Gay newspapers’ troubles revealed in Chicago, Atlanta, DC, …
”The last two to three payrolls, we’ve been having issues from a cash-flow standpoint…. This is a rough week because it’s Christmas too. There’s the grand irony of it all because I was trying not to lay anyone off before Christmas, obviously those employees didn’t feel the same way.”
David Costanzo, publisher of Chicago Free Press, talking with the Chicago Tribune about an apparent walk-out by several staffers of that 10-year-old gay newspaper due to a series of missed paychecks. According to Echelon, the CFP was started in 1999 by a number of staffers who had left the Windy City Times, Chicago’s other longer-running LGBT newspaper. (Chicago Tribune)
”There’s been a lot of losses in gay media this year, and I’m sure there will be more to come.”
Tracy Baim of The Windy City Times, the competitor of Chicago Free Press. Baim appears to be referring to a number of gay publications that recently shut down their operations due to a variety of factors. Most recently, the chain known as Window Media (see below) and it’s related organizations filed for bankruptcy and liquidation after the Small Business Administration forced a parent company, Avalon Equity, into receivership. This resulted in the end of The Washington Blade, Southern Voice, and several other related publications. The CFP has not ceased publication at this time, and the publisher notes that an increase in pharmaceutical and political ads may allow them to continue for the next two months. (Chicago Tribune)
”I haven’t been paid since November, but I never wrote for the gay press for the money.”
Larry Bommer, theater editor for Chicago Free Press, remarking on the tumultuous situation that occurred this week between staffers and the publisher of the 10-year-old gay newspaper. (Chicago Reader)
”David, Please consider this my official resignation as a contributor for Chicago Free Press. I can no longer accept your unprofessional and inconsiderate behavior and your lack of consideration toward your employees….”
Part of a public Facebook post said to be from Rick Karlin, a contributor to Chicago Free Press. (Former Chicago Free Express Employees Facebook page)
”The two companies faced a monthly operating loss of $195,839–$110,684 for Window and $85,155 for Unite, according to the new filings, and experienced a staggering drop in revenue from even a year ago…. Window and Unite owe money to more than 400 creditors, including payroll and other taxes to federal, state and local agencies; printers in several states; rent in Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale and Washington, D.C.; distributors of the former publications; and two companies providing health insurance. Both companies also face at least seven pending lawsuits over collections.”
Report from ProjectQ Atlanta website that details the court filings of Window Media and Unite Media, two related organizations owned (at least in part) by a parent company, Avalon Equity. This past February, Gay City News of NYC reported that Avalon had been placed into receivership by the Small Business Administration in August of 2008. According to ProjectQ, the Bankruptcy Court filing lists nearly $11 million dollars of debt and shows obvious declines in revenue for those companies’ publications over the last two years. Publications that ceased operations this past November included The Washington Blade, Southern Voice, South Florida Blade, David magazine. According to ProjectQ, Creative Loafing, and others, some minute drama has played out among that Atlanta’s gay community as two competing papers launched efforts to fill the void. (ProjectQ Altanta) (Creative Loafing) (ProgressiveAtlantaNews)
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