Iconoclastic alternative weeklies are doing business like the big boys, former Washington City Paper Editor David Carr writes in the New York Times. Carr reports that New Times received $8 million from Village Voice Media to close its money-losing New Times Los Angeles. "The willingness of the two ferociously competitive chains to make a deal in their common interest could mean that the next big deal by the companies could leave only one standing," Carr writes.
Village Voice Media paid NT Media more than $1 million to close New Times Los Angeles, sources tell the Los Angeles Times. New Times paid VVM a lesser amount to shutter Cleveland Free Times, the daily reports. An anti-trust lawyer says the transaction, negotiated quietly over the past three months, "could raise rather interesting antitrust issues."
Two New Times investigative series were selected as winners in the 2002 John Bartlow Martin Awards, sponsored by Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. First place went to "Fallout," a look at the U.S. Navy's radioactive legacy in the Bay Area by SF Weekly's Lisa Davis. Phoenix New Times staff writer Amy Silverman captured third place for her special series "Slammed," which exposed abuses in Arizona's juvenile justice system. Sandwiched between them was Katherine Boo, former managing editor of Washington City Paper, for her story in The New Yorker on welfare mothers.
Longtime New Times exec Lee Newquist is the new owner of Fort Worth Weekly. Newquist bought the paper from his now-former employer, ending a 19-year career with the Phoenix-based chain. Prior to the sale, Newquist was executive vice president of operations for New Times and publisher of both Fort Worth Weekly and the Dallas Observer.
Dave Retik of Boston-based venture capital firm Alta Communications Partners and a colleague were headed for Los Angeles on a business trip when American Airlines Flight 11 sliced into the World Trade Center. ''He was incredibly smart. He was incredibly funny. I never saw anyone travel like he did or work as much as he did,'' New Times CEO Jim Larkin tells The Boston Globe about his financial partner. ''We miss him terribly.''
Michele Laven takes the position of president and chief operating officer of NT Media ("New Times"), Jim Larkin, CEO of the company, announced today.
