Media Roundup: Hearst Threatens to Close San Francisco Chronicle, Murdoch May Go After LA and NY Times and More

(MoneyWatch)  Hearst threatens to close San Francisco Chronicle -- In a warning to union employees, Hearst has threatened that it will have to significantly reduce the paper's staff to stay in business. Otherwise the publisher may have to sell or close down the paper entirely. In 2008 the paper posted a $50 million loss, its seventh in a row. Hearst purchased the Chronicle in 2000 for $660 million. [Source: New York Times]

Murdoch may go after LA and NY Times -- News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch has been rumored to be eying both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Both papers are struggling, while News Corp. shares have been on the rise. If Murdoch, who owns the New York Post and Wall Street Journal, were to make a play on the New York Times he would likely face stiff regulatory resistance from the FCC. Even amongst the advertising downtown, News Corp. is said to have $2 billion in free cash flow. [Source: Variety]

Apple launches iTunes pass -- Apple has announced that fans can subscribe to a new pricing structure called iTunes Pass. The service allows fans to subscribe to a single band and automatically receive all of the new content from that group along with exclusive content such as music videos and singles. Thus far, the only pass available is Depeche Mode for $18.99. The pass is part of recent efforts by Apple to experiment with new pricing structures in its iTunes store. Earlier this year, the iPod maker also agreed to allow record companies to charge more for hit singles, and less for back catalogs. [Source: VentureBeat]

Ceder Rapids Gazette cuts 100 across all properties -- Because of a down advertising market and the after-affects of one of the worst floods in Iowa history, the Ceder Rapids Gazette will cut 100 of its 600 member staff. The reductions are across the newspaper, television station and commercial printing operation. The reorganization also shuffled around some of the company's executives. [Source: Editor & Publisher]

Americans watch more TV than ever -- According to a recent Nielsen survey, Americans watch an average of 151 hours of television a month. The report counted views on televisions, mobile devices and computers. The number is five hours up from an all time high and 3.6 percent higher than the same period last year. TV executives believe that the recent election and economic recession are responsible for the increase. [Source: Los Angeles Times]