Wild Sam Zell 'Bombs' Tribune Washington Bureau

Before Sam Zell gets down to the dirty business of letting go some Newsday employees, he went down to the Washington bureau of the Tribune Company. While there, he managed to upset just about everyone.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Mr. Zell said the bureau there--which houses the L.A. Times, the Baltimore Sun and Chicago Tribune--became a "single, overstaffed Tribune Co. cost center that doesn't produce any revenue. According to several in attendance, Zell said the competing 'fiefdoms' are an embarrassment."

He singled out the L.A. Times specifically. LA Observed reports:

I'm told Sam Zell just informed the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau that there's way too many people there and they should start acting like a wire service for the Tribune newspapers. Specifically, I guess he compared the staffing between Washington and Orange County and said in his world it would be reversed. Much shouting ensued.

Mr. Zell also explained there are stories that he prefers from the Tribune. Politico reports:

Another staffer was put off by Zell’s criticism yesterday of reader surveys, where important stories—like the Iraq War—often rank at the top of the list. Instead, Zell mentioned how a recent story about a man having sex with a farm animal brought in far more traffic for one Tribune paper. (Zell was more explicit in his description).

Round-up and clip of some of the exchanges are available here.