Nicholas D. Kristof was wrong about the most devastating fact in his Sunday column in The New York Times regarding Backpage.com, says Village Voice Media.
Village Voice Media director of new media Bill Jensen is leaving for Buzz Media in Los Angeles, where he will become the vice president/general manager for music.
Don Farley, group publisher of the Times-Shamrock Alternative Newsweekly Group and publisher of Baltimore City Paper, has accepted a promotion as the new Regional General Manager of Times-Shamrock's daily operations.
Village Voice Media has released a new iPhone app, "Best Of..." which allows users to find and "check in" to local businesses, bars and food joints by proximity and category in multiple cities.
Facebook claims that Phoenix Media sites' search engines for band and restaurant listings violate its patents.
The New York Times says medical marijuana ads are giving alt-weeklies a financial boost.
Phoenix Media/Communications Group, which owns the Boston, Portland and Providence Phoenix papers, has let ten employees go. The layoffs include CFO/COO Richard Gallagher; corporate controller Michael Notkin and assistant corporate controller Chris Crandall. The Weekly Dig broke the news of the changes yesterday when it published a staff memo sent by Phoenix Media president Bradley Mindich, which says Mindich will take over some of Gallagher's duties, while Mike Fuller will take on the interim CFO/COO role as they search for a replacement. "This is the sort of strategic reshuffle that prudent companies engage in to stay on top in demanding markets," Phoenix executive editor Peter Kadzis says in a statement released last night. His comments are echoed by Mindich, who tells AAN News in an email that Phoenix Media is focused on "performance across the board" and "ensuring we have the best of the best here to continue to execute our multi-platform strategy." MORE from the Boston Herald.
Erich Burnett has been named editor of the Cleveland Scene. Burnett is a Cleveland native whose background includes 12 years as an editor of Scene and corporate editor for Scene's previous parent companies, New Times and Village Voice Media. Burnett most recently served as senior editor for Village Voice Media. Burnett took over as editor on April 13. The Scene is part of Times-Shamrock Communications.
Chris Keating, who was most recently publisher at the San Antonio Current, has been named the new publisher at Times Shamrock sister paper the Cleveland Scene. Replacing Keating in San Antonio will be Michael Wagner, a former publisher of the Riverfront Times. He will take the title of general manager.
Toke of the Town is the latest national blog property launched by Village Voice Media, joining titles like Heartless Doll, Joystick Division and True Crime Report.
