NEWS

Extended Q&A with Eric Mayberry


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Published: May 13, 2009

City Paper: Metro is noted as being one of a few papers in the country making money. You were its publisher. It just seems strange that you would leave. What the heck, Eric?

Eric Mayberry: My history in media for the last decade-plus has been as a turnaround specialist. I'd been with Metro four years in December. It was just time to move on. I can't let grass grow under my feet lest I fall asleep. So to me four years sounds like an adequate time to have done some things and move on. The paper's brand is better than it's ever been, arguably better than the Daily News [with whom Mayberry once worked as director of advertising and director of new business development] in some circles. The Metro achieved that success quickly, too. One of the things that drove my decision though was that Metro International did downsize operations all over the world in February 2008. There are people who are no longer there that I liked. Now, most people see businesses as products and services and that you have to find people to market those products and services. I see business as living organizations that are made up of that people that do what they do everyday. When you start to lose some of those important people, it gets to the point where it's not as fun. Time to start over. Prince starts a new band when he feels like he needs some new inspiration and a different direction. That's where I'm at right now.

CP: But you know — and I'm no purist — nothing's as good as Wendy, Lisa and the Revolution.

EM: Good is relative [laughs]. Not to spend too much time talking about prince. If you listen to what he's doing now and what he's done in the interim between say then and the present, Purple Rain is a great rock album. But he's made some great jazz since that you never thought Prince was going to make back then.

Mayberry, Mogul?

CP: You tried to buy the Metro — the Philly branch — and you had certain people to invest with. Do tell.

EM: I made a formal offer to buy the Philly property but we couldn't come to an agreement on the right deal for everyone involved. It is what it is. Based on the fact that we had taken this position — and I still take that position that the Metro can own the marketplace. Despite what people think about free media ...

CP: Good for free media.

EM: ... I think this paper in this town can be a premier paper in the region, or at least a paper that people reach to in a few years. In order to solidify that in future years I thought it would be better to find some investors to be willing to get this paper to go all out and own the market. Now, we couldn't come to an agreement. These things happen. I still think Metro is still interested in doing a deal with the parties. Hopefully they do that. Based on the way we've changed the brand and it participation, with the right investors and right owners they'll be phenomenally successful.

CP: What was the time frame on the offer?

EM: The very first offer with the owners of the company was July 4 of last year.

CP: Very symbolic.

EM: Totally. Independence Day. I was on vacation with my dad and I had a conversation with the president of the Metro. We talked extensively about the opportunity and he welcomed the offer. We started negotiating with new business development department and we went from there. Those conversations progressed until Sept., 30, 2008, when I submitted a formal offer. There were four points that needed to be worked through before Dec. 15. We did. But we still couldn't come to an agreement. [Mayberry wouldn't comment on investors, prices, final offers or the four points.]

CP: So when and why did you make the decision to leave?

EM: It's interesting. I went to China about a month ago, spent a week in Shanghai, a trip that started as pleasure and turned into business. Shanghai is filled with 20 million people — it changes your perspective. I spoke with my dad, who's been an educational publisher for 26 years (Science Weekly Inc.) and he reminded me that I've been wanting to do my own thing for awhile and, in some many words, said I shouldn't wait until I'm too long in the tooth. So I spoke to my wife and here we are. It's the toughest economy in the history of the world — and most people think it's the absolute worst time to do this, but I've been a media specialist by trade for 20 years — magazines, trade shows, television, Web sites — and it's time for me to get back to fixing and launching things. This is the right time to get creative and aggressive in media — not run and hide.

CP: You have to be proud that there's no replacing Eric Mayberry as publisher at Metro. You're doing a column for the NYC and Philly branches. What's the what what?

EM: We're still working out the details. I like this concept where we'd present a topic one week. Then we invite people to write an opinion then I write a opinion on that topic. Then readers go online and vote — who has the big brain and the little brain. If not that and no matter what it becomes, I think my column will speak to what we need to do in society to make it a better place for all of us — for kids and culture in particular and its impact.

CP: So who will you be a managing at SmartBoy?

EM: Well to start, Metro is one. I'm working with a computer-based company on develop a software offering where I can't tip off their hand yet — it's not a local company — as they're in direct competition with another software company. And I'm hired by my dad's publishing house to help his company explore China.

CP: So, you've got work.

EM: It's exciting. As a turnaround guy I typically don't stay in one company too long. But my kids are freaking out. I told them they might want to change their Metro logo T-shirts for SmartBoy logo ones. Plus I got, within hours of announcing it, [I got] calls for lunch. I wasn't expecting that.

CP: Eric. People need help — with how to navigate waters of the economy, how to navigate public relations. Or they just want lunch. You were at Metro four years. Where do you want to be in the next four years?

EM: I want to be a driving force in American media. That means I get to go back to my roots — launching media companies and finding opportunities that add to a better way of life and make money for everyone involved. I need to find good quality people, give them a reason to get up and have a good time doing it and great things everyday will come. With that — business will come. Businesses that have been successful for a long time have found one common thread amongst them — that they have core-commitment — strong people working together and succeeding together. They know that times change, economies change, markets change and products change — as long as those people had core commitment — they'll be solid. That's what I want to help business to get together and teach other people to do that. I want to be with people that I can't wait to be with everyday. I have to create that organization and that opportunity.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)