Saturday’s New York Times reported that the Wall Street Journal and the Times itself are looking to capitalize on the slow-motion death of local newspapers by launching regional editions, starting with San Francisco.

First, the WSJ:

The Journal expects to start its San Francisco edition in November or December, adding a page or two of general-interest news from California, probably once a week, produced by the large staff it already has in the Bay Area. This is different from previous efforts by The Journal to publish regional editions, which had focused on local business news. The paper, based in New York, is also looking into creating a New York edition, with emphasis on adding coverage of the arts, but that plan is not as fully developed.

Not surprisingly, the Times Co. also has wide eyes:

In addition to planning a San Francisco edition, The Times is exploring the prospects for regional editions based in other cities.

Hey – if the New York Times Co. sells the Boston Globe, what are the odds it would beef up its New England edition to seriously compete with the Globe?

Better question: How pissed would the ten-million-dollars-lighter Boston Newspaper Guild be then?