement heralds cuts at Tribune Publishing that have been forecast for several weeks by numerous reports in Poynter. The New York Times and elsewhere, Poynter said.

Tribune spokesman Matthew Hutchison declined to comment.

•Daily Herald Business Writer Anna Marie Kukec contributed to this report.