Contact: Bradley Zeve, 831-394-5656, ext. 103
Erik Cushman, 831-394-5656, ext. 125

Seaside, Calif.—February 11, 2004—Coast Weekly founder and president Bradley Zeve announced today that the company is changing the name of the newspaper to MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY with its February 12, 2004 issue.

“It’s time that this newspaper’s name better reflect our sense of place in this community. We’re intensely proud of where we live and incredibly humbled by the fact that we’ve been able to become a major media presence in Monterey County. This name is a more accurate representation of where our readers live and work, and will further solidify this company’s journalistic commitment to the communities of the Monterey Peninsula and the Salinas Valley.”

Coast Weekly grew from humble beginnings in 1988 and today has the largest circulation and readership of any newspaper in Monterey County. In its early years the newspaper survived in a tough economy rattled by the Loma Prieta earthquake, Fort Ord’s closure as a military base (the largest base in the country to close), El Nino floods (twice) and downturns of both the national and state economy. In more recent history the newspaper has continued to grow in readers, page count, circulation and revenue despite the dot-com bubble’s burst and the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that significantly impacted the region’s two major local industries, agriculture and tourism.

The name change at the newspaper does not represent any change in ownership nor management, but does foretell a sharpening of the company’s focus and ambition. “I’m proud to report that not only is Monterey County’s most-read newspaper local and independent, but modestly profitable as well. We’re determined to continue to prove that good journalism makes for good business, and we at the newspaper will remain true to our mission: To inspire independent thinking and conscious action, etc.” said Zeve, the newspaper’s Executive Editor and CEO.

Coast Weekly has won more than 50 national and statewide press association awards in the last 15 years for editorial content and design, including investigative reporting, and California’s most prestigious state newspaper honor for public service.

Today the Weekly is the most-read publication in Monterey County. Its audited circulation of 40,000 copies per issue is 15 percent greater than that of the Monterey County Herald (owned by Knight Ridder) and more than double the Salinas Californian’s (owned by Gannett). Monterey County Weekly is owned by Milestone Communications, Inc which also publishes the Best of Monterey Bay Visitors’ Guide and the Monterey Jazz Festival Souvenir Magazine.

Monterey County Weekly is available free, every Thursday at over 1000 distribution locations throughout the county and available online at www.MontereyCountyWeekly.com