AAN News

Committee Looking at Ways to Grow AAN

As the news industry changes, AAN is considering changes as well, including possibly growing the association's membership. A new advisory committee tasked with exploring potential ways to do just that met for the first time last week via conference call; here's what they discussed. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  12-21-2009  3:14 pm  |  Association News

The East Bay Express Launches a New Beer and Live Music Venue

The Oakland-based alt-weekly is sticking its toe into the beer and entertainment business with the launch of EBX Bleeding Heart Lager and Club X. The lager is brewed by the local Linden Street Brewery, and all of the proceeds will go to local nonprofits of the Express' choice. The venue is on the first floor of the Express' office building, and will book all-ages shows in a partnership with the Oakland Metro Operahouse. (FULL STORY)
East Bay Express Press Release  |  12-18-2009  4:29 pm  |  Press Releases

The Gambit: We've Had a 'Relatively Good Year'new

In a report on the newspaper industry's well-publicized woes, the New Orleans alt-weekly points out that "2009 has been a relatively good year for Gambit and many other locally owned, locally focused newspapers." The paper reports it avoided layoffs by decreasing its newsprint size and taking other cost-cutting measures and says it should fare well as the issues in the industry continue to shake out: "In the long run, the newspapers that survive will be those that have a special bond with their readers -- and we count ourselves among them."
The Gambit  |  12-15-2009  9:46 am  |  Industry News

East Bay Express Hosting Office Tour Prior to AAN West Conference

On Friday, Jan. 29 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, the East Bay Express will host a tour of its office in Oakland before the AAN West conference gets rolling later that day, walking attendees through the paper's production process as a way to start a discussion about creating an accurate and efficient operation. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  12-14-2009  2:14 pm  |  Association News

VVM's Voice Local Network Grows Revenue in First Six Months

Village Voice Media says that revenues from its Voice Local Network have doubled month-over-month since the network's launch in June, while the number of advertisers has more than quadrupled. In addition, VVM reports that the network has been bringing in high CPM rates across the board, averaging $10 gross CPMs and higher. (FULL STORY)
Village Voice Media Press Release  |  12-10-2009  12:48 pm  |  Press Releases

AAN West Schedule and Hotel Accommodations All Set

After a one-year absence, AAN West is returning to the Bay Area this winter. The conference will be held on Jan. 29 and 30 in Berkeley immediately after the Web Publishing Conference in San Francisco. The conference website is now live, and it has all the info you need on programming, hotels and registration. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  12-08-2009  4:31 pm  |  Association News

Study: 40 Percent of Americans Open to Behavioral Targetingnew

A new study from market research firm Synovate finds that 32 percent of Americans would be open to having their web browsing habits monitored if it meant they received ads more relevant to their interests, as long as they couldn't be identified as an actual person by the data collected. Another 8 percent said they would be open to behavioral targeting with "few, if any, concerns," but 35 percent said they weren't interested because of privacy concerns.
Marketing Daily  |  12-07-2009  8:03 am  |  Industry News

Update on the Executive Director Search

On Nov. 20, AAN officially stopped accepting applications for the executive director position. Since then, the Executive Committee has narrowed a list of more than 75 candidates to a group of eight individuals. At the same time, the committee created a Hiring Committee to oversee the rest of the process; this newly formed committee's first task will be further winnowing the group of eight down to a smaller group of finalists, who will then be invited to AAN headquarters in Washington, D.C. for interviews. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  12-04-2009  11:46 am  |  Association News

Westword Cashing In on Medical Marijuana Boomnew

In a report on how Colorado's booming medical marijuana industry is creating a "so called gold rush" for media companies that are accepting advertising from the dispensaries, KUNC's Bente Birkeland says "no newspaper has embraced the industry more than Westword." The Denver alt-weekly "is covered with pages and pages of medical marijuana ads for green docs, natural remedies and alternative healing," KUNC notes. But Poynter's Al Tompkins says that accepting the ads could pose potential problems for newspapers. "The fact is it is still against the law on the federal level," he says. "Even though there is no desire to prosecute it, it is still illegal, and generally it's against the law to be advertising an illegal act."
KUNC  |  12-03-2009  10:19 am  |  Industry News

Sacramento News & Review Gets Ready to Movenew

After a few years and a few million dollars, the paper is finally moving into its new office -- a former supermarket that it purchased and renovated using green-building standards. As News & Review publisher Jeff vonKaenel points out, the move wouldn't have been possible without about $2 million in grants, loan guarantees and other incentives from the city -- but he says that doesn't mean the paper will all of a sudden go soft in its coverage of the city and its redevelopment agency. "During my 36 years as a newspaper publisher, there have been many instances where regular advertisers have called me to complain about a story and to cancel their advertising," he writes. "Our business relationship with the city is no different."
Sacramento News & Review  |  12-02-2009  10:54 am  |  Industry News

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