Los Angeles Magazine reporter R.J. Smith says the city's dominant alternative "has improved" since "smart and low-key" Laurie Ochoa took over as editor a year ago. Smith calls the paper Ochoa inherited "lucrative but dull, a cash cow in need of a prod" and says Village Voice Media CEO David Schneiderman -- who argues that "anxiety is healthy" -- is doing the prodding. "The pressure I'm putting on them is not because of investors," Schneiderman says. "It's so we don't become dinosaurs."
Michael Sigman, president/publisher of LA/OC Weekly, announces that the papers have brought veteran advertising executives on board at the two Village Voice Media papers. Dar Brown has been named associate publisher/advertising for LA Weekly, and Melissa Fisher has been named advertising director for OC Weekly.
Jim Kaplan leaves Metro Silicon Valley to return to LA and OC Weekly as classified advertising director. Kaplan helped build LA Weekly's classified section 20 years ago. Now he returns to take charge of the department, which includes personals.
Michael Sigman will replace Judy Jablonski as publisher of LA Weekly and OC Weekly at the end of this year. Jablonski is starting her own media consulting firm and takes the two alt pubs with her as her first clients.
