Last week, we noted that the Augusta Chronicle ran a house ad targeting advertisers who bypassed the daily and bought space in the city's alt-weekly. "We heard nothing about it locally from customers or readers, and skipped over it a number of times as we perused the paper," writes Metro Spirit publisher Bryan Osborn. "All of this points to the fact that buying full pages in The Chronicle is as effective as throwing money into a burning fireplace." He says the daily's ad "is a great advertising testimonial ... for Metro Spirit."

Continue ReadingMetro Spirit: Daily’s Ad Calling Us Out Works to Our Advantage

Bryan Osborn, who was named publisher of the Augusta, Ga., paper earlier this month, has spent 15 years working in various managerial roles for daily papers, but he always had his eye on the alt-universe. "I kind of had a jealousy streak and always thought, 'That would be so cool if I did that,'" he says. He tells reporter Angel Cleary about his first "corporate" meetings at Portico Publications, which owns Metro Spirit as well as AAN members C-Ville Weekly and Columbia Free Times. "It was just such a different environment. The discussions were a lot more laid back, as opposed to what would happen in a conference room with a PowerPoint presentation," he says. "When I got out here, when I got to the company, I really felt like I could be myself. I told them, I said, 'I feel like I'm home.'"

Continue ReadingMetro Spirit’s New Publisher Adjusts to Life at an Alt-Weekly

Bryan Osborn becomes the third publisher in the Augusta, Ga., alt-weekly's 18-year history. He was most recently advertising director of The Times and Democrat in Orangeburg, S.C. "Bryan comes to Metro Spirit with over 13 years of newspaper experience with industry leaders," says Steve Delgado, president of Portico Publications, Metro Spirit's parent company. "His passion for our business and track record of success will drive Metro Spirit's continuing growth and community prominence."

Continue ReadingMetro Spirit Names New Publisher