Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Lackawanna County Shopper Ceased Publication April 2, 2010

As of April 2, 2010 Mulligan Printing Corporation discontinued the printing and distribution of the Upper Lackawanna County Shopper.
Mulligan Printing did start distributing the Northern Wayne Town & Country Shopper to the following zip codes that used to be covered under the Upper Lackawanna Co Shopper, per Ruth O'Donnell.
Carbondale-18407
Forest City-18421
Jermyn-18433

Friday, June 25, 2010

San Francisco Public Press Launches Print Edition

The San Francisco Public Press, an online news source, launched its pilot print edition on June 22nd, 2010, with 8,000 copies.  The Public Press is distributed at locations around San Francisco at a price of $2 per copy.  The Public Press has been an online news source since March 2009.

The Public Press hopes to eventually to "publish a nonprofit, ad-free daily newspaper — online and in print — that contributes to a competitive news environment for intelligent and in-depth journalism", per their blog

It will be interesting to see if the advertising free model can work in print and online, and if/when their model does change, how does it alter.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Alice Echo-News Journal Changes Distribution Days and Page Size

The Alice Echo-News Journal, owned by American Consolidated Media, has cut its distribution days from six days a week to three days a week.  The paper will now distribute on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. 

The publication is also changing its page format, switching from broadsheet format to tabloid, and changing its distribution time from evening to morning delivery.

Sample News Group Acquires Laconia Citizen

Sample News Group, owned by George Sample, has purchased the Laconia Citizen from George J. Foster, Inc.  Sample News Group owns several daily and weekly newspapers in Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New Jersey and New York, including the Claremont Eagle-Times, Biddeford Journal Tribune, Ocean City Sentinel and Bedford Gazette.

George J. Foster, Inc owns the Foster Daily Democrat, along with other weeklies in the Boston and New Hampshire seacoast area.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Abilene Reflector Chronicle to Cease Saturday Distribution

The Abilene Reflector Chronicle, a daily newspaper covering Abilene, Kansas, will discontinue its Saturday distribution after the June 26, 2010 edition, per Editor & Publisher.

The Reflector Chronicle had a reported circulation of 4,300 for 2009, and will still distribute Monday through Friday.

Monday, June 21, 2010

La Palma to Cease Publishing

Palm Beach Newspapers announced that it will discontinue La Palma, its Hispanic newspaper, effective July 16, 2010.  Both the print and online version of the publication will cease to exist.

La Palma is a free weekly Spanish publication that was launched in February, 2004.  Palm Beach Newspapers is owned by Cox Media Group, a division of Cox Enterprises.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

McDowell News Changes Distribution Days

The McDowell News, a Media General daily newspaper out of Marion, NC, will begin publishing a Sunday distribution effective August 1, 2010.   The News will also discontinue its Monday distribution at that time.  The News will then have five days of distribution: Sunday, and Tuesday through Friday.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Los Angeles Sentinel to Purchase LA Watts Times

Danny Bakewell, Sr, publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel and Melanie Polk, publisher of the LA Watts Times have jointly announced that they are in the final negotiations stages for Bakewell Media to acquire the LA Watts Times. 

No indication at this point if this means the Times will be absorbed by the Sentinel, or if Bakewell Media will continue to publish both publications.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Northern Virginia Observer Closes

The Observer of Northern Virginia closed on June 4, 2010.  The Observer was a family run business with editions in Herndon, Reston and Loudon County. The Observer was a free publication that was started in 1976, and had a peak circulation of approximately 100,000 in 2000 (for all editions).

Newspapers Getting Healthy by Getting Leaner

An article in The Economist reports that newspapers are doing far better than can be expected. The Newspaper Association of America reported that advertising costs for print and online dropped by 35% since the first quarter of 2008. Newspaper circulation itself took big hits, dropping 10-12% the past year for many major publications (with a few notable exceptions).

However, with the exception of those publications that did close (and they were a small percentage of the total, however significant they were in their respective markets), most newspapers have managed to stay in business. According to The Economist, "some companies are now worth 10 times as much as in the spring of 2009, although they remain far from pre-recession heights."  This despite the fact that their revenues have decreased. Bankruptcy courts have bailed many newspapers out, but the operating costs are now in line.

The Economist points out that some newspapers have increased their cover price, while others have cut their distribution areas (eliminating far ranging customers with little advertising value and high distribution costs). It also states that some groups like McClatchy cut their payroll costs by 25%, and others such as Gannett now carry national and international news from USA Today, or in other cases, the AP wire service, instead of local journalists.

The Economist also points out that paper prices have dropped 40%.

We do not know where newspapers will go. Clearly the decline in circulation will continue, as the population gets older and less and less people depend on newspapers for their news content. The question is how far newspapers will decline. Will they one day become obsolete, or will they remain a viable media. The invention of the radio did not destroy newspapers, though it decreased their impact. Television did not destroy radio. And so far, the internet has not destroyed television.

The younger generation does not like to pay for news from any source. That is a paradigm that has yet to be resolved in any form. It is possible that newspapers will remain viable in their own niche. The news from The Economist at least indicates they will be around for a while longer than many expected.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Reminder Community Newspaper Group to Change Distribution Day

The Reminder Community Newspaper Group (based in Connecticut) will be changing its distribution day for all sixteen of its publications to Thursday, effective August 5th, 2010. 

This newspaper group is comprised of the following publciations:
  • Colchester Reminder
  • East Hartford Reminder
  • Enfield Reminder
  • Glastonbury Reminder
  • Jewett City Reminder
  • Killingsly/Plainfield Reminder
  • Manchester Reminder
  • Norwich Reminder
  • Putnam Reminder
  • South Windsor Reminder
  • Stafford Reminder
  • Windham Reminder
  • Hebron Reminder
  • Vernon Reminder
  • Windsor County Reminder
  • Windsor Locks Reminder

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Changes in 2010 Media Audit Survey Reflect a Changing Media Landscape


Here a few of the new 2010 classifications being introduced in The Media Audit markets currently.   Some of these must have replaced various cable networks and daily newspaper sections that are no longer part of the lengthy survey by International Demographics.   We don't quite understand the addition of Yellow Page Books, but readily acknowledge the importance of the remainder of the new categories.  Someone must have petitioned heavily for High School Sports.


Target Audience Classifications:
*Buy "Green-- Good for the environment"
*Attend Church/Religious Services
*Cell Phone Text-ing
*Yellow Page Book Regularly Find Numbers/Businesses
*Follow High School Sports (baseball, basketball, football, soccer)
*Exposure Email/Text (heavy, medium, light, none)
*Past 7-day cume Radio - Satellite mentions
*Logged on Past month to - (Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter)


http://www.themediaaudit.com/

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Mid Valley Publishing Acquires Dinuba Sentinel

Mid Valley Publishing, out of Reedley, California, has purchased the Dinuba Sentinel and Sentinel-Advertiser shopper from Diane and Robert Raison.  The Sentinel is a 104 year old weekly publication, with approximately 1800 distribution.

Mid Valley Publishing also owns the weekly newspapers Reedley Exponent, Sanger Herald, Parlier Post, Fowler Ensign, and Orange Cove & Mountain Times.

22nd Century Media Improves Distribution Method and Prepares to Launch Two New Publications

22nd Century Media has improved its distribution method switching from Third Class mail status to Second Class/Requested Periodical mailing status per Mike Vinci, Sales Director.

22nd Century Media is currently comprised of six publications totalling 92,370 free distribution (per the March 31, 2010 CAC audit). The six publications are: Frankfort Station, Homer Horizon, Mokena Messenger, New Lenox Patriot, Orland Park Prairie, and Tinley Junction. 

Mr. Vinci stated that they plan two new publications that will launch August 18, 2010.  These two publications have not yet been named, but will cover Wilmette/Kenilworth with roughly 11,500 pieces, and Winnetka/Northfield with approximately 8,000 pieces.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram to Reduce Page Size

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has announced that effective July 19, 2010 it will reduce its page size to a 44" web.  The new column sizes are as follows:

1 col = 1.56"
2 col = 3.23"
3 col = 4.91"
4 col = 6.59"
5 col = 8.26"
6 col = 9.94"

Monday, June 7, 2010

154-year-old Honolulu Advertiser Prints Last Issue

By AUDREY McAVOY (AP)

HONOLULU — For more than a century, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Honolulu Advertiser have competed to chronicle Hawaii, from the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the Pearl Harbor attack to statehood and the election of island-born Barack Obama.

That rivalry ends Sunday when the Advertiser, Hawaii's largest newspaper, publishes its last edition after being bought out and combined with its smaller rival. More than 400 reporters, pressmen and other workers are losing their jobs.

The Advertiser is the latest casualty of the recession and the upheaval that the Internet has unleashed on the traditional media industry. Honolulu now joins Denver and Seattle among the cities served by only one daily newspaper and a shrinking pool of professional journalists.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Palm Coast Observer Launched

The Observer Group, Inc (FL) launched the Palm Coast Observer in February 2010 covering the Palm Coast area of Florida (zip codes 32137, 32164). This free community paper has approximately 20,000 distribution (16k which is home delivered), and is distributed on Thursdays.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Tracy Press Switches to Friday

The Tracy Press announced today that effective immediatelythe publication will switch from a Wednesday and Saturday distribution to a Friday-only distribution.  This means that the paper will not run Wednesday, June 2nd, and will run on Friday, June 4th, 2010.

Red Deer Advocate Switches to Morning Delivery

The Red Deer Advocate (Alberta, Canada) will switch from evening to morning delivery on July 1st, 2010, per publisher Fred Gorman.

Detroit Free Press and News to Return to 7 Day Delivery - For Some

Editor & Publisher has reported that the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News will be offering seven day home delivery to some of its subscribers starting next month. 

The publications had discontinued seven day home delivery in April 2010, as a cost cutting measure.  It currently has home delivery on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, with printed single copy and e-editions (for subscribers) on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. 

The plan is to roll out the seven day option to some subcribers, and slowly expand the offering.