AAN News
More on the Free Times/Scene Mergernew
"The idea, of course, is that with no competition to siphon off advertisers or keep ad prices rock-bottom, one alt-weekly might accomplish what the Free Times and Scene couldn't: make enough money to survive," Scene managing editor Joe Tone says of the recently announced merger. "And it's hard to bemoan the consolidation. Had they not become one, the two papers would have eventually become none." However, Tone notes that, for now, Cleveland "will lose some journalists." In addition to former editor Pete Kotz, who has already left for Nashville, Tone says staff writer Lisa Rab and food critic Elaine Cicora have departed. Frank Lewis, who last week was named the new paper's editor, reports on the Free Times blog that the other managers have been named. Sean Misutka and Joe Strailey have been plucked from the Scene to be ad sales manager and classified sales manager, respectively. And three additional Free Times managers have found homes at the new paper: Steve Antol is the circulation manager; Tim Divis is the business manager, and Steve Miluch is the production manager.
Scene | Cleveland Free Times |
07-07-2008 11:39 am |
Industry News
One Chain Restauranteur on Why He Uses Alt-Weeklies to Hire GMsnew
The trade magazine Chain Leader talks to a number of "upstart operators" of chain food businesses, who "share their tactics for recruiting and retaining general managers as they grow." Matt Phillips, the founder, president and CEO of California-based Blendz, says he buys ads in the center of alt-weeklies to find GMs. "It does a dual purpose. It obviously is branding, whether it's an offer or a special that you're promoting," he explains. "But it also gives you the ability to say 'Now hiring. Looking for great people.' And it's in a unique position in the newspaper that people aren't necessarily expecting it, but everybody is looking at because they're looking at what to do that weekend or where's the new hot restaurant to go to."
Chain Leader Magazine |
07-02-2008 12:33 pm |
Industry News
New Red Hook Brewing Ad Campaign to Run in Handful of Alt-Weekliesnew
BrandWeek |
07-01-2008 9:29 am |
Industry News
Google Launches Tool for Media Plannersnew
AdWeek |
06-25-2008 9:24 am |
Industry News
Chicago Drinks is Online and in Print
Chicago Reader Press Release |
06-20-2008 1:40 pm |
Press Releases
Wrapping Up the 31st Annual AAN Convention
A total of 400 people descended on the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown two weeks ago for the 2008 AAN Convention. The three-day event featured the usual mix of presentations and panels, food and booze, and business talk and gossip between alt-weekly staffers and industry types from across North America. AAN committees and staff mostly took care of the first item, while host paper Philadelphia City Paper had the second one covered, and attendees proved themselves more than capable of handling the third on their own.
(FULL STORY)
AAN |
06-19-2008 1:01 pm |
Association News
Hip-Hoppers and Indie Rockers Help Sell Chuck Taylorsnew
Converse pulled together N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams, Julian Casablancas of the Strokes and indie electronic up-and-comer Santogold to produce a song called "My Drive Thru," Brandweek reports. The shoe company has made the song available for free download at Converse.com, and will push the song in the "Three Artists, One Song" ad campaign that will appear in a number of AAN papers.
Brandweek |
06-19-2008 8:43 am |
Industry News
Publisher Talks About Why Hawaii Island Journal Called it Quitsnew
"I think our primary problem was simply finding solid sales reps," Laurie Carlson tells the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The Journal, which was accepted as a member of AAN last weekend, will print its last issue this weekend. Carlson also says it "wasn't a helpful thing" for the Journal that the Stephens Media Group, owner of the island's two daily papers, started its own alternative paper about a year ago. "They have much deeper pockets and they can run something that was heavily subsidized and we can't," she says. "It's a very sad thing."
Honolulu Star-Bulletin |
06-13-2008 10:36 am |
Industry News
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SF Weekly Asks Judge to Overturn Verdict in Bay Guardian Casenew
The motions, which were filed earlier this week, ask Superior Court Judge Marla J. Miller to order a new trial if she won't reverse the verdict in the predatory-pricing case, the Weekly reports. The thrust of the Weekly's motion: That the Guardian didn't offer "any actual evidence of an illegal below-cost pricing conspiracy," that the verdict "violates the Weekly's First Amendment and due process rights," and lastly that "the trial was riddled with legal error that unfairly shifted the burden of proof onto the defense." If the judge denies the new motions, the Weekly says it and Village Voice Media intend "to take the case to the California Court of Appeals, which in turn would trigger a process expected to take up to eighteen months."
SF Weekly |
06-12-2008 2:31 pm |
Industry News
City Pulse Publisher Says 'Thank You'
Berl Schwartz thanks the AAN membership for admitting City Pulse on Saturday in a letter to the editor. "This was our fourth time to apply,
and I am sure the membership committee was tired of looking at us, so
allow me to thank you on behalf of its members as well," he writes. He also says he's printing a banner to hang in the paper's office that quotes from a membership committee report on City Pulse: "It's still not perfect."
(FULL STORY)
AAN |
06-12-2008 8:18 am |
Letters to the Editor
Study: Web Will Be Second-Largest Ad Medium in Five Yearsnew
Web advertising "will continue to grow fast even as the current economic woes will lead to a contraction in ad spending overall, essentially accelerating the transfer of marketing budgets from the traditional media into the new," according to a new study by research group IDC. The group finds that overall internet advertising revenue will double from $25.5 billion in 2007 to $51.1 billion in 2012, making it the second-largest advertising medium, behind only direct mail. IDC predicts that video will be the fastest growing format for web advertising, but search will continue to be the format generating the most revenue.
IDC |
06-12-2008 7:35 am |
Industry News
Report: Alt-Weekly Readership is Upnew
A new report issued by The Media Audit reveals that 43.8 million adults have read an alternative newsweekly or visited an alt-weekly website in the past 30 days. The study, which looked at 117 papers in 88 markets, reveals an average readership of 374,296 adults in 2007 compared to 362,938 in the previous year, a 3 percent increase. In addition, the average number of unique monthly web visitors in 2007 is up nearly 7 percent from 2006. "One of the benefits for alternative newsweeklies is the opportunity to reach outside the city where papers are not as readily available," says Bob Jordan, president of International Demographics. "There are a lot of people who come into the city from the suburbs for entertainment and these alternative newspaper websites are positioned as one of the best choices for restaurant, live music, and concert recommendations." RELATED: BizReport says "advertising in alternative newspapers could result in a gold mine for many advertisers."
The Center for Media Research | BizReport |
06-11-2008 9:28 am |
Industry News
SF Weekly Asks for Stay of Judgment in Bay Guardian Casenew
Weekly attorney Rod Kerr last week argued for a stay of the predatory-pricing trial's $15.6 million judgment until 10 days after Judge Marla Miller rules on post-trial motions, which could have delayed the enforcement until July 28, the Guardian reports. Kerr said that the current economic turmoil combined with the company's belief that the judgment amount would be substantially lowered during post-trial rulings made it hard for Village Voice Media to secure a bond for the full amount. The judge granted a stay, but only until June 18. She also said she'd allow "the defendants to return to court to ask for more time if they can provide evidence showing how it will result in a bond being issued," according to the Guardian. When reached by AAN News, a representative from VVM said the company had no comment on last week's development. Both sides will appear in court July 8 for post-trial motions, including one by VVM to throw out the verdict and order a new trial.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
06-11-2008 8:29 am |
Industry News
Total Advertising Spending Stalls in Q1new
Editor & Publisher |
06-11-2008 2:05 pm |
Industry News
Correction: Membership Committee Recommendations Included an Error
There was a significant error in the 2008 Membership Committee Recommendations posted to AAN.org last week. The Membership Committee did not recommend that the membership of Metro Pulse of Knoxville, Tenn., be affirmed. Metro Pulse was acquired by E.W. Scripps, a media company that owns the daily newspaper, business newspaper, Knoxville Magazine, and other publications in the Knoxville market. Per the AAN bylaws, ownership of member papers must reflect and advance the following values of the association:
The committee feels that Metro Pulse's new ownership situation is not in line with the bylaws and therefore does not recommend the paper for affirmation, and the committee's report has been amended as such.
- Competitive editorial and business environment, especially within local markets
- A multiplicity and diversity of media voices
- Independence from media conglomerates or other entities deemed detrimental to the interest of the alternative press and the maintenance of media diversity.
The committee feels that Metro Pulse's new ownership situation is not in line with the bylaws and therefore does not recommend the paper for affirmation, and the committee's report has been amended as such.
AAN |
06-05-2008 3:39 pm |
Association News
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