With recesson now more than buzz a quartet of papers have formed an online onligopoly to win back advertising dollars migrating to value on the social web. If you didn't pick up on the low-fi lauch, QuadrantOne is the name, and Gannett, Hearst, NY Times and Trib Media run the game. The four player configuration is the classic oligopoly structure and the "upsell" claim is "premium advertising." These folks are talking sideways to each other, making ageements that help customers to get that upper right quadrant on a 2x2 chart; sounds a lot like an internet cartel. What better timing than the swan song of a laissez-faire Bush adminitration for US dead tree biz culture to establish cartel-style "price leadership" on what still appears to be a global internet democracy.

If a German company has beef about antitrust or unfair competition they have a sitdown with the Bundeskartellamt, not exactly your Buscho "what, me worry" crew. Ditto the French with their