Don't Let the Door Hit You

The dawn of the Sam Zell era at the Los Angeles Times hasn't slowed the revolving door in the editorial offices, as Times pressman Ed Padgett noted yesterday. Times editor Jim O'Shea was dismissed yesterday after refusing to go along with $4 million in expense budget cuts ordered by his bosses.

With an election year and the Olympics looming, O'Shea apparently did not think there was any expense fat to cut and still get a decent product out.

2007 was a rough year for the Times, and its parent company the Tribune Co., which was purchased for $8.2 billion by Chicago real estate tycoon Zell. Kevin Roderick at LAist chronicled the comings, goings, and other general wackiness at the Times last year.

O'Shea is the third Times editor to leave since July, 2005. His predecessors, Dean Banquet and John Carroll, left over similar disagreements over budget concerns.

LAist's Roderick also had some choice commentary on O'Shea's resignation.

Ed Padgett, by the way, had what seemed like a friendly email exchange with his new boss last month, an exchange which he posted on his blog.