AAN News

Free Press Advocate to Speak at Convention

Lucy Dalglish, the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), will be the First Amendment Lunch speaker at this year's AAN Convention. She will discuss what we can expect from the Obama administration in terms of open government and press freedom issues. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  04-02-2009  1:35 pm  |  Association News

Dan Savage to Host AltWeekly Awards Luncheon

The Stranger's editorial director and syndicated sex columnist has been tapped to reprise his role as host of the AltWeekly Awards Luncheon at this year's AAN Convention. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  04-01-2009  1:44 pm  |  Association News

Arkansas Times Institutes Temporary Pay Cuts for Some Staffnew

Publisher Alan Leveritt said yesterday that about a third of the 41 people who work at the Times and the company's other publications will see temporary pay reductions of 4-7 percent starting next month. Lower paid employees were exempt from the cuts. The paper says it also recently laid off a receptionist and converted a full-time job on El Latino, its Spanish language weekly, to part-time.
Arkansas Times  |  04-01-2009  8:25 am  |  Industry News

More on the Los Angeles CityBeat Closurenew

"I had a great morning today," CityBeat publisher Will Swaim told L.A. Weekly on Friday. "I came to work and hurled in the 'executive bathroom,' brushed my teeth and made the announcement." Swaim and senior editor Matt Fleischer both say there hadn't been any chatter about the paper closing in the last few weeks, and there wasn't any discussion of making CityBeat biweekly or online-only. MORE: The Los Angeles Times says the paper's closure "will -- at least temporarily -- silence more critical voices on arts and entertainment in Los Angeles."
L.A. Weekly | Los Angeles Times  |  03-30-2009  8:43 am  |  Industry News

Ruling Expected Soon in Creative Loafing Bankruptcy Casenew

After hearing more testimony yesterday on whether CEO Ben Eason should retain control the six-paper chain or if it should be turned over to its biggest creditor Atayla Capital Management, Judge Caryl Delano Delano said she will ask both sides to submit written closing arguments, which she will mull over for several days before making a ruling. MORE: Read dispatches from former CL employees Ken Edelstein and Alex Pickett.
Creative Loafing (Tampa)  |  03-18-2009  8:45 am  |  Industry News

Willamette Week To Play Role in 'Ramona and Beezus'new

The upcoming film based on Beverly Cleary's classic children's book series will be set in Portland, but it is being shot in Vancouver, British Columbia. So how do the set designers hope to replicate Portland in Canada? With Willamette Week news boxes, of course. "The set design department contacted WW publisher Richard Meeker last week, requesting permission to create replicas of WW's blue boxes to use in their streetscapes," the alt-weekly reports. The film may also feature Ramona's dad looking for work via WW's classifieds.
Willamette Week  |  03-18-2009  8:38 am  |  Industry News

Man Who Allegedly Stole Pasadena Weekly News Boxes Arrestednew

Pasadena police say they arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of grand theft yesterday. They think he's responsible for stealing 18 Pasadena Weekly news boxes over the past few months. The boxes, which are bolted to the ground, may have been stolen for their metal, cops say. MORE: In other thievery news, Las Vegas CityLife reports that a bill is being considered in Nevada that would make taking more than 10 copies of a free newspaper a misdemeanor.
Pasadena Star-News  |  03-13-2009  9:10 am  |  Industry News

Willamette Week Introduces Cost-Cutting Measuresnew

The Portland, Ore., alt-weekly was the latest to announce company-wide salary reductions yesterday. Effective March 16, staff pay will be reduced by 8 percent, while owners Mark Zusman and Richard Meeker will reduce their own pay by 25 percent. The move was made to keep the paper profitable for the balance of 2009. At the same meeting, Meeker, who is WW's publisher, announced that this week's paper was the largest since November and that ad sales for the spring appear ahead of budget.
Willamette Week  |  03-13-2009  8:54 am  |  Industry News

Creative Loafing Back in Bankruptcy Court Todaynew

Atalaya Capital Management said in court this morning that if it assumed control of the six-paper chain, it would continue to operate the newspapers "as a going concern" and put more money into the company rather than sell it off, Wayne Garcia reports. Atalaya, CL's biggest creditor, is seeking to wrest ownership of the company from CEO Ben Eason because it has "lost confidence" in his management. MORE: Later in the day's hearing, an expert on valuation testified that CL's value as a company had dropped more than $7 million in the three months after it declared bankruptcy. CL will make its case in court on Thursday.
Creative Loafing (Tampa)  |  03-11-2009  1:27 pm  |  Industry News

Creative Loafing Cuts Executive Compensationnew

Starting in April, the six-paper chain will cut executive compensation by five to 15 percent, Washington City Paper's Erik Wemple reports. On a conference call today, COO Kirk MacDonald said that he and CEO Ben Eason will take the 15 percent cut and that others -- including publishers, sales executives, and top editors -- will get more moderate slices. Wemple is glad he didn't have to implement another round of layoffs. "This approach makes way more sense," he writes. "No depressing discussions with the staff today!" MORE: The Chicago Reader and Creative Loafing (Tampa) weigh in.
Washington City Paper  |  03-04-2009  12:43 pm  |  Industry News

Metro Pulse Parent Company Implements Pay Cutsnew

E.W. Scripps Co. exempt employees will see a 5 percent pay cut and the salaries of nonexempt employees will decline by 3 percent. The cuts also include a suspension of the company's 401(k) match and a freeze of the Scripps pension plan. The pay freezes are expected to last for at least a year.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel  |  02-20-2009  8:28 am  |  Industry News

Port Folio Weekly's Print Edition to be Suspendednew

As part of ongoing cost-cutting by its parent company, the 26-year-old alt-weekly will publish its last print edition next week. Its website will remain, and the paper may resume publishing when the economy improves, according to Maurice Jones, president and publisher of the Virginian-Pilot, which owns Port Folio. The Pilot is also laying off 30 employees, including some at Port Folio.
The Virginian-Pilot  |  02-19-2009  9:11 am  |  Industry News

Nearly 6,000 Copies of N.C. Free Weekly Stolennew

Editor & Publisher  |  02-09-2009  9:42 am  |  Industry News

Memphis Flyer Cuts Salariesnew

Editor Bruce VanWyngarden reports that employees at Flyer parent company Contemporary Media, Inc. are taking four or eight percent pay cuts, and that the company is suspending its 401(k) matching program. "The cuts are intended to be temporary and will be reevaluated at the end of the second quarter," VanWyngarden writes.
The Memphis Flyer  |  02-06-2009  9:58 am  |  Industry News

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