AAN News
The Stranger Publisher Talks About the Web & the Future of Newpapersnew
In a round table discussion with representatives of other Seattle news organizations, Tim Keck discusses how The Stranger fits in to the transformation of the news business. He says that 2007 was the paper's best year ever, and '08 was slightly down due to the tanking economy. While he says that The Stranger has "probably three times the number" of online readers, he notes that print circulation hasn't dropped that much either. "The media compan[ies] that can navigate different mediums [are] going to be the ones that survive," Keck says. "The thing that really moors them is no longer the medium -- a print publication -- it's going to be the community and the brand."
The Seattle Channel |
12-15-2008 1:32 pm |
Industry News
Mobile Ad Rates Begin to Drop as Inventory Increasesnew
Advertising Age |
12-12-2008 12:04 pm |
Industry News
Analyst: Overabundance Will Drive Down Online Ad Channelsnew
Online Media Daily |
12-10-2008 11:05 am |
Industry News
Advocate Freelancer Weighs in on Tribune Bankruptcy Filingnew
"What does this mean for the Advocates? Who the fuck knows? We're so low in the Tribune food chain that we're not even mentioned in the annual reports," writes Christopher Arnott, who spent 17 years as an Advocate staffer before going full-time freelance. "The Advocate's sucked it up before and [stayed] alive in hard times. Let's hope the corporation gives it the chance to do it again."
New Haven Advocate |
12-09-2008 9:12 am |
Industry News
Eugene Weekly Starting to See Ads Drop Offnew
In a story about the media industry's woes in the Daily Emerald, the University of Oregon's student paper, the Weekly's director of sales and marketing Bill Shreve says the poor national economy seems to have only recently began to catch up to the Eugene economy. He tells the Emerald that "retail is off a little bit" in the last month, and that while the Weekly hasn't been hit as hard as some other media outlets, the staff is "extremely cautious."
The Daily Emerald |
12-09-2008 8:30 am |
Industry News
Boise Weekly Publisher Calls for Temporary Salary Cutsnew
At the paper's regular Friday meeting, Sally Freeman asked the staff to take a 10 percent cut in pay through the end of March to help ward off damage done by weak ad sales. "After the quick announcement, Freeman cried a little and then offered to meet with each of her workers individually," Weekly editor Nathaniel Hoffman reports. Freeman tells Hoffman that the paper's annual revenue is down 4 percent compared to 2007, and it came in $90,000 below budget in the last six to seven weeks.
Boise Weekly |
12-08-2008 4:04 pm |
Industry News
Tribune Co. Reportedly Considering Bankruptcy Filingnew
The embattled Tribune Company, which owns three AAN papers, has hired an investment bank and law firm in recent days to advise the company on a possible trip through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to the Wall Street Journal. Tribune owns the Fairfield County Weekly, Hartford Advocate and New Haven Advocate. Sources tell the Journal that a filing could come as early as this week. UPDATE (4:05 pm): The company did indeed file for bankruptcy protection today, and will stop making interest payments on $12 billion in debt as it attempts to restructure its loans, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Wall Street Journal |
12-08-2008 9:54 am |
Industry News
Atlanta Weekly Looks to Expand to Charlotte and Tampa by May 2009new
The Sunday Paper publisher Patrick Best announced his plans on Friday, citing the troubles of Creative Loafing -- which owns papers in Atlanta, Charlotte and Tampa -- as a major reason. "While we planned to go to both of these markets in the next few years, the troubles of the parent company of the major newsweeklies in both cities have convinced us to accelerate our plans," he says. Best, who was Creative Loafing (Atlanta)'s advertising director before launching The Sunday Paper, recently offered CL CEO Ben Eason $1 million for the Loaf's Atlanta publication. Best's expansion plans are being helped by funding from Brian Conley, the former owner of Knoxville, Tenn., AAN member Metro Pulse and current shareholder of Sunday Paper Publishing. Meanwhile, Atlanta Magazine's Steve Fennessy reports that Eason's main creditor filed a motion (PDF) on Friday claiming CL has not been forthcoming in explaining budgets and cash flow forecasts. The CL bankruptcy protection case is scheduled to go before a judge on Wednesday.
The Sunday Paper | Atlanta Magazine |
12-08-2008 8:09 am |
Industry News
Analysts: Online Will Continue To Expand Amid '09 Global Ad Recessionnew
Online Media Daily |
12-08-2008 8:14 am |
Industry News
2009 Membership Applications Now Available
The application deadline for newspapers to apply for AAN membership is Dec. 31, 2008. You can download an application here, or contact AAN to have one mailed to you. After a rigorous vetting process, the Membership Committee will issue its recommendations prior to June's convention in Tucson, where all members will have the chance to vote on the applicants. You can find links to the Membership Committee's admission guidelines and the AAN bylaws on the Membership page of our site. If you have any additional questions about membership, please call 202-289-8484 or email Debra Silvestrin at debra (at) aan.org.
AAN |
12-04-2008 11:00 am |
Association News
Political Ad Spend Strong in '08; Expected to Continue in '09new
TNS Media Intelligence says almost $2.7 billion was spent on political advertising this election season, up from $1.7 billion in 2004, according to Broadcasting & Cable.
TNS predicts that political ad spending will remain robust in 2009, as a result of gubernatorial elections and advocacy groups that run issue-specific ads.
Broadcasting & Cable |
12-03-2008 9:45 am |
Industry News
Parent Co. Takes Port Folio Weekly and Related Papers Off the Marketnew
Landmark Media announced Tuesday that the credit crunch forced it to take the Virginian-Pilot and its affiliates in the Norfolk, Va. area, including Port Folio Weekly, off the market. Landmark vice chairman Richard F. Barry III says the company will resume the sale when the economy improves, but in the meantime it remains open to offers. The move does not affect Style Weekly, the other AAN member paper based in Virginia that is owned by Landmark, because it is not part of the Virginian-Pilot Media group.
The Virginian-Pilot |
12-03-2008 8:04 am |
Industry News
Phoenix Media Buys Spanish-Language Weeklynew
The Boston-based alt-weekly publisher has purchased El Planeta, saying it hopes to attract a larger Hispanic audience in the Boston area, the Boston Globe reports. Phoenix Media had been investing in the weekly since 2005, and already prints and distributes the paper. "I personally strongly see the value in the Hispanic newspaper market and the opportunity for that to grow," says Phoenix Media president Bradley Mindich. "It was one of these opportunities we couldn't pass up." The company, which owns AAN members in Boston, Portland, and Providence, will share some content with El Planeta, and the Spanish-language paper's staff will move into Phoenix Media's Boston headquarters. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More from Boston Business Journal.
The Boston Globe |
12-02-2008 8:05 am |
Industry News
Bartering for Ads Expands in Tough Economic Timesnew
AdWeek |
12-02-2008 11:04 am |
Industry News
NAA: Newspaper Revenues Down 18.1 Percent In 3rd Quarternew
Media Daily News |
12-02-2008 8:29 am |
Industry News
