Comments on: New daily starts up in Liberal, Kansas

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:43:18 +0000

Just FYI, The Times website is updated daily since the new staff took over. It’s a nice site that they appear to be working on all the time. http://www.swdtimes.com They also have Twitter and Facebook accounts that are updated daily. The old, never updated, website was ran by Earl. No surprise that his current website for the Daily Leader, http://www.hpleader.com is hardly ever updated. Maybe once a month. A lot of criticisms about The Times all came from when Earl was in charge, but corporate was blamed. Now I think we are all seeing someone else was the real culprit. I realize I am commenting on these blogs late. I did follow them from the beginning, but decided to “wait and see.” I have know Earl for years and really wanted him to succeed, but things did not ad up with his stories. I’m glad I trusted my instincts. Hopefully Earl can pull out a miracle, or I don’t see his paper lasting longer than a few more months.

By: SW TIMES advertiser

SW TIMES advertiser — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:34:09 +0000

I don’t know why Earl, Rick and Jason and the rest of the employees at the Leader are talking so much trash about the TIMES.. I feel that Earl walked out on his paper like Rod Riley walked out on Mike Andrade when he went with Elite motors. Lies and trash talking does’nt make good business. I heard that one of the TIMES employees was threatened by Rick because that employee was out selling Rick and his sales people walking while they were driving. Way to go salesman. That’s determination and should be embarassing for the Daily Leader. Remember back in the day when you were treated bad with the Southwest Times it was because of the people there now its because Earl and his crew was there and realize thats how they will treat you now. They don’t care about you its not about you at all its about taking your money and making EARL WATT look good. He didnt care about you then and he don’t care about you NOW. Don’t waste your dollars with him. Even tho the SW TIMES is a 3 day paper they have more ads and info in their paper then Earl does in his Daily. And putting stories in his Shopper’s to bulk up his pages and adding more classifieds to make it look like he has alot Oh Please!

By: Liberal Kansas Hotel Worker

Liberal Kansas Hotel Worker — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:14:24 +0000

It’s been tough watching all the changes with the local newspapers in Liberal. I agree with the former Times Employee though, Liberal needs a daily printed newspaper. It doesn’t have to be a big thick paper…it just needs to cover the local news.

By: Another Former Times Employee

Another Former Times Employee — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:13:00 +0000

I’m also a former employee of the Southwest Daily Times and worked with Earl Watt for a number of years, albeit before he became publisher.

All new business ventures, particularly publications, have a rough and somewhat shaky time when they first start.

Regardless of what you may think of Earl or his ability to manage, a town with a population of more than 20,000 NEEDS a daily printed newspaper, plain and simple. 2 or even 3 days a week does not cut it. Not one bit.

Earl did the right thing. The Southwest Daily Times wont be around much longer at the rate they’re going, that’s a fact.

Keep up the good work, Earl.