Newly-admitted AAN member plans to turn community paper into an alternative.

The owners of the Ventura County Reporter, one of AAN’s newest member papers, added a second publication on Jan. 4 when they acquired the Los Angeles Times’ “quasi-alternative” Pasadena Weekly.

Located 70 miles inland from Ventura County, Pasadena’s 35,000-circulation free tabloid serves a diverse community north of Los Angeles, said David Comden, Reporter publisher and co-owner of Ventura Newspapers Inc. Long recognized as the home of blue hairs, award shows and the Rose Bowl, Pasadena has made the transition from an “old money” district to a community where people of color comprise the population’s majority, Comden said.

Comden called Pasadena Weekly a community paper that “looks” like an alternative because of its listings section and entertainment news. Although he expects to gradually transform it into a true alternative, Comden said he wants to evaluate the paper before any definite changes are announced. The Ventura County Reporter has migrated from community newspaper to alternative weekly since Comden took over as publisher in 1998.