Advertising sales is a tough job these days -- just ask Tribune Publishing CEO Jack Griffin:
"The typical digital display advertising business … it's a weak business."
That's what Mr. Griffin told Wall Street analysts during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call Wednesday, as he explained why digital ad revenue was essentially flat compared with the same quarter last year. Tribune Publishing owns 10 daily newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.
Other print-based media companies saw gains in digital ad revenue during the fourth quarter. The New York Times posted a 19% jump in digital ad sales. Digital revenue edged up 2% at Time Inc., the nation's largest magazine publisher. The Wall Street Journal also reported an uptick.