Gay publications close after bankruptcy

[TotallyOz]

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- When Laura Douglas-Brown got to work on Monday, she saw a note on the door.

"It is with great regret that we must inform you that effective immediately, the operations of Window Media LLC and United Media LLC have closed down." It asked employees to return Wednesday, adding, "Please bring boxes and/or containers that will allow you to collect all your personal belongings at one time."

And with that, Douglas-Brown lost her job at Atlanta, Georgia-based Southern Voice -- the South's main newspaper for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities -- where she has worked for more than 12 years.

Southern Voice, which was in print for more than 20 years and had a 100,000 circulation, was one of several gay newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Blade and South Florida Blade, that were shut down Monday when their parent companies, Window Media and United Media, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

"Certainly we knew finances were tight, but none of us were expecting this today," said Douglas-Brown, who spent her day greeting staffers at the office so they wouldn't find the note alone.

Calls to corporate offices of the parent companies were not immediately returned Monday.

Douglas-Brown said that an investment group, Avalon Equity Fund, owned the majority of Window Media, the country's largest gay and lesbian newspaper publisher. She said employees had heard that Avalon was in receivership with the federal Small Business Administration, which allows the agency to sell the company's assets to satisfy its loans.

However, "We had been told the impact on us would be minimal and that the company would be sold," she said.

Calls to Avalon's offices in New York went unanswered Monday.

Kevin Nass, the editor of the Washington Blade, the nation's the oldest gay newspaper and second-largest by circulation, said when he arrived to work at 8 a.m. Monday, he was met by two corporate officers, notifying him that his paper would be shut down immediately.

"The bottom line was they filed for Chapter 7, which means liquidation," Nass said. "I think a lot of us expected a Chapter 11 reorganization ... but they didn't go that route and I guess the creditors wanted out."

He said the Blade's staff of more than 20 employees would meet Tuesday to discuss their options.

"There's never been more news, more need of this niche," he said, noting that topics like same-sex marriage and the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy put gay publications in demand. The Blade, established in 1969, had a 33,000 circulation.

"The audience is there, the need has never been greater," he added, saying his team planned to launch a new, independent publication.

Douglas-Brown agreed, saying, "It's a tremendous loss. ... None of these publications have been shut down for a lack of stories."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/16/gay.publications.shuttered/index.html

[KYTOP]

What a huge, huge loss for the gay community. I have been reading the Washington Blade for years online and got so much news there you couldn't get anywhere else.

[TotallyOz]

It was the first gay publication I ever read. It is a real loss.

[Guest EXPAT]

I think that most printed publications are in major trouble. The recession has caused companies to pull back dramatically in advertising. I also think a lot of readers, including myself are changing their reading habits.

For example, I no longer get a daily newspaper and I only subscribe to one magazine that will finally expire in December. I don't plan on renewing the subscription. I read almost all of my periodicals online or on my iphone online. Even the LA Frontiers magazine I read the PDF version online instead of getting the printed publication. I would prefer to do as much electronically as possible. Occasionally, I will buy a printed copy if I'm on a plane or somewhere it is a better read, but primarily I think the younger generation is looking to online "stuff" for their news.

[Guest SmallTownJohn1]

Howdy folks,

I followed The Blade & Sovo on Twitter. Received a tweet from the new reorganized Washington Blade. It's now the DC Agenda. First issue out Nov. 20th. They've taken over the Blade's twitter acct & followers. No new website yet.

Sovo & David are pretty much DOA for now. Sux for Atlanta.

[caeron]

I do PR, and I can tell you that publications are dying like flies everywhere. The internet is killing them. Nobody wants to do traditional print advertisement anymore, and if print doesn't have ad dollars, it can't survive.

[TampaYankee]

I do PR, and I can tell you that publications are dying like flies everywhere. The internet is killing them. Nobody wants to do traditional print advertisement anymore, and if print doesn't have ad dollars, it can't survive.

It's all about demographics. It's a bit of a dilemma for Madison Ave I think.

Everybody wants the 13-35 crowd because they are the impulsive buyers. Also, they are the 'online generation'. Newpaper ads are pretty irrelevant to this group -- at least the younger half.

Those 55+ have lost their impulsiveness but they are the largest segment of the population and have the most money. Most don't live online. How will the advertisers get to them? TV and cable I suspect. The problem there is demographics again. TV advertisers also chase the young demogrpahic.

So here we have the largest segment of the population with the most money to spend and advertising seems to be abandoning that market. Eventually, almost everyone will be online 'literate' but only after the baby boomers pass.

[TampaYankee]

It was the first gay publication I ever read. It is a real loss.

Ditto and ditto.

[markgordon]

Personal experience has left me with very little sympathy for the struggles of the gay press. Over the years, I put thousands into their coffers, but found that they screwed up my ads in every way imaginable and treated their escort advertisers with contempt. As the market has shifted towards the internet and escort specific sites, it has given me some satisfaction no longer having to help support magazines that offer such poor customer service.

[TampaYankee]

Personal experience has left me with very little sympathy for the struggles of the gay press. Over the years, I put thousands into their coffers, but found that they screwed up my ads in every way imaginable and treated their escort advertisers with contempt. As the market has shifted towards the internet and escort specific sites, it has given me some satisfaction no longer having to help support magazines that offer such poor customer service.

Professional competence can sometimes be in short supply in the classified offices of the small publications. I have heard many escorts complain of poor service when placing adds.

Then there is also the opinionated types who looks down their nose at escorts as second class beings, who may tend to give grudging service. I'm often puzzled by holier-than-thou types that look down on working boys but think nothing of bedding any and sometimes every alleycat on the prowl. I tend to think such people have self-esteem issues.