Two of the main rep firms for alternative newsweeklies had significant gains in national advertising in 2003, E&P reports following an announcement by AAN today. The Ruxton Group, which represents 28 newsweeklies, experienced a 17 percent increase over 2002. Alternative Weekly Network, which represents more than 100 newsweeklies, had a 6 percent increase in national sales over 2002.
The Alternative Weekly Network announces six new members, including the Times Shamrock Alternative Newsweekly Group's four alt-weeklies, which moved over from the Ruxton Group. Three of the papers -- San Antonio Current, Detroit's Metro Times and Orlando Weekly (all except Baltimore City Paper) -- were former AWN members that shifted to Ruxton when their parent company, Alternative Media, Inc., was purchased by Times Shamrock in 1999. "They’re back now…and we could not be more pleased," AWN says in its September newsletter.
After a devastating drop in advertising sales in January, the first-quarter of 2002 is beginning to look better at the two major alt-weekly advertising networks. AWN’s Executive Director Mark Hanzlik projects a first-quarter sales decline of 37 percent, up from a more than 70 percent drop in January. Ruxton President and COO Michele Laven has also has seen a slight rebound.
With the advent of Michele Laven as president and COO of New Times, news of hirings and promotions is spinning out of the chain’s headquarters like balls shot into a pinball machine.
Michele Laven takes the position of president and chief operating officer of NT Media ("New Times"), Jim Larkin, CEO of the company, announced today.
