Owlspotting

Let me a start a chronology to build on for the next few weeks probably.

March 12: Word that McClatchy made the winning bid on Knight Ridder is out.

March 13: Sale is made official. McClatchy says it will put 12 of the papers it just bought up for sale.

March 14: Speculations for buyers of the dozen unwanted papers begin; interested parties include the Newspaper Guild, Gannet, MediaNews Group and (journalists hope) citizen groups willing to buy back their city papers.

March 28: Bids for the 12 papers McClatchy is putting up for sale are due today.

April 26: MediaNews group buys four of the 12 papers: San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Monterey Herald and the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

May 23: The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News are sold to a group of local investors united under the name Philadelphia Media Holdings. The price tag is $562 million.