Monday, December 28, 2009

Huron Daily Tribune Changes Distribution Days

Effective after December 25, 2009, the Huron Daily Tribune's publication days are switching to Tuesday through Saturday with Saturday being the large weekend edition and also the day that the TMC will be published. They will no longer publish on Mondays & Sundays. Inserted preprints will only be accepted on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The preprint shipping location will also change effective after December 25, 2009; please contact the Daily Tribune for more details on the shipping.

Washington Times Ceases Sunday Edition

The Washington Times published its last Sunday edition on December 27th, 2009. The paper will continue to publish Monday through Friday. The publication is also increasing its single copy price from $0.50 to $1.00 per issue.

The Times is owned by New World Publications.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Heartland Publications Files for Chapter 11

Reuters
Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter
December 21, 2009

"U.S. newspaper publisher Heartland Publications LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, hurt by a fall in advertising revenue due to the economic downturn and growing competition from Internet-based alternatives.

As of Oct. 31, 2009, Heartland Publications reported about $134.3 million in total assets and about $166.2 million in total liabilities, court documents show.

Heartland Publications currently owns 50 community newspapers mainly in the Southern part of the United States.

The company said due to declining revenue, it had initiated cost saving measures and has budgeted a $1.3 million decrease in operating expenses for 2009.

For the trailing twelve months ended Oct. 31, 2009, the company recorded a revenue of about $55.2 million and it expects revenue for the 2009 calendar year to fall about 11.6 percent.

Most newspaper publishers including The New York Times Co, McClatchy Co and Gannett Co Inc, have been reporting declining ad revenue and circulation on the back of a weakening economy and growing competition from the Internet.

The case is In re: Heartland Publications LLC, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No. 09-14459."

Friday, December 18, 2009

Washington Blade & Southern Voice Closes

The Washington Blade, a gay and lesbian publication closed suddenly on November 16th, 2009. The Blade had a weekly distribution of 23,000 in the Washington D.C. area.

The paper is owned by Window Media, which also ceased publication of the Southern Voice, Atlanta David, South Florida Blade, and 411 Magazine, per the Washington Post.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Hopi Tutuveni Closes

December 1, 2009

The Hopi Tutuveni has been published with one interruption since the 1970s, and distributed to readers from Hopi to Tuba City, Flagstaff and Winslow.

One other employee works at the Tutuveni, which once employed four people.The council approved a 4 percent larger budget for last year than the current year, at $21.8 million.

The tribe plans to take in $18.5 million next year, according to the council's spokeswoman, Tina May.

She quoted one tribal council member who called the newspaper "ineffective."The council will set aside $471,113 for a new executive director position it has recently created -- in addition to a newly elected chairman and vice chairman.
Tribal employees will not receive raises to adjust salaries with inflation, May wrote.

Further, the council has called for a financial audit of every tribal village, and that the villages pay back taxes for overdue payroll taxes, if due.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Minneapolis Star Tribune emerges from bankruptcy - September 28, 2009

The Minneapolis Star Tribune emerged from bankruptcy protection today with its main lenders becoming the new owners and its debt slashed by 80 percent.

Out from Chapter 11, the Star Tribune can now make decisions without a judge's supervision, as Minnesota's largest newspaper and the nation's 14th largest on weekdays tries to ride out an advertising drought and boost revenue in print and online.

The move was largely expected after a federal bankruptcy judge in New York approved the Star Tribune's reorganization plan Sept. 17. The newspaper had filed for bankruptcy protection eight months earlier, saddled by debt from Avista Capital Partners' 2007 purchase of the newspaper from the McClatchy Co.

New board Chairman Michael Sweeney said today was "the first day of a new beginning" as the 142-year-old newspaper got "a new lease on our future."

Newsday Marketeer Closes

The Newsday Marketeer closed on December 15, 2009. The Marketeer was a weekly shopper that had 35 editions covering Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Northwest Arkansas Newspaper Merger

The Benton County Daily Record, Northwest Arkansas Times and Morning News of Northwest Arkansas became zoned/city editions of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on November 1, 2009, when a deal between Stephens Media and the Democrat Gazette Northwest Arkansas Operations was reached.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Roscommon County Herald News Closes

The Roscommon County Herald News closed on Sunday November 8th, 2009. The Herald News was owned by Sunrise Printing & Publishing, and the assests were sold to the Houghton Lake Resorter.

The Houghton Lake Resorter will look to strengthen its distribution into the area formerly covered by the Herald News. The Lake Resorter is a paid Thursday community publication.

Monday, November 30, 2009

East Valley Tribune May Have a Buyer

By Mike Sunnucks
Phoenix Business Journal

A Tucson newspaper publisher has a letter of intent to buy the East Valley Tribune and rescue the Mesa paper from closure. A letter of intent has been finalized between Freedom Communications, which owns the Tribune, and Randy Miller's Thirteenth Street Media.

Miller owns the Tucson Explorer newspaper. The Tribune confirmed the pending sale which includes Miller buying the Mesa paper's assets and debts. A price was not disclosed.

California-based Freedom is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was planning on closing the Tribune at the end of the year if a buyer was not found.

The Explorer is a free weekly paper with a 50,000-reader circulation. Miller also owns the Telluride (Colo.) Daily Plant, a free daily newspaper. A statement by the Tribune said Miller would model the East Valley paper after the Explorer with a focus on local, suburban news.

Miller is expected to keep a "substantial number" of the Tribune's remaining 140 employees, according the Tribune's statement. The sale needs to be approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court handling Freedom's Chapter 11.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Boulder City Review Launched

Stephens Media Group launched the Boulder City Review on Thursday, October 28, 2009, in an effort to capture the audience from the recently closed Boulder City News.

Helena Adit to Close November 25

The Helena Adit, a Lee Enterprise publication, will cease publishing as of November 25, 2009 per John Harrington of the Helena Independent Record. The Adit is a free shopper covering Helena, MT with roughly 14k distribution on Wednesdays.

Lee Enterprises plans to launch expanded distribution from the Bozeman Mini Nickel Classifieds by 5,000 to cover the area.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Rogers Hometown News to Cease Publishing

Rogers Hometown News will cease publishing on November 25, 2009 per Rick Elder, Northwest Arkansas Times. The Hometown News is a weekly publication covering Rogers, Arkansas and the neighboring community of Lowell.

Detroit Daily Press to Launch Nov 23rd

The Detroit Daily Press is finally launching a print edition, starting Monday, November 23rd with single copy sales and Monday, November 30th with home delivery. The initial edition will have a distribution of approximately 200,000. This publication launch has been in discussion since June 2010 and now will come to fruition.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Philadelphia Bulletin Changes Distribution Days

The Philadelphia Bulletin converted from being a paid daily publication (Monday through Friday distribution), to being a Sunday-only publication. This change occurred on August 2, 2009. The Bulletin offers a web edition updated daily.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Midwest City Sun Closed

The Midwest City Sun ceased publishing on October 28, 2009. The semi-weekly publication (Thursdays and Sundays) was a paid community publication covering the eastern suburbs of Oklahoma City.

Calhoun City Monitor Herald to Close

The Calhoun City Monitor Herald announced that it will be closing effective December 31, 2009. The Monitor Herald is a paid weekly community paper covering Calhoun City, Vardaman and other surrounding communities in Mississippi.

La Frontera Ceases Publication

The La Frontera, an hispanic Freedom Newspaper publication covering southern Texas ceased publishing on October 12, 2009.

The El Nuevo Heraldo (Brownsville, TX) has increased its distribution in an attempt to cover the hispanic communities in that area.

Danville Weekly Ceases Publishing

The Danville Weekly, a community paper published by Embarcadero Publishing, ceased its print edition on October 2nd, 2009. The paper is going to continue with an online edition at http://www.danvilleexpress.com/ .

The Weekly covered Danville, California, and neighboring communites.

Stillwater Gazette Moves TMC Distribution Day

The Stillwater Gazette, an American Community Newspaper publication, announced that it is moving its TMC product Valley Life from a Wednesday distribution to a Saturday distribution effective November 28th, 2009.

Mesa East Valley Tribune to Close December 31st

By Nick R. Martin November 2, 2009 10:53 AM

The East Valley Tribune, which has seen a roller coaster year that included laying off nearly half its staff and winning a Pulitzer Prize, will be shutting down on Dec. 31, staffers were told today.

Publisher Julie Moreno broke the bad news at about 10:30 a.m., telling employees that the Mesa newspaper's parent company, Freedom Communications, has been unable to find a buyer for it, the company confirmed at about noon.

Freedom, which declared bankruptcy Sept. 1 awash in more than $1 billion in debt, had put the newspaper up for sale hoping to make some hard cash from the deal. But no serious buyer stepped forward before today's announcement.

"There were people who expressed interest," said Freedom spokeswoman Maya Pogoda. "However, none of the bids were suitable."

The closing makes the Tribune the second Arizona newspaper to shutter this year. In May, the state's oldest newspaper, the Tucson Citizen, was shut down by its owner, Gannett. The Citizen has since become a local blogging website for the media chain.
"This is probably the most difficult decision a company can make," Freedom CEO Burl Osborne said in a news release. "But ultimately, after considering all available options, this is the best alternative for our company."

It's not yet clear how many employees are still at the Tribune, but its closure will not be a cheap proposition. A source who attended the meeting said staffers were told they will be given severance packages equal to one week for every year of service they had with the company.

Freedom's other newspapers in the Phoenix area, including the Ahwatukee Foothills News and the Daily News-Sun in Sun City, will remain in tact, said Pogoda.
The Tribune has had a year of ups and downs. Early in the year, the newspaper laid off about 40 percent of its staff and reduced its number of days in print from seven to just three. The remaining staffers were also forced to take pay cuts and time off without pay.

But the newspaper also rode a wave of praise this year as it racked up numerous statewide and national awards for a series it ran last year focusing on crime and immigration enforcement by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Among the awards was the highest given out to newspapers: the Pulitzer Prize. The Tribune was given the Pulitzer for local reporting in April.

In mid-September, the Tribune was put up for sale by its parent company, which bought the newspaper about a decade ago. Rumors of potential bidders spread in recent weeks, but no formal announcement was ever made.

Pogoda would not discuss specifics about the newspaper's finances, however she said "economic and industry" forces had played a role in its demise.

"They've tried for about a year to make certain changes to improve it," Pagoda said. "But they just weren't able to."

Monday, November 2, 2009

Central Arizona Zip Code Changes


On July 1st, 2009, the United States Post Office changed 30 zip codes in Arizona to new numbers in order to improve operational efficiency. Information on the zip code changes can be found at the USPS.

This impacts zip codes in Pinal County, AZ

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Macon Telegraph Changes to 44" Web

McClatchy Newspapers announced that the Macon Telegraph, its TMC product the Bibbs Extra and the Warner Robins Rev-Up will convert to a 44" Web on November 17th, 2009.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Claremont Eagle News Re-Opens under new Ownership

The Claremont Eagle News has re-opened for business, effective Monday, October 12th, 2009. The Eagle News had closed without warning on July 10th, 2009. It is now under new ownership, the Sample Media Group.

The Eagle News is a daily publication. The distribution is anticipated to remain the same as it was prior to closing (roughly 8,200), and the majority of the previous staff has been re-hired per Joe Beegle of the Eagle News.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Media News Group launches Longmont Ledger

Media News Group is launching a new weekly community newspaper this weekend in Colorado.

The Longmont Ledger will make its debut on Sunday as a free insert in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Denver Post. It will be published weekly and will provide news, features, sports coverage, and community announcements for the city of Longmont. It is expected to have a distribution of 25,000 to readers and 2,000 single copy.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Henderson Home News & Boulder City News Cease Publishing

Henderson Home News, Boulder City News to suspend publication

By Hubble Smith, Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Greenspun Media Group empire continued to shrink Wednesday with the announcement that the company was suspending publication of two Southern Nevada community newspapers, the Henderson Home News and Boulder City News.

The news follows Tuesday’s report that Greenspun has pulled the plug on its “News One at 9” broadcast on Las Vegas One television channel and last week’s cancellation of 702.tv, a Las Vegas-based news and entertainment video Web site.

The Boulder City News was established in 1937, when Boulder Dam was being built, and has a circulation of 7,500, according to the Nevada Press Association. Henderson Home News was established in 1951 and has 27,600 circulation.
Both publications are now owned by Greenspun Media, a family business founded by the late Hank Greenspun more than 60 years ago.

“Given the present environment, we sadly have no choice but to take a break from the community newspaper business,” Bruce Deifik, president of Greenspun Corp., said in a company statement. “We apologize to our communities for the suddenness of this news, and we hope our many loyal readers will now turn to our websites and our other outstanding publications for their news needs.”

Calls to Tim O’Callaghan, co-publisher of Henderson Home News, were not returned. He’s the son of the late Mike O’Callaghan, former Nevada governor and a one-time owner of Henderson Home News.

While scaling back its local newspaper enterprise, Greenspun will continue to deliver local news content through its LasVegasSun.com Web site, affiliated interactive media and other regional publications, Deifik said.

Greenspun publishes the Las Vegas Sun in a joint operating agreement with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tribune Company Switching to 44" Web

The Tribune Company is continuing its effort to standardize the size of all its publications. The Baltimore Sun converted to a 44" Web size in September 2009; the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel and Orlando Sentinel are scheduled to make the same switch in mid-December 2009.

According to Audrea Fulton, Vice President of National Retail Sales the remainder of the Tribune Company publications will make the conversion to 44" Web in early 2010, with the exact conversion timeline yet determined.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Rockland Courier Gazette Discontinues Tuesday Edition

The Rockland Courier Gazette, a Courier Publications paper, discontinued its Tuesday edition effective September 15, 2009. The Courier Gazette still distributes on Thursdays and Saturdays each week with a paid circulation slightly over 11k, primarily covering the Maine communities of Rockland and Camden.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Rock Springs Daily Rocket Miner adds Sunday Edition

The Rock Springs Daily Rocket Miner added a Sunday edition on October 4th, 2009. The Sunday distribution is the same as the current daily distribution Tuesday through Saturday.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Lahontan Valley News & Fallon Eagle Standard Adds New TMC

The Lahontan Valley News & Fallon Eagle Standard has announced that it will be launching a new TMC product on December 1st, 2009. The Sierra Saver will have a distribution of 4,000 pierces and will be distributed into the Fallon area.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Myrtle Beach Sun News Changes Page Size

The Myrtle Beach Sun News will be changing its ad sizes October 13th, 2009, per John Cioni, Senior Advertising Manager. The new sizes will be as follows:

New ROP Column Sizes:
1 col. – 1.67”
2 col. – 3.46”
3 col. – 5.25”
4 col. – 7.04”
5 col. – 8.83”
6 col. – 10.62”

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tea & Harrisburg Champions to Close October 1st

Argus Leader Media has announced that the Tea & Harrisburg Champions will cease publishing effective Thursday, October 1st, 2009. These publications are a free community publication with total market coverage.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Chippewa County Advertiser Ceases Publication

The Chippewa Valley Newspapers has announced that the Chippewa County Advertiser will cease distribution on October 7, 2009. The Advertiser is a shopper and EMC of the the Chippewa Falls Herald.

Per Mike Wood, Advertising Director of Chippewa Valley Newspapers, the group is focusing its efforts on its long established Big Buck Saver Chippewa County shopper, a Saturday direct mailed publication.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Robinson Newspapers switch from Wednesday to Friday

Robinson Newspapers (Washington) announced that the Monroe Monitor & Valley News, Federal Ways News, and West Seattle Herald will be switching from Wednesday distribution to Friday distribution, effective September 28, 2009.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Pensacola Gosport to Close

The Pensacola News Journal announced that the military publication Gosport will cease publishing on October 2, 2009.

The PNJ will begin publishing a new military publication the Weekend Liberty effective Thursday October 8, 2009. This new publication will cover NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, Saufley Field, Whiting Field and Elgin Air Force Base with a free distribution of 10,000.

Mobile Press Register Changes to 43" Web

Beginning with the edition of Tuesday, September 22nd, the Mobile Press-Register will be printed using a 43” web

Monday, September 14, 2009

Triple Crown Media, Filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Today

DOVER, Del. — Triple Crown Media Inc., which owns daily and weekly newspapers in Georgia, on Monday became at least the 11th newspaper publisher to seek bankruptcy protection over the past year.

In a prepackaged Chapter 11 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, the Lexington, Ky.-based company listed assets of about $33 million and liabilities of about $86 million.

Triple Crown, which operates six daily Georgia newspapers and one weekly with a total daily circulation of about 95,000, has about 330 employees. It announced early last year that it was cutting its work force by 5 percent because of the economic downturn and increased paper and fuel costs.

The company's daily newspapers are the Gwinnett Daily Post, The Albany Herald, the Rockdale Citizen, the Newton Citizen, the Clayton News-Daily and the Henry Daily Herald. It also published the Jackson Progress-Argus Weekly.

Rhinelander AdPack to Close

The Rhinelander AdPack is scheduled to close on September 29, 2009 per Pete Daniels, the publisher and general manager. The Hodag Buyers Guide and Star Journal will see changes to their circulation as they absorb some of this distribution.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Lenmoore Advance Closes, Hanford Sentinel ceases Sunday Distribution

Lee Central California Newspapers (LCCN), a sub group of Lee Enterprises, has announced that the Lenmoore Advance, a Saturday weekly publication, will cease publishing after the September 24th, 2009 edition.

The Hanford Sentinel, a daily LCCN publication, will be increasing its news coverage of the Lenmoore area to account for the closing. The Hanford Sentinel also announced that effective September 25th, 2009, it will cease publishing its Sunday edition. The Sentinel will instead be focusing on consolidating its Saturday and Sunday editions into a Weekend edition that will be distributed on Saturdays.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Seattle West Herald and Federal Way News Change page size

The West Seattle Herald and the Federal Way News, part of the Robinson Newspaper Group in Washington, announced they are increasing their page size to 5 columns by 16 inches, effective September 16, 2009.

La Presse Threatens Closure

The Montreal La Presse has threatened to close for business on December 1st, 2009 if it cannot make signficant cost cuts. The La Presse is the largest French language newspaper in North America.

The publication had ceased its Sunday distribution earlier this summer to help reduce cost problems.

El Dia Houston Closes

The El Dia Houston, Houston's daily hispanic newspaper, ceased publishing on August 28, 2009. El Dia's publisher will continue to distribute the free classified La Subasta.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Las Vegas Review-Journal Converts to 44" Web

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has announced it will be converting to the 44" Web size on November 3, 2009.

Toronto t.o.night Launches

Toronto t.o.night, a free daily newspaper with evening distribution, was launched on September 8, 2009. This is a magazine style glossy publication with news wire stories.

Cleveland Sun Newspapers Consolidate

The Sun Newspapers in Cleveland, Ohio, consolidated their publications on 8/6/2009, reducing the total number of publications from twenty-two to eleven.

There were three cases where newspapers merged to form a new publication. The Brecksville Sun Courier and Strongsville Sun Star Courier were merged to form the Sun Star Courier. The Chagrin Falls Herald Sun and Solon Herald Sun merged to form the Chagrin Solon Sun. The Lakewood Sun Post and North Olmstead Sun Herald merged to form the Sun Post Herald.

Berea News Sun and the Parma Sun Post increased their respective trade areas.

Eight of the Sun Newspaper publications were eliminated: Euclid Sun Journal, West Geauga Sun, Twinsburg Sun, Nordonia Hills Sun, Bedford Sun Banner, Garfield Maple Sun, Brooklyn Sun Journal, West Side Sun.

Friday, September 4, 2009

New York Daily News

The New York Daily News has new state-of-the-art color presses that will begin rolling in early October. The enhancements:

-images that are magazine quality
-color on every page (up to 144 pages on one pass)
-refreshed editorial environments
-new Sunday Lifestyle section

Attached please find our revised specification for ROP. Any ads scheduled from Monday October 5th forward, should be sent in the new size.

Sunday insert specifications remain unchanged (max 14” folded edge x 10.75” cut edge). Mid Week preprint can be accommodated at a max of 12” folded edge x 10” cut edge. We have be tracking mid week insert sizes and do not foresee any problems with any ACG account.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Katy Times

After September 13, 2009, the Katy Times will no longer publish a Sunday edition.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Winston-Salem Journal Changes Size to 44" Web

On 9/14/09 the Winston-Salem Journal will be converting to a 44" web size. The depth will remain at 21 inches.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Freedom Communications Seeks Bankruptcy Protection

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Freedom Communications Inc., the owner of more than 30 daily newspapers including the Orange County Register in California, sought bankruptcy protection after print advertising revenue declined.

Freedom, owner of eight television stations, has assets of as much as $1 billion and debt of more than $1 billion, it said today in Chapter 11 papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware. The Irvine, California-based company’s revenue totaled $734 million last year, according to Moody’s Investors Service Inc.

The company said it filed to implement a pre-petition agreement it reached with its lender on a restructuring of its debt. A majority of the lenders will support a “pre-negotiated plan of reorganization,” Freedom said in a statement.

“Reaching this agreement with our lenders provides us with an orderly process to realign our balance sheet with the realities of today’s media environment,” Freedom CEO Burl Osborne said in the statement.

The average weekday circulation of the Orange County Register in the six months through March fell 12 percent from the year-earlier period to 233,626, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. That compares with a 7.1 percent industrywide decline.

Freedom’s Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the period lost 2.4 percent of its weekday circulation, to 91,599.

Newspaper Bankruptcies

U.S. newspaper publishers including Tribune Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, and Journal Register Co., owner of 20 daily newspapers, previously filed for bankruptcy as the recession speeds declines in ad spending and more readers seek news from the Internet.

Industrywide ad revenue fell 29 percent to $6.82 billion in the second quarter from $9.6 billion a year earlier, according to figures released by the Newspaper Association of America. Ad sales dropped 28 percent in the first quarter, the Arlington, Virginia-based trade group said.

The drought has forced publishers to cut jobs, wages and sections, and boost newsstand prices. Ad sales make up more than half of revenue for publishers including New York Times Co. and Gannett Co.

U.S. advertising revenue for media and entertainment companies will decline through 2010, not returning to growth until 2012, when marketers increase spending on the Internet, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP said. The New York-based accounting firm predicts print-ad sales will continue to fall until 2013.

Blackstone Group LP owns a 27 percent stake in Freedom and Providence Equity Partners Inc. holds about 18 percent.

The case is In re Freedom Communications, 09-13046, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Collierville Herald adds Thursday TMC Product

The Collierville Herald announced it is launching a TMC product called the Herald Extra, effective August 27th, 2009, per Lee Ann Krueger, the publisher. The Herald Extra will distribute on Thursdays, with roughly 25,000 circulation into areas in Fayette and Shelby Counties, Tennessee.

The Collierville Herald is a weekly publication covering Collierville, Tennessee.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Greer Citizen Switches to Wednesday Publication

The Greer Citizen switched from being a twice weekly publication (Tuesday and Thursday) to a Wednesday only publication on August 1, 2009. The Citizen covers Greer, South Carolina and the surrounding communities.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Allentown Morning Call Changes to 46" web

September 9, 2009, the Allentown Morning Call will change into a 46” web ROP advertising size and measurement.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Boca Raton News Shut Down

At a staff meeting yesterday, Boca Raton News Publisher informed the newspaper's staff of 24 people that the 54-year-old newspaper was being shut down immediately. Sunday's newspaper will be its last.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Windsor Now Changes to Sunday Distribution

The Windsor Now, a publication in the Northern Colorado Communications Group, will change its distribution day to become a Sunday only publication. This change is effective Sunday, September 6th, 2009. The Windsor Now will cease distributing on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

The paper is also changing to a free distribution model, which will increase its distribution from roughly 4,000 to 7,200 pieces.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Jefferson City News Tribune/Capital News Consolidates Evening and Morning Editions

News Tribune Inc of Jefferson City, Missouri, has announced that effective October 5th, the evening edition News Tribune will merge with the morning edition Capital News. The paper will now be known as the Jefferson City News Tribune with the Capital News name being retired. The paper will be publishing seven days a week, all morning editions.

The News Tribune will be publishing on Thanksgiving morning (Thursday November 26th), but will not have a publication on Friday November 27th, per Sarah Veile, Major Account Coordinator.

Furthemore, the News Tribune will not publish on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Christmas Day.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Bakersfield Californian Goes Tab Size for Weekdays

The Bakersfield Californian has announced that it plans to re-launch its weekday publication to a tab size format, effective August 17th (today). The Saturday and Sunday editions will remain a broadsheet format, though they will be redesigned to have a similar look and feel with the weekday edition.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Euclid Sun Journal Closes

The Euclid Sun Journal ceased publishing on July 31, 2009. The Sun Journal was a weekly community paper, part of the Sun Newspapers in Cleveland, and covered the Euclid community, a suburb east of Cleveland.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Becker County Record / Detroit Lakes Tribune to Change Distibution / Preprints

Detroit Lakes Newspapers has announced that effective October 1st, 2009, the Becker County Record, a free Wednesday community publication will convert to being a paid publication. In conjunction with this change, the Becker County Record will no longer accept preprints.

The weekend publication, Detroit Lakes Tribune, will accept preprints and has a larger distribution base. The two publications cover the Detroit Lakes areas of Northwestern Minnesota.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Lumberton Robesonian Discontinued Monday Edition

The Lumberton Robesonian discontinued its Monday distribution on May 4th, 2009. The daily paper still publishes Tuesday through Sunday, with a distribution of 14k weekday and 16k Sunday.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Richmond County Daily Journal Discontinues Sunday Distribution

The Richmond County Daily Journal has gone from six days of publication to five days, effective May 2009. The Sunday edition is no longer available as it has been combined with the Saturday edition to create the Weekender. The Weekender encompasses all the special sections that both papers originally had. Also delivered with the Weekender are the News America "Smart Source" coupons. The Daily Journal now currently prints Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Raleigh News and Observer Changes to 44" web

On Monday, August 17, The News & Observer and its network of nine community papers will convert to a 44" web width. This slightly narrower format is in line with changes taking place with many newspapers throughout the country. Readers in those markets have enjoyed a more convenient size newspaper, and the newsprint savings will help maintain our continued commitment to coverage of local news. All sections of our paper will be based on a six-column format.

San Luis Obispo Tribune size change

San Luis Obispo Tribune has moved to a 44” web width

Friday, July 24, 2009

Birmingham Eccentric Lives to Publish Another Day

As we had noted on May 26th, the Birmingham Eccentric was given an extension until July 1st, where it had to meet certain subscriber levels to remain a viable publication in the Observer Eccentric mix. The Birmingham Eccentric failed to meet that goal, but senior management was impressed enough with the efforts and changes, that they have agreed to keep the Birmingham Eccentric alive, with no timetable for further review.

For more details see the article from their own site at HometownLife.com .

Bolivar Commercial to Start a Sunday Distribution and Eliminate Monday Distribution

The Bolivar Commercial, part of Cleveland Newspapers Incorporated, will begin publishing a Sunday edition on August 23rd, and will cease publishing the Monday edition at that same time, per David Laster, Advertising Manager.

The Commercial, a daily publication with roughly 5,700 subscribers, covers communities in Bolivar County, Mississippi, primarily the Cleveland area.

Palestine Herald Press Discontined Monday and Saturday Distribution

The Palestine Herald Press, a daily publication, discontinued its Monday and Saturday distribution, effective June 1st, 2009. The Herald Press has a weekday circulation of approximately 7,500, covering Palestine, Texas and neighboring communities in Anderson, Texas. The publication still delivers Tuesday through Friday, and on Sunday.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register to Jointly Publish Supplement Product

By David Colker, Los Angeles Times, July 22, 2009

The Times and Orange County Register will together launch a weekly advertising supplement to be distributed in both papers. The supplement, OCSaver/Local Values, will be inserted into the Friday editions of the newspapers that will go to subscribers in Orange County beginning Aug. 28, said representatives of the Los Angeles Times Media Group and Orange County Register Communications on Tuesday.

In addition, the supplement will be distributed in the Register's 25 community newspapers and in The Times' Spanish-language newspaper Hoy Fin de Semana.

In some areas of the county, households that do not subscribe to The Times or Register will receive the supplement by mail."The combined OCSaver/Local Values distribution program will have access to nearly 1 million Orange County households," said Terry Horne, publisher of the Register, in a statement.

Eddy Hartenstein, publisher of The Times, said the venture by the two newspaper companies will be "harnessing the unparalleled reach of our distribution systems."

Monday, July 20, 2009

Cox Enterprises to Sell North Carolina Newspapers to Cooke Communications, LLC

ATLANTA, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Enterprises, Inc. announced today it has reached a definitive agreement to sell three of its North Carolina newspapers - The Daily Reflector (Greenville), Rocky Mount Telegram and The Daily Advance (Elizabeth City) - and ten weekly newspapers in eastern North Carolina to Cooke Communications, LLC, a privately-held family company headed by John Kent Cooke. The transaction is expected to close in the upcoming weeks.

The weekly publications include the Beaufort-Hyde News (Bellhaven), Bertie-Ledger Advance (Windsor), The Chowan Herald (Edenton), Duplin Times (Kenansville), The Enterprise (Williamston), Farmville Enterprise, Perquimans Weekly (Elizabeth City), Standard Laconic (Snow Hill), Times-Leader (Ayden-Grifton) and Weekly Herald (Robersonville).

As announced in 2008, Cox Enterprises continues to market for sale its newspapers in Texas.

Syracuse Post-Standard Discontinues Inserting Preprints on Saturday

The Syracuse Post-Standard has announced it will no longer insert preprints on Saturdays, effective August 1st, 2009.

Friday, July 17, 2009

BANG Eliminates Wednesday Preprints for Several Publications

Effective July 15th, the Bay Area News Group (BANG) will no longer accept preprints in six of their publications. This will leave advertisers with only Thursday, Friday and Sunday as the only options within BANG to run preprints in the paid distribution.

The effected publications are: Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Fremont Argus, Hayward Daily Review, Tri-Valley Herald and San Mateo County Times.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Cox to sell off several newspapers, Val Pak operations

Cox Enterprises Inc. announced Wednesday it plans to sell several newspapers throughout the chain, as well as its direct mail advertising service, Val Pak, to pay down debt.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the company's largest daily newspaper, is not among the papers to be sold.

The largest newspaper for sale is the Austin (Tex.) American-Stateman and affiliated operations, including its Austin360.com Web site. Other papers slated to be sold by Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises are community publications in North Carolina, Texas and Colorado.

Cox Enterprises also will retain major dailies The Palm Beach Post, Dayton Daily News and publications affiliated with each.

Cox papers, including the AJC and the Palm Beach Post, have gone through series of job buyouts and layoffs over the past several years as profits have fallen. Palm Beach announced it would cut 130 jobs from its 300-member newsroom and the AJC announced a restructuring designed to cut 8 percent of its workforce, or more than 150 jobs through buyouts and other voluntary and involuntary measures.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Coral Gables Gazette Ceases Publication on August 1st

The Coral Gables Gazette has announced that it will cease publication of its printed edition effective August 1, 2009. The Gazette is a weekly community paper covering the Coral Gables areas of Florida. The paper will continue with its online edition www.cggazette.com.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Lancaster Intelligencer Journal Ceases Inserts on Monday

The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal will no longer insert preprints into their Monday publication, effective the end of June 2009, per Maria Kapsak of the Intelligencer Journal.

Starkville Dispatch Launches

The Columbus Dispatch launched a new free daily newspaper the Starkville Dispatch on July 8, 2009.  The Starkville Dispatch will distribute weekdays in rack locations around Starkville and portions of Columbus, MS.  Consumers can subscribe to the Starkville Dispatch for home delivery.

Claremont Eagle Times Closes

The Claremont Eagle Times announced it was closing for business effective Friday July 10th, per publisher Harvey Hill. The Eagle Times is a daily publication covering Claremont, New Hampshire, and the surrounding area, with a paid circulation of approximately 8,200.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

USPS Lowers Rates on high-density flats

USPS high-density decrease approved

Commercial and nonprofit mailers of US Postal Service Standard Mail high-density flats, mail pieces delivered to each address on a delivery route, will enjoy new minimum per-piece prices decreases of 0.1 cent. The decreases kick in on July 19. In addition, mailers will see decreases to the pound price element that match the Standard Mail Saturation rate.

The
Postal Regulatory Commission approved the rate on July 1, potentially setting a new precedent on how to address a rate decrease in a period of deflation.

The order can be accessed at http://www.prc.gov/ under “docket search” (Docket No R2009-4) or “daily listing” for July 1.

This was the first time under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 that a decrease in postal rates was sought, reflecting a steady decline in the consumer price index over the last few months. One commenter on the price adjustment, identified in the decision as the public representative, contended that the price cap does not apply to price decreases. The US Postal Service supported this position in their statements noting “the legislative history of the PAEA indicates that Congress was concerned about capping the extent to which the Postal Service could increase prices, not decrease prices.

”The PRC responded by suggesting a future rate increase could be larger than it otherwise would be if the cap calculation and unused rate adjustment authority remained unset.

“If the Postal Service continues to exercise its pricing flexibility in a similar manner in the future (small increases or decreases in rates), this rounding problem could become more pernicious,” the PRC decision said.

The PRC has approved the rate adjustment, but also maintained that the new rates will be used as the base rates for the next cap calculation for the Standard Mail class.

Bay State Banner in Boston suspends publication


By RUSSELL CONTRERAS

BOSTON (AP) — An African-American newspaper that covered Boston's busing riots of the 1970s, the fall of black political leaders and the rise of state's first black governor, Deval Patrick, has suspended publication after 44 years and laid off its 12 employees.

Bay State Banner publisher and editor Melvin Miller said Tuesday that financial pressures and a sustained falloff in advertising have forced him to close the weekly newspaper, at least temporarily.

Miller, a 75-year-old Boston attorney who founded the paper in 1965, said he had prepared for a long economic turndown but couldn't risk pouring in more of his own money. When or if the paper reopens depends on any potential new investors, but Miller said he would not actively "go around twisting arms" to convince people.

"When you do something for so long, people think ... that no matter what happens the Banner is going to be there," Miller said. "Now everybody has to be confronted with the idea that it's either people step up and do what they have to do or else the Banner will be gone forever."

The paper most recently had a weekly circulation of 34,000.

Jeffrey Berry, professor of political science at Tufts University, said it would be painful to see the newspaper close for good since it did an exceptional job covering the city's black community.

"It has given voice to a particular community that's been chronically ignored by the local media," Berry said. "If it closes, the city will be losing its lifeblood."

In a statement, Gov. Patrick said the newspaper has a venerable history and is an important contributor to the state's civic life.

"I wish them every kind of encouragement as they work to weather these difficult economic times like so many other companies and media outlets throughout Massachusetts," Patrick said in a statement.

Miller said he believed the newspaper helped "defuse rage" by serving as an outlet during the 1960s as Boston largely escaped the race riots that ravaged other cities. But he said the newspaper also helped augment coverage by other media outlets by adding its own twist.

According to Richard Prince's Journal-isms, an online column that focuses on diversity in media, black-owned weekly newspapers have largely avoided layoffs and bankruptcy filings, unlike mainstream press outlets. A large number of black-owned weekly newspapers are family-owned.

Berry said any decline in the number of ethnic media newspapers will leave a void.

"I have some people who are really geniuses, journalistic geniuses," Miller said. "And I can't suggest to other people to fill that gap. They are not going to be able to do it."

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Reorganization plan cleared for the Journal Register

Reorg plan cleared for publisher Journal Register
By ANDREW VANACORE

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal bankruptcy judge in New York has cleared the way for newspaper publisher Journal Register Co. to emerge from Chapter 11 protection.

The plan had won the backing of the vast majority of creditors, despite objections from some quarters, including state officials in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

The company has drawn criticism for its plans to pay executive bonuses following its emergence from bankruptcy. Some creditors also questioned a provision that would arrange a $6.6 million payment from secured lenders to key suppliers, including ink and newsprint providers.

Judge Allan Gropper said in a ruling Tuesday that despite those objections, Journal Register's reorganization plan is consistent with federal bankruptcy law.

Journal Register publishes the New Haven (Conn.) Register and dozens of other newspapers. Like almost all publishers, it has been pummeled by declining advertising revenue as the traditional newspaper business model comes under assault from the Internet.

The company filed for bankruptcy in February, the third in a wave of Chapter 11 filings in the industry that has also claimed The Tribune Co., The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times and the owner of both of Philadelphia's daily newspapers, among others.

The company's bankruptcy plan was essentially "prepackaged," having been negotiated with major lenders led by JPMorgan prior to its filing. The plan cancels Journal Register's stock and cuts obligations to secured lenders to $225 million from $696 million in return for ownership of the company.

The only significant addition that came during hearings is a $2 million fund set aside for unsecured lenders, who will receive about 9 cents on the dollar.

Unsecured lenders that qualify as critical suppliers, such as ink and newsprint providers, will be made whole with a $6.6 million gift from secured debt holders.

The latter provision drew criticism from Central States, a multi-employer pension fund, which called the plan inequitable. But the company contended any disruption in basic supplies could cripple an already fragile business.

Plans to pay out $1.3 million in bonuses to top executives also led to objections. State officials from Connecticut and Pennsylvania as well as the Newspaper Guild, one of the company's largest unions, asked the court to block the payments.

But in his opinion Tuesday, Judge Gropper said the planned bonuses do not violate bankruptcy code. He noted that debtors had been given the chance to review the bonuses and voted overwhelmingly to approve the bankruptcy plan anyway.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal offered a blistering response and said his office is reviewing the judgement to "determine whether further action is appropriate."

"This decision means that bankruptcy is no bar against bloated big-time bonuses," Blumenthal said in a statement. "The unfortunate bankruptcy court ruling means that (Journal Register) executives will be substantially rewarded more than $1.3 million in blatantly undeserved bonuses for shutting down newspapers and laying off employees."

Last year, deteriorating ad revenue led the company to shutter several weekly newspapers in Connecticut, including the Pictorial Gazette, the Branford Review, Clinton Recorder, Main Street News and the East Haven Advertiser.

Lawyers for the company did not return calls seeking comment on the case Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how quickly Journal Register can emerge from bankruptcy now that its reorganization has been approved.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Muncie Star Press to No Longer Accept Saturday Inserts

The Muncie Star Press, a daily newspaper owned by Gannett, announced that begin August 1, 2009, it will no longer accept preprints for Saturday distribution. The publication distributes seven days a week, but currently does not accept inserts for Mondays.

Harrison Daily Times Changes Distribution Days and Time

The Harrison Daily Times will be changing to a morning distribution, and reducing its distribution days to Tuesday through Saturday, effective July 7th.

The Daily Times had previously distributed all seven days of the week, and had been an evening publication.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Suburban Dallas Community Newspaper Group Shuts Down

Today Newspapers, a cluster of community papers serving Dallas' south suburbs, are folding with their final editions Thursday.

The closure, first reported by John Coleman in The Dallas Morning News, followed a loss of advertising revenue and the inability to find a buyer, said Publisher Kim Petty.

"Everybody was hurt by the economy," Petty told the Morning News. "Most of our advertisers were mom-and-pop type stores, and they just couldn't keep it up. There is just not a lot of hope for small-town newspapers."

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Last to Enter Bankruptcy, ACN is First to Emerge

American Community Newspapers (ACN), which in April became the seventh and most recent newspaper company to declare bankruptcy in the industry recession, has become the first to emerge from its protection.

In a memo to employees, CEO Gene Carr said the chain closed the sale to its creditors on Friday. ACN's emergence from bankruptcy was first reported Monday by MinnPost media writer David Brauer.

ACN's prepackaged bankruptcy plan was approved by a judge in Delaware earlier this month. Under the plan, the chain --which publishes the Stillwater (Minn.) Gazette and clusters of community papers in Texas, Ohio and suburban WashingtonD.C. -- was for $32 million plus $5 million in post-bankruptcy financing to its creditors, including the General Electric Corp. andthe Bank of Montreal.

At the time of its bankruptcy filing, ACN said it had $102 million in debt.

The chain’s parent company will be known as American Community Newspapers II.

“Under our new ownership, our debt has been substantially reduced, which places us in a much better position to execute onour business strategy, serve our communities, and provide ample opportunities for our employees,” Carr wrote in the memo.

Miami Herald moves to 44" Web

As of July 7, 2009, The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald will begin publishing on a smaller web width size - a change from 48 to 44 inches.

As a result of the new width, all sections in The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald - ROP, Tabloid and Classified - will be formatted in six columns. Column widths in all sections will be identical; as such, ad sizes will also be consistent across sections.

The size modification will not affect newspaper content.

Seattle Times zones increase reach; rates to be adjusted July 1, 2009

Dear advertiser, I’m writing to share some important updates regarding your zone display advertising in The Seattle Times. As you know, The Seattle Times is proud to have retained nearly all former P-I subscribers since the transition, which has resulted in The Seattle Times significantly growing its weekday audience. This increased reach has had a particularly positive effect for zone advertisers like you. Depending on the zone, your advertising is now reaching 15% to 38% more area consumers. That means you’re getting even more value from your advertising at a time when keeping a high profile in the marketplace is more important than ever. This increased zone coverage has also resulted in additional production costs, so we will be adjusting zone advertising rates beginning July 1, 2009. These moderate rate changes vary by contract level, but in most cases your cost per consumer reached will still be lower than it was prior to the P-I closure. (See the enclosed rate sheet for a complete rate chart.) Please note that we’ve also added a new $25,000 contract level to reward advertisers at that spending level. I want to thank you for your business and your continued partnership. If you have any questions about these changes or our zone advertising programs, please contact your account executive or call me at 206/652-6276.

Bradenton Herald Preprint Shipping Changes

The Bradenton Herald has entered into an agreement with the New York Times local Sarasota property to facilitate our preprint packaging. Effective immediately all preprints for insertion into the Bradenton Herald should be shipped to the following: Bradenton Heraldc/o Sarasota Herald-Tribune1800 University ParkwaySarasota, FL 34243 Receiving contact: Peggy O’Connor – (941) 358-4011. Receiving hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 am – 4:00 pmDelivery Extensions: Jack Howell – (941) 358-4001 The MINIMUM needed for all incoming product for EACH skid tag is: Insert nameInsert publish dateInsert quantityWho the insert is for (Bradenton Herald or Herald Tribune) in large/bold typeSkid totals (1 of 1, 2 of 2, etc.) All Bills of Lading must be clearly defined (Herald Tribune, X Skids/Product Name, Bradenton Herald, X Skids/Product Name) Also, skids should be separated by newspaper on trucks when delivering so receiving can efficiently account for all. Please contact John Talley at 941-745-7042 if you have any further questions.

Bradenton Herald moves to 44" Web

The Bradenton Herald will convert to a new, 44-inch web width format on Tuesday May 5th, 2009. Please review the new mechanical specifications at: www. bradenton.com\advertise. If you have any questions regarding the changes please contact us directly at 941-745-7042.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Philadelphia Inquirer TMC Changes Distribution Day to Sunday

The Philadelphia Inquirer TMC Product, My Community Trend, will be changing its distribution day from Wednesday to Sunday, effective July 5, 2009.

Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald Reduce Page Size

The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald announced that effective July 7, 2009, the two papers will be published in a 44 inch web size, instead of their past 48 inch web size.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Lafayette Daily Advertiser No Longer to Accept Inserts on Tuesdays

The Lafayette Daily Advertiser has announced that it will no longer distribute preprints/inserts effect July 28, 2009, per representative Mary Adams. The Advertiser advertiser already refuses inserts on Mondays.

The Advertiser publishes seven days a week with roughly 40,000 subscribers daily and 50,000 Sundays.

Mammoth Times Changes to Friday Distribution

The Mammoth Times, a community newspaper covering the Mammoth Lakes area of California is changing its distribution day from Thursday to Friday, effective July 3, 2009, per representative Dave Michalski. The Mammoth Times is primarily sold in racks and over the counter.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Kilgore News Herald Now Wednesday & Saturday Distribution

The Kilgore News Herald ceased being a daily publication on April 19th, 2009 per Valerie Melton, Marketing Manager for Bluebonnet Publishing. The News Herald now distributes only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The paper also changed its distribution from carrier to mail delivery.

Furthermore, the News Herald TMC product has been discontinued. The paper is instead distributing 1,800 free samples on Wednesdays.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Chicago Tribune to discontinue weekly publication of magazine

The Chicago Tribune said today it is discontinuing its weekly Sunday magazine, replacing it as of July 5th with Sunday, a new section that will combine some of the magazine's features with content that had been in the paper's Smart and House & Homes sections.

Chicago Tribune Magazine, which traces its roots to 1914's Chicago Tribune Pictorial Weekly and took on its current form on Oct. 4th, 1953, will continue as a series of themed sections published roughly once a month beginning in September.

Gerould Kern, the Chicago Tribune's editor, said in a memo to staff that the change involving the magazine was made "because declining advertising and high costs made weekly publication unsustainable."

Other changes coming to the Sunday Tribune next month involve the introduction of new sections and consolidation of others. "To succeed in this economic climate, we must continually evaluate and adapt our offerings to meet reader and advertiser needs and to improve profitability," Kern wrote.

The Chicagoland report will be incorporated in the Sunday main news section, as it is on weekdays, while the Tribune launches a new World & Nation section, which will also include obituaries and the Sunday weather page.

The new Money & Real Estate section on Sunday will incorporate stories, graphics, advice columns, special features and guidance on home sales and personal finance previously found in House & Home and the Your Money pages of the Business section. Career Builder ads will now appear in the back of the Business section, rather than as a section unto themselves.

The Chicago Homes section will move from Friday to Saturday, as of July 11th. The Tribune in April moved The Guide, with its television listings, from Sunday to Saturdays.

Covington Leader Changes to Thursday-only publication

The Covington Leader announced that effective July 9th, it will begin distributing only on Thursdays, per Brian Blackley, publisher. The Leader had been a twice weekly publication for the last five years, publishing on Tuesday and Friday.

The Leader covers Covington, Tennessee and surrounding communities in Tipton County, Tennessee.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Trumann Democrat and Try-City Tribune Merge July 1st

The Trumann Democrat and Tri-City Tribune will merge together on July 1st to become the Poinsett County Democrat Tribune, per Samantha Martin, Editor and General Manager.

The Trumann Democrat is a Wednesday weekly publication with a little over 1,000 distribution covering primarily Trumann, Arkansas.

The Tri-City Tribune is a Wednesday weekly publication with approximately 1,500 distribution covering the Arksansas towns of Marked Tree, Tyronza and Lepanto.

The new Poinsett County Democrat Tribune will be based out of Trumann, and will cover the same distribution area, with an additional single copy sales effort in Harrisburg, Arkansas. The expected circulation of this publication is 3,000 weekly.

Durant Daily Democrat Ceased Publishing on Mondays

The Durant Daily Democrat no longer publishes on Monday per Karl Oakley, Advertising Director. This change was put into effect in May 2009. The Daily Democrat continues to publish on Tuesday through Friday, and Sundays.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Houma Daily Courier / Thibodaux Daily Comet Restrict Preprint Days

The Houma Daily Courier and the Thibodaux Daily Comet will both reduce the days they accept preprinted inserts effective July 6, 2009, per Marian Long, Retail Advertising Director of the two publications.

The Daily Courier will cease running inserts on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays, thus leaving advertisers with options of using Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday.

The Daily Comet will cease running inserts on Tuesdays and Saturdays, thus leaving advertisers with options of Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday.

Marian Long is suggesting that those advertisers that used to use Saturday for their inserts, now use Fridays for their inserts.

Philly Newspapers' Parent Company Into Bankruptcy

The group of business people who paid $562 million to return The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News to local ownership in 2006, only to file for bankruptcy protection earlier this year, have now filed for Chapter 11 protection themselves.

Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC (PMH) filed for bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Philadelphia, claiming assets of between $100,001 and $500,000, and liabilities estimated between zero and $50,000.

A PMH spokesman said PMH is a holding company with no employees or revenue. "What it holds is the actual legal entity Philadelphia Newspapers LLC and other smaller properties that are also incorporated separately," spokesman Jay Devine said.

Last Feb. 21, Philadelphia Newspapers, the publishing company of the two dailies, filed for Chapter in Philadelphia, to restructure its debt load of $390 million in debt load.

When Philadelphia Newspapers filed for bankruptcy last February, it wasn't thought necessary to include PMH in the filing, headded. But PMH is also named in some litigation along with Philadelphia Newspapers. Since the litigation is stayed during bankruptcy proceedings, filing for Chapter 11 ensures that PMH cannot be pursued in court separately.

PMH is the group formed by local public relations executive Brian P. Tierney to buy the newspapers from The McClatchy Co.,which acquired them in its acquisition of Knight Ridder Inc. The group put up $152 million in cash and borrowed the rest of the $562 million purchase price.

According to the bankruptcy petition, filed last Wednesday, the largest stakeholders in PMH are the Carpenters Pension and Annuity Fund of Philadelphia with a 30.35% interest, followed by luxury housing magnate Bruce E. Toll with a 20.26% stake. William A. Graham IV is listed as having a 16.88% stake. Tierney's interest in PMH totals 6.75%.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Detroit Daily Press

Mark Stern and Gary Stern, veteran publishers in the newspaper industry, have announced that they intend to create a new daily newspaper for the Detroit market called The Detroit Daily Press.

They expect to launch the new newspaper within 60 days, selling for fifty cents daily and $1 on Sundays.

The Sterns are currently working to secure contracts with two printing plants and lease office space. They are also looking to hire department heads, which given the number of newspaper employees laid off nationally (and locally), should give them many options to consider.

The paper is expected to start small, and then grow based on advertising revenue increases. The Sterns believe their paper can be financially viable as it will not be burdened with the legacy cost issues such as pension funds, old trucks, and facilities, which contribute to the debt problems of existing struggling papers.

The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press have stopped home delivery on Monday through Wednesday, and Saturday, restricting its home delivery to only Thursday, Friday and Sunday. This is leaving an opportunity, the Sterns believe, for another daily publication to fill the market need.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Ottaway Newspapers changes name to Dow Jones Local Media Group

Times Herald-Record
Posted: June 08, 2009 - 12:02 PM


NEW YORK — Ottaway Newspapers is changing its name to Dow Jones Local Media Group.

Dow Jones purchased the Ottaway group, which includes the Times Herald-Record, in 1970. News Corp. bought Dow Jones in 2007.

“The new name reflects the closer working relationship between our successful local news franchises and the rest of Dow Jones and News Corp.,” said Les Hinton, CEO of Dow Jones.

Dow Jones Local Media Group employs 1,200 and has its headquarters at the Times Herald-Record’s office in Middletown. It includes eight daily newspapers, 15 weekly newspapers and a collection of magazines and Web sites in six states.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Journal-Register Co. to sell Lapeer County Press, other papers

The bankrupt owner of The Oakland Press and The Macomb Daily has signed a purchase agreement to sell the Lapeer County Press and several smaller Michigan newspapers.

Yardley, Pa.-based Journal-Register Co., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February, will sell the Lapeer newspaper and a dozen other publications to Lapeer-based Jams Media Inc. for an undisclosed sum, according to a news release issued this morning.

The sale is expected to be finalized before July 31.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Yuma Daily Sun changes TMC

The Yuma Daily Sun has announced they will be discontinuing their current TMC Product 'Yuma 33:10' on June 10th, in favor of a new TMC Product called the 'Marketplace'.

The new TMC product will be distributed on the same day as the old TMC (Wednesday), plus cover the same distribution area plus the addition of RV Parks. The major difference will be that the 'Marketplace' is broadsheet format while the 'Yuma 33:10' was a tabloid format.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Andover Advocate Journal Closes

The Andover Advocate Journal, a Thursday weekly community newspaper, closed in May 2009. The publication had a paid distribution of approximately 2,000.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Lufkin Daily News and Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel Sold

Cox Enterprises Inc. will sell The Lufkin Daily News and The Daily Sentinel in Nacogdoches, Texas, to Houston-based Southern Newspapers Inc. (source)

Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises did not disclose financial terms, but said the deal should close on May 31.

Cox Enterprises’ other newspapers in Texas and all of Cox’s stand-alone community newspapers in North Carolina and Colorado are still up for sale. Cox Enterprises hired Citigroup and Dirks, Van Essen & Murray to market those papers.

“Cox Enterprises greatly values the contributions that the employees of The Lufkin Daily News and The Daily Sentinel have made to our company,” said Doug Franklin, executive vice president of Cox Newspapers, in a press release. “These local institutions are important to their communities, and we are confident that Southern Newspapers will continue the tradition these newspapers have of providing timely, valuable and trustworthy news and information to their readers.”

Dallas Morning News and Valassis Join Forces in Dallas Market

Valassis / Dallas Morning News Press Release
LIVONIA, Mich. and DALLAS, May 27 -- Valassis (NYSE: VCI - News), one of the nation's leading media and marketing services companies, and The Dallas Morning News, the flagship subsidiary of A. H. Belo Corporation (NYSE: AHC - News), today announced a powerful, innovative alliance that changes the way advertisers reach households in the Dallas-Ft. Worth designated market area (DMA).

Through the alliance, The Dallas Morning News will combine its advertising inserts with Valassis' RedPlum(TM) Direct Mail Package, creating a single, shared offering that will reach 1.5 million households weekly in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market. The RedPlum Direct Mail Package consists of good deals on the brands consumers want most from various businesses, which are combined into a single package and delivered to consumers' mailboxes to help them make smart buying decisions by providing them with savings and value. The familiar Have you Seen Me?® Missing Child images and information are featured on the back page. Beginning in August 2009, the RedPlum Direct Mail Package will be delivered to more than 485,000 home delivery recipients of The Dallas Morning News, Al Dia and Briefing, and mailed by Valassis to another 1 million local households.

This alliance is the latest of successful collaborations Valassis has entered into with 31 newspapers across the United States, offering an innovative way to reach out to 8 million U.S. households. Advertisers benefit from the efficiency of the newspapers' delivery channel and the precision of Valassis targeting and reach via direct mail. Consumers benefit from advertising that is delivered by trusted, reliable sources - The Dallas Morning News and Valassis' RedPlum product.

"This deal is a win for advertisers and consumers alike," said William Blackmer, Valassis Senior Vice President, Strategic Sourcing. "Advertisers can leverage the power of newspaper and mail to enhance their message to consumers and can ensure maximum response through both delivery methods. Consumers will receive valuable deals and offers all in one package, which will greatly facilitate planned shopping experiences. We are very pleased to continue building our relationship with The Dallas Morning News in this important market."

"By merging The News' portfolio of print products with Valassis' unique targeting systems, this partnership allows us to offer advertisers throughout the Dallas-Ft. Worth marketplace enhanced distribution capabilities," said John McKeon, President and General Manager of The Dallas Morning News. "It also supports our goal of delivering value to consumers by increasing their opportunities to save, one more example of the many ways in which The Dallas Morning News helps people live better here."

Readers of The Dallas Morning News, Al Dia and Briefing will receive their merged RedPlum Direct Mail Package on top of the Wednesday newspaper, ensuring high visibility for the advertising offers, while those who do not receive the newspaper will receive their co-branded Direct Mail Package in their mailboxes on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Birmingham Eccentric - Alive For Now

The Birmingham Eccentric, scheduled to close on May 31st, has been given an extension due to consumer demand per an article on the HometownLife.com.


If the Birmingham Eccentric can get 3,000 new subscribers by July 1st, it will continue to remain in business, and another 2,000 new subscribers by October 1st, it will continue beyond that point, assuming that profitability goals are met.

Flint Journal, Saginaw News, Bay City Times Reduce to Three Days a Week

Effective June 1st, three Booth Newspapers, the Flint Journal, Saginaw News and the Bay City Times will cease being daily newspapers and will instead only publish on Thursday, Friday and Sundays. There will also be an effort by these publications to increase their local news coverage.

Booth Newspapers had announced March 23rd that these changes were in place, along with the elimination of the print version of the Ann Arbor News.

The remaining Booth Newspapers have no current plan to change their distribution days, instead focusing on restructuring internally to improve profitability.

Friday, May 22, 2009

La Grange Daily News Discontinues Sunday Distribution

The La Grange Daily News discontinued its Sunday distribution, effective May 16th, 2009 per Stacey Moncrief, Ad Director. The Daily News will be printing a 'weekend edition' that is distributed on Saturday evenings.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Attleboro Sun Chronicle Ceases Advisor TMC Publication

The Attleboro Sun-Chronicle has announced it will cease publishing its TMC product the ADvisor effective Saturday, June 27th. Ray Lacaillade, the advertising director, announced this decision was made due to declining revenue of the product along with rising postal rates.

The Sun-Chronicle will still continue to publish its weekly North Attleboro Chronicle and Foxboro Reporter publications which cover some of the homes covered by the ADvisor.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

MailSouth Acquires Saving Source Direct (SSD)

Cox Enterprises to Sell Saving Source Direct to MailSouth (Press Release)

ATLANTA (May 19, 2009) – Cox Enterprises, Inc. announced today it has reached a definitive agreement to sell Tarboro, N.C.-based Saving Source Direct to MailSouth, headquartered in Helena, Ala. The transaction is expected to close May 26, 2009.

“Cox Enterprises greatly values the contributions that the employees of Saving Source Direct have made to our company,” said Doug Franklin, executive vice president, Cox Newspapers. “More than ever, consumers rely on value-oriented content. MailSouth has twenty years of success and distributes direct mail packages to 17 million households in 26 states.”

Saving Source Direct, formerly known as PAGAS Mailing Services, is the local source for valueoriented content and coupons in more than 100 markets throughout North Carolina. Top markets include Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Asheville, Greenville, Goldsboro, Rocky Mount and Elizabeth City. Each month Saving Source Direct reaches more than three million homes. The company also provides solo mailing services for targeted demographics and customer lists. Prior to the expected sale, Saving Source Direct was managed as part of Cox North Carolina Newspapers, a publishing unit of Cox Media Group, Inc.

Said MailSouth’s CEO Albert Braunfisch, “We’ve enjoyed a long partnership with Saving Source Direct, and for several years, we’ve worked together to the benefit of many shared clients. The addition of the terrific markets they have built throughout North Carolina will push our advertising program over 20 million rural and suburban households, so we’re excited about this opportunity.”

As announced in 2008, Cox Enterprises’ newspapers in Texas, North Carolina and Colorado continue to be marketed for sale. Citigroup has been retained to assist Cox Enterprises with the marketing of these assets.

Arizona's Tucson Citizen won't resume publication

By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)

The Tucson Citizen won't be forced to resume publication.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Arizona attorney general's office failed to show that the Citizen's owner, Gannett Co., violated antitrust laws.

The state has contended that closing the Citizen with Saturday's issue is eliminating competition and fostering a monopoly situation for Gannett and Lee Enterprises, publisher of the city's Arizona Daily Star.

The two companies own Tucson Newspapers Inc., which runs the non-editorial functions for both newspapers. They split costs and profits.

The state contends Gannett stopped publishing the Citizen simply to make more money for the partnership.

The state hasn't decided whether to appeal.

Gannett will continue the Citizen as a commentary Web site, without news coverage, and distribute a printed Citizen editorial weekly with the Star.

Tucson Citizen - Decision Likely Today on State Restraining Order

'Tucson Citizen' Was Losing $10,000 a Day, Court Told in Lawsuit Challenging Closing

By Renee Schafer Horton with Mark Fitzgerald

Published: May 18, 2009 8:40 PM ET


CHICAGO The Tucson Citizen was losing $10,000 a day before it was folded last weekend -- money that would be better spent making a "vibrant" Arizona Daily Star, lawyers for Gannett Co. and Lee Enterprises Inc. argued before a federal judge Monday.

Arizona's Office of the Attorney General is asking for a temporary restraining order that would force the chains to operate the Citizen as a print publication or find a buyer who would keep it publishing.

U.S. District Court Judge Raner C. Collins sitting in Tucson said he would rule on the state's motion Tuesday (May 19th) before 2 p.m. local time.

In the hearing Monday, Nancy M. Bonnell, a lawyer for the attorney general's office, argued that by folding the Citizen, but continuing its business partnership with Lee Enterprises, publisher of the Star, Gannett "wants to have its cake and eat it, too."

Gannett and Lee Enterprises operated their papers under a joint operating agreement (JOA) first established in 1940, nearly three decades before the Newspaper Preservation Act was law. When Gannett announced the folding of the print Citizen -- and its replacement by a "modified" online-only operation with little news coverage -- it said it was terminating the JOA but continuing as a partner with Lee in Tucson.

"We understand that a temporary restraining order is an extraordinary remedy," Bonnell told the judge, adding that it was necessary because of the "harm to competition" of having no print Citizen.

The Citizen Web site -- which will rely heavily on blogs and has just two permanent editorial employees from the former newspaper staff of 60 -- does not provide true competition, Bonnell said.

But Don Kaplan, a lawyer representing Lee Enterprises, argued that the Citizen was a "failing paper" that cost the partnership more than it earned. He said the paper was losing $10,000 a day as a print publication. There is a "greater good" in getting rid of a paper that is failing in order to save the more "vibrant" remaining paper, Kaplan said.

Bonnell responded that the Citizen was not a failing paper because there was someone willing to buy it, California publisher Stephen Hadland, whose bid for the paper was rejected. Gannett had been seeking $1 million for the assets of the Citizen, not including its stake in the JOA. Hadland offered $400,000.

"The fact of the matter is, there is no obligation to sell at any price," Kaplan said.

Kaplan and Gordon L. Lang, representing Gannett, also made the argument that their Tucson partnership has always been "one entity," and that therefore there are no competitive issues. They noted that each pays half of the editorial cost of the other's newspaper.

It also emerged at Monday's hearing that the Arizona attorney general's office, the antitrust division of the U.S. Justice Department and the two chains had an understanding that the newspapers would give the Justice Department three day's notice before folding the Citizen. Gannett had announced a May 1 deadline to sell or close the paper, but delayed it on a day-to-day basis while negotiating its sale.

The reason the Arizona authorities filed for its temporary restraining order just hours before the last edition hit the streets Saturday morning -- and minutes before the federal court was closing Friday evening -- was that the state did not get any word of the closing from the Justice Department, Bonnell said. The state attorney general had prepared a lawsuit to block the paper's closing.

Also Monday, the staffing of the Citizen Web site was settled. It will have six temporary employees as it transitions from print, and two permanent employees: former assistant managing editor Mark Evans and Ryn Gargulinski, a general assignment reporter at the newspaper.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Tucson Citizen - Conversion Plans to Arizona Daily Star

Depending the outcome of the Tucson Citizen closing, and the temporary injunction requested by the Arizona Attorney General (see yesterday's post), there would be a transition process involved for those inserts already placed and shipped. The following is from an advertising letter from Susan Cantrell, VP of Advertising, of the Tucson Advertising, sent on May 15th, 2009.

Dear Valued Client,

I’m sure you have many questions concerning today’s announcement made by Gannett that The Tucson Citizen will cease publication with tomorrow’s issue on May 16th, 2009. I hope to clarify our current situation with you.

I’m sure that you will want to know what will happen with your rates and what our circulation quantities will be after that time. Our plan is to convert a vast majority of the Citizen subscribers to The Star. Due to the low duplication factor between The Star and The Citizen, we believe this will be likely.

However, due to the fact that we could not contact any of the Citizen subscribers while the newspaper was up for purchase, we were not able to work on that conversion process until now. You should assume that our preprint quantities will remain the same from Monday through Sunday after May 16th. We will be converting all of our Citizen home subscribers to Star subscriptions for the same price starting on Monday, May 18th. We will continue to insert any Citizen preprints into The Star and will publish additional copies of The Star for single copy distribution to all of our racks and dealers to compensate for losses in Citizen single copy sales. We will monitor our sales closely and be able to provide you with new distribution quantity estimates as we receive them.

Regarding retail, national and classified ROP advertising rates, those rates will remain the same after May 16th except that we will not continue to offer the purchase of one newspaper at 90% of the rate. This is because we will have only one newspaper and we intend to convert the former Citizen subscribers to The Star so that our circulation will remain very similar to our current distribution quantities.

We do, however, have quite a few special offers in place from now through the end of the summer as we try to help our advertisers succeed during this rough economic environment. Please ask your account executive for details on these special discounted offers.

Please bear with us as we go through these transitionary times together. We will
let you know additional information as soon as we can. Thank you for your patience and your business.


Again, the outcome of the possible injunction will impact when and if these actions occur.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Tucson Citizen - May 16th Closure Temporarily Stopped

Arizona Attorney General Seeks Federal Court Order to Stop Tucson Citizen Closure
By Dale Quinn, Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona

The state Attorney General's Office has filed a federal complaint seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the Tucson Citizen from ceasing publication.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson alleges the paper should not be closed until violations of state and federal antitrust laws are examined, said spokeswoman Anne Hilby.

The announcement comes the day Citizen owner Gannett Co. Inc. announced it would publish its last print edition Saturday while continuing an online edition.

Gannett announced Jan. 16 its plans to sell the Citizen’s Web site, archives and certain other assets or shut down the paper March 20. On March 17, Gannett said it would continue publishing past the March 20 deadline on a day-to-day basis as negotiations with viable buyers continued.

Gannett’s vice president of news, Kate Marymont, said this evening she couldn’t comment on the restraining order or what it means for the paper because she had just heard about the filing, which comes on the heels of an investigation into the sale by the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division.

The Justice Department conducted a thorough examination into the joint operating agreement between the Citizen and Tucson’s morning newspaper, the Arizona Daily Star, said spokeswoman Gina Talamona.

The Justice Department regulates joint operating agreements like the one that binds Tucson’s two daily newspapers. Both papers have independent editorial control but share production, distribution and advertising through a company called Tucson Newspapers.

Under the terms of the JOA, Gannett and Lee split profits from the papers. The JOA would also end Saturday under the terms of Gannett’s announcement, while the two companies continue splitting profits from Tucson Newspapers even though Gannett won’t be producing a paper. But in the sale, Gannett didn’t offer its stake in the JOA. Because of that, newspaper experts said there was little chance a potential buyer would emerge.
But at least one did.

Stephen Hadland, CEO of the Santa Monica Media Co., was interested in purchasing the newspaper. His media group publishes five papers in the Los Angeles area. He said Gannett wanted $1 million for the assets of the Citizen. He offered $400,000, but the Citizen refused to budge below $800,000.

Hadland sent a letter to the Arizona Attorney General’s office Friday requesting it file a temporary restraining order preventing Gannett from closing the Citizen and requiring it to continue printing the paper pending a sale to a qualified buyer.

“The Tucson Citizen has been systematically destroyed by its owners and I believe it remains a viable and popular newspaper in the community,” Hadland wrote in the letter.

For the Citizen to go on as announced by Gannett is a “perversion” of the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970, he said. Hadland also pointed out that Gannett had made publishing a print edition three times a week a requirement of the sale.

Operation and dissolution of JOAs is guided by the Newspaper Preservation Act and regulated by the Justice Department.

Hadland said because the Justice Department failed to take action he turned to the Arizona Attorney General.

The case was assigned to Raner Collins, Hilby said, but the complaint did not include a deadline as to when a hearing should take place.

The complaint says that readers in Pima County have benefitted for more than a century from competition between the Star and the Citizen. Gannett and Lee are violating antitrust laws by closing the Citizen while sharing profits generated by the Star after it becomes the monopoly paper.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Gannett Wisconsin East Discontinues Monday Preprints in 6 Newspapers

Gannett Wisconsin East announced that effective May 25th, they would discontinue Monday preprints for six of their publications, due to declining revenue on that day versus increased operating expenses. This will impact the Appleton Post-Crescent, Fond du Lac Reporter, Green Bay Press Gazette, Manitowac Herald Times, Oshkosh Northwestern, and the Sheboygan Press, per John W. Rowe, Group Major and National Director.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Hora Hispana Switches to Bi-Weekly Distribution

Effective May 14th, the Hora Hispana, New York, will begin distributing bi-weekly on Thursdays. This means it will not be distributing on Thursday, May 21st.

The Hora Hispana has been a weekly distribution publication. According to Sindy Speelman, the distribution pattern of the Hora Hispana will not be changing.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Newport News Daily Press Discontinues Monday & Tuesday Inserts

The Newport News Daily Press, a Tribune Company publication, will no longer distribute inserts on Monday and Tuesdays, per Lourdes Malave, effective May 3rd, 2009. The publication will continue to accept inserts for distribution on Wednesdays through Sundays.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Dayton Daily News Alters Home Deliver & Single Copy Buying Options

The Dayton Daily News, owned by Cox Newspapers, will begin on June 1st, 2009 to force advertisters to purchase single copy distribution in zip codes bundled with the home delivered distribution, per Beth Korab, media consultant.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Ontario Argus Observer Discontinued Monday Distribution

The Ontario Argus Observer discontinued its Monday distribution effective April 1, 2009 per John E. Dillon, Advertising Director. The Argus Observer is part of Wicks Communications, and will continue to publish on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings, along with Sunday mornings.

The Argus Observer covers Ontario, Oregon and other communities in Eastern Oregon. The Payette Idaho Independent Enterprise, a sister publication, still remains a weekly Wednesday publication.

Plano Star Courier & McKinney Courier Gazette change Distribution Days

The Plano Star Courier and the McKinney Courier Gazette, both publications under American Community Newspapers, have changed this distribution days. Effective May 5th, 2009, both publications will publish only on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday per Bill Weaver, Group Publisher. The Sunday edition will be the 'weekend edition'.

These changes are due to the restructuring of American Community Newspapers as it goes through its Chapter 11 reorganization.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

East Valley Tribune (Mesa, AZ) - Ceasing Saturday Distribution

The East Valley Tribune will cease distributing its Saturday edition effectivie May 9th, 2009 per advertisting representative Patty Dixie. The East Valley Tribune will continue its Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday editions.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Denver Post - Eliminates Outlying Distribution Areas

The Denver Post announced Thursday it is ending sales of its weekday newspapers across much of Colorado and neighboring states.

The Post -- which has long carried the slogan "Voice of the Rocky Mountain Empire" on its front page -- will no longer be home delivered or sold in boxes or over the counter Mondays through Saturdays in parts of western, southern and eastern Colorado or in neighboring states after early July. Affected areas include Grand Junction, Durango, Gunnison, Telluride, Alamosa, Walsenberg, Trinidad, La Junta, Lamar andBurlington, the paper's statement said.

People in those areas can access the newspaper via its free website and through a paid electronic facsimile edition, and the Sunday Post will continue to be delivered in the affected areas, the newspaper said.

The announcement did not say whether or how much existing paid-up subscribers in the affected areas would be reimbursed. The Post announcement said the affected areas amount to less than 3 percent of its current 371,728 weekday sales. The policy change was expected by many observers, given the high cost of delivering in far-flung regions of the state and the limited interest among many advertisers in reaching areas outside Denver and the Front Range urban core. Many dailies in other parts of the country have likewise cut back their delivery areas.

The Post and its owner, Denver-based MediaNews Group Inc., have been struggling in recent years to contain costs in the face of slumping revenue and mounting losses for the Denver daily. Still, it marks a significant shift for the Post, which has long positioned itself as the newspaper for all Colorado and which in recent years has used the marketing slogan: "We are Colorado." For decades, Denver Post delivery tubes have been nailed to ranch-gate posts and farm fences across the state.

The Post traditionally has been home delivered virtually everywhere in Colorado and in some areas of neighboring states, including southeastern Wyoming, western Nebraska, northern New Mexico and, at times, eastern Utah.

Despite the change, William Dean Singleton, the Post's publisher and CEO of MediaNews Group, said in the Post's statement that the paper remains "fully committed to providing comprehensive editorial coverage for all of Colorado. We are still truly Colorado, and our loyal Post readers will still have full access to our Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage through the electronic edition and our Sunday print product."

The Post several years ago maintained news bureaus and stationed reporters in Colorado Springs, the Larimer-Weld county area, the Four Corners area, Grand Junction and Summit County; had one or more regional reporters assigned to cover outlying Colorado and neighboring states; and assigned a "Rocky Mountain Ranger" columnist to write about the region. Most of those bureaus are now closed and the "Rocky Mountain Ranger" column has been discontinued. The Post recently has made increasing use of regional news reports from other papers in the state.

Rochester Democrat Chronicle Ceases TMC Publication

The Rochester Democrat Chronicle is discontinuing its Neighbors TMC product effective Friday, May 1st, 2009. The Neighbors product had been distributed to all the non-subscribers of the Democrat-Chronicle each week on Friday. There are no current plans to create another TMC vehicle.

Philadelphia Leader - Reopened, New Distribution

The Philadelphia Leader was closed for business in January 2009 as part of the Journal Register bankruptcy. Due to a market demand, the Philadelphia Leader has begun republishing this month, but under a new frequency.

The Leader is now a monthly publication distributed on the last Wednesday of the month, starting with May 27th, 2009. It previously had been a weekly publication.

Giles Free Press - merged / closed

The Giles Free Press, a paid Thursday community newspaper merged with the Pulaski Citizen on March 1, 2009 per Martha Hood, Advertising Manager. The Free Press had been distributed to approximately 6500 households in Giles County, Tennessee.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

American Community Newspapers - Chapter 11

American Community Newspapers LLC Voluntarily Files Petition for Reorganization

- No Impact on Day to Day Operations: Newspapers and Web Sites to Continue Serving Their Local Communities -

DALLAS, April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Community Newspapers Inc. (Pink Sheets: ACNI) today announced that its subsidiary operating company American Community Newspapers LLC ("ACN" or the "Company") has voluntarily filed petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

ACN will continue to operate its businesses during the reorganization process. There will be no change in the Company's day to day operating activity and its newspapers will continue to serve their local communities, readers and advertisers without interruption. ACN's secured creditors will be providing a $5 million debtor in possession credit facility. In addition, the secured creditors are the contemplated stalking horse bidder for ACN's assets.

"A difficult economic environment and weak advertising market have created a number of challenges for our industry and our company," said Gene Carr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ACN. "While we have proactively managed our business by right sizing our cost structure and driving efficiencies to maximizing our cash flows our operations are not able to support our current capital structure. As a result we intend to reorganize via the 363 sale process with continuing support from our lenders which, if approved, will reduce our debt. This will place us in a better position to execute on our business plan and serve our communities. We worked with our financial advisors to explore a wide range of alternatives before making this filing, however the decision to proceed with the reorganization was determined to be the best alternative."

Mr. Carr concluded, "The community newspaper business model places us in the unique position to deliver truly local content and be the mainstay of the markets we serve. The value we provide has been recognized many times over the years with our employees, newspapers, Web sites and niche publications winning numerous awards. Our readers and advertisers are our most important assets and we are committed to providing them with outstanding service in the months and years ahead."

About American Community Newspapers

ACN is a community newspaper publisher in the United States, operating within four major U.S. markets: Minneapolis - St. Paul; Dallas; Northern Virginia (suburban Washington, D.C.); and Columbus, Ohio. These markets are some of the most affluent, high growth markets in the United States, with ACN strategically positioned in many of the wealthiest counties within each market. ACN's goal is to be the preeminent provider of local content and advertising in any market it serves.