The Paper, an alternative weekly out of Grand Rapids, Mich., has ceased publication, although there are indications that it is "retooling to return as a monthly". When it became an AAN member in 1998, the Admissions Committee deemed The Paper, "the most encouraging of the new applicants."
A new fortnightly arts and entertainment paper, the Wave, is ready to cross swords with the already warring San Francisco Bay Guardian and SF Weekly, Dan Fost of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Both Bay Guardian Editor/Publisher Bruce Brugmann and SF Weekly Editor John Mecklin are dubious about the Wave's chances, Fost says. Also, Featurewell syndicate signs Mother Jones.
Former Metro Pulse Editor Coury Turczyn announces plans to start a new Web-based archive of alt-weekly writing, to be called PopCult. Meanwhile, Sweeping Features announces its closing and with it the demise of the syndicated “doubleCross” puzzle. Meanwhile, Featurewell picks up Mother Jones.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune profiles brothers Tom and Mark Bartel, now operating competing publications, AAN-member City Pages (Twin Cities) and a new monthly, the Rake. Mark Bartel, publisher of City Pages, now seems secure out from the shadow of his older brother, reports Jon Tevlin. Tom Bartel and his wife and partner Kris Henning, are in their element spinning a new publication into existence.
Catherine Nelson, former publisher of In Pittsburgh, is returning to the market with a new weekly, Pulp, scheduled to launch March 15. Indiana Printing and Publishing Co., the owner, plans a local news, arts and entertainment publication. Steel City Media, owner of Pittsburgh City Paper, bought In Pittsburgh in September and closed it.
"Finally, a newspaper war," writes Carlos Santos in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "Journalistic headbutting. A scramble for ads. Recruiting skirmishes. It's a grudge match to boot. Start the presses. Since earlier this month, two hip, breezy, irreverent, free weekly alternative newspapers have been locked in a bitter battle for advertising dollars and readers in a small market likely to sustain only one." In this corner, AAN-member C*Ville Weekly, and in the opposite corner, The Hook, launched by C*Ville's co-founder and former editor, Hawes Spencer.
Artvoice Publisher Jamie Moses buys and closes rival Blue Dog Press in a deal announced today. Blue Dog prints its last run Thursday, ending alt-weekly competition in Buffalo. Former staffers at Blue Dog, once called Buffalo Beat, lament the demise of the scrappy paper, but Moses has the last word: "This market can support two weeklies, but not two successful weeklies."
After only four months, the St. Petersburg Times reports the upstart St. Pete Weekly has ceased publication. Publisher Dean Capone tells the Times he's not given up and is seeking new financing to start again. Meanwhile, the daily reports staffers haven't been paid and that one has filed a claim for nearly $5,000.
Earlier this month. Hawes Spencer, editor and co-owner of C*Ville Weekly in Charlottesville, Va., was ousted from the paper by the other two owners, Bill Chapman and Rob Jiranek. The two remaining C*Ville owners are quiet on the subject, but Spencer plans to launch a new weekly, The Hook, on Feb. 7 and has taken four C*Ville staff with him..
Publisher Craig Hitchcock tells AAN News he is talking to an East Coast media chain about a sale of the struggling alt-weekly. The Independent’s reopening in the spring depends on a number of factors, among them hanging on to existing advertisers and attracting new investors, Hitchcock says. Parent company Yesse! Communications, in Chapter 11 reorganization since April 2001, is now operating only two papers – Impact Weekly in Dayton, Ohio, and Illinois Times, in Champaign, Ill., down from five at the beginning of 2001.
