AAN News
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) Columnist Takes Over Afternoon Radio Slotnew
Tara Servatius will host a political radio show on Charlotte's WBT-AM from 3-6 pm, replacing Jeff Katz, "whose conservative zeal and verbal swordsmanship have been a mainstay of afternoon drive time for two years," according to the Charlotte Observer. Servatius stepped down as a CL staff writer, but remained as a columnist, when she was hired by the radio station in May 2007. She previously had been in the station's 9 pm-midnight slot. "She spends hours combing through the files researching her points," Rick Jackson, WBT general manager says. "People want facts rather than someone spouting an opinion. We may see a new kind of a talk show host in Tara."
The Charlotte Observer |
12-02-2008 11:31 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
Alt-Weekly Vet Dave Schmall Named Publisher of California Dailynew
The Appeal-Democrat |
12-02-2008 8:15 am |
Industry News
Tags: Management
Former Creative Loafing Ad Director Offers $1 Million for Atlanta Papernew
Patrick Best, who spent four years as CL's advertising director before starting rival publication The Sunday Paper, told Atlanta Magazine's Steve Fennessy last week he's willing to pay Ben Eason $1 million for Creative Loafing (Atlanta). Fennessy notes that it is unclear whether the purchase would even be possible, given CL's Chapter 11 status, but Best says "it's not unusual for businesses that are in bankruptcy to sell off pieces of their company in order to raise capital." MORE on Creative Loafing: Former senior editor (and current shareholder) John Sugg writes about CL's "death spiral," and Creative Loafing's Mara Shalhoup responds. And departing senior writer Andisheh Nouraee discusses why he is leaving with Atlanta Progressive News.
Atlanta Magazine |
12-01-2008 1:41 pm |
Industry News
Call for Entries: 2009 AltWeekly Awards

The 2009 AltWeekly Awards is now accepting entries. The contest website opened Mon., Dec. 1, 2008 and will close on the contest deadline, Fri., Jan. 30, 2009 at midnight (EST). This year’s Wild Card category is Election Coverage.
The winners will be announced at the 32nd Annual AAN Convention taking place June 25-27, 2009 in Tucson, Ariz.
(FULL STORY)
AAN |
12-01-2008 10:31 am |
Association News
Tags: Editorial, Management
Ex-Philadelphia City Paper Editor Seriously Injured in Hit-and-Runnew
Brian Hickey was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident Friday in Collingswood, N.J. According to his wife, he was struck around 10:15 pm and left for dead, and is currently in stable condition at the Trauma-ICU of Cooper University Hospital after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. "The last CAT scan showed the pressure was very good," Hickey's father tells the Philadelphia Daily News. "He's in critical but stable condition." During a 4.5 year stint at City Paper, Hickey rose to become the managing editor. He left the paper in February. More from Metro.
Philadelphia City Paper |
12-01-2008 8:14 am |
Industry News
Alt-Weeklies Must Change Now, Consultant Arguesnew
AAN publishers "need to right-size print operations immediately to free up resources for development of the new," argues Terry Garrett, in a blog post following up on his attendance at last month's Publisher's Conference in Santa Fe. Newspapers will have a much smaller market share in five years no matter what they do, and publishers would be smart to shake up their organizations now while they still have time, Garrett claims. "The world needs independent thought and journalism that cuts against the grain," he says. "I would love to see it come from this group of eccentric, creative people."
Don't Panic |
11-26-2008 1:01 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Management
Philadelphia City Paper Makes Shopping Locally Easy with Trunk Show

While more than 70 papers are asking their readers to pledge to spend $100 of their holiday shopping locally this year, in Philadelphia, one alt-weekly has taken it a step further. The City Paper is hosting a Trunk Show on the most overhyped of mall shopping days, the day after Thanksgiving, aka Black Friday. The show will feature clothing, jewelry, bags, stationery, housewares and more from local designers, craftspeople and boutiques. AAN News recently caught up with City Paper associate publisher Roxanne Cooper via email to find out more about the initiative.
(FULL STORY)
AAN News |
11-25-2008 11:59 am |
Industry News
Senior Writer to Leave Creative Loafing (Atlanta)new
Andisheh Nouraee submitted his resignation to publisher Luann Lebedz just hours after Lebedz fired editor Ken Edelstein yesterday, Atlanta Magazine's Steve Fennessy reports. Nouraee, who began freelancing for the paper in 2000 and joined the staff in 2007, says his decision was prompted only in part by Edelstein's dismissal. "What happened today is just one symptom of the overall reason, that I don't want to work there full-time anymore," he says. His last day will be Dec. 5.
Atlanta Magazine |
11-25-2008 12:20 pm |
Industry News
Alt-Weeklies Around the Country Ask Readers to Shop Local
As part of an initiative launched earlier this month, AAN members from Hawaii to New York are running inventive marketing programs to get their readers to shop locally this holiday season. The papers are urging readers to spend at least $100 of their holiday money this fall at locally owned stores in their communities -- a move that could pump more than $2.9 billion into urban economies during this recession-plagued season. Links to several papers' efforts can be found here. If your paper is missing from our link list, please contact Jon Whiten at jwhiten (at) aan.org and we'll add it to the list.
(FULL STORY)
AAN News |
11-25-2008 10:59 am |
Industry News
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The Stranger and Ace Hotel Launch 'Trainsetters' Programnew

In collaboration with Travel Portland and Amtrak Cascades, Ace Hotel and
The Stranger have launched Trainsetters -- a program that encourages
train travel from Seattle to Portland and supports Portland's independent
shops this holiday season. The program is aimed at an emerging travel market: younger travelers who are sick of the hassle and high costs of driving
and air travel, and who prefer the train's practical and aesthetic benefits. Trainsetters will be promoted via design collaborations between The Stranger and Ace Hotel, including postcards, posters and custom coffee sleeves on the train, ads in The Stranger, and also on the web at www.trainsetters.com.
The Stranger Press Release (pdf) |
11-25-2008 9:58 am |
Press Releases
Willamette Week Honors This Year's Skidmore Prize Winnersnew
For the past five years, as part of its annual Give!Guide, which this year features 55 worthy Portland nonprofits, the paper has honored young nonprofit leaders with the Skidmore Prize. At a ceremony last week, the four recipients (Katy Kolker, Amy Harwood, Rodolfo Serna and Polly Bangs) each got a plaque and a check for $4,000 from WW publisher Richard Meeker and Multnomah County Commissioner Ted Wheeler. Read more about the honorees and their work here.
Willamette Week |
11-25-2008 8:42 am |
Industry News
Looking for an Illustrator, First Night Boston Turns to the Dignew
When First Night, the annual New Year's Eve celebration, was trying to find an artist to create buttons for this year's festival, it turned to Boston's Weekly Dig. First Night spokeswoman Joyce Linehan tells the Boston Globe that once organizers decided they wanted an illustrator, they asked staffers at the paper for recommendations, since they work with illustrators all the time.
The Boston Globe |
11-25-2008 8:29 am |
Industry News