Congratulations are in order for the North County Times as they celebrate ten years in print.
This is quite an accomplishment for any daily publication and especially for one that many believed wouldn't make it.
The paper was established via a merger of several properties. In July of 1995, Howard Publications, the family-owned parent company of the North County Blade-Citizen of Oceanside, purchased from the Tribune Co. its local holdings which included: The Times Advocate of Escondido; The Californian in Temecula and The Enterprise, a Fallbrook weekly.
All of these operations were subsequently combined and On December 3, 1995, the North County Times was officially launched as a daily newspaper throughout northern San Diego County.
Indeed, the journey to what is now an interactive, independent and successful daily publication includes material that adventure stories are made of. The newspaper was budgeted to lose $3 million in its first year of operation. When in fact, the initial losses ended up being greater than expected and included projections of future losses.
Richard Petersen, the previous editor of the Times Advocate, was named the first editor of the North County Times.
"The transition from those two papers to one was very difficult," recalled Petersen. "It was hard to get a read on the community mood for those of us who were in the eye of the storm, but looking back on it today I find the transition remarkable."
Now, in 2006, the paper is not only surviving, it’s thriving on all fronts, according to Publisher, Richard High.
“The idea from the beginning has been to make a good newspaper,” High said. “We are far from mature, it is a colt at this point. But we are developing a strong newspaper with solid financial strength and some of the most loyal readership in the country.”
Every day of the week, employees publish 93,000 copies of the newspaper spread over eight editions that report the news of each North County community, and The Californian, which is distributed in Southwest Riverside County.
Ten years later, Petersen said he believes the newspaper has established a solid place in North County life.
“I do believe that the paper today has something that it didn’t have when we started it,” he said. “It has a heart. There is a sense of character and compassion to the newspaper. It is local, it’s entertaining and it has become a good friend.”
To our friends at The North County Times, Happy Anniversary!
This is quite an accomplishment for any daily publication and especially for one that many believed wouldn't make it.
The paper was established via a merger of several properties. In July of 1995, Howard Publications, the family-owned parent company of the North County Blade-Citizen of Oceanside, purchased from the Tribune Co. its local holdings which included: The Times Advocate of Escondido; The Californian in Temecula and The Enterprise, a Fallbrook weekly.
All of these operations were subsequently combined and On December 3, 1995, the North County Times was officially launched as a daily newspaper throughout northern San Diego County.
Indeed, the journey to what is now an interactive, independent and successful daily publication includes material that adventure stories are made of. The newspaper was budgeted to lose $3 million in its first year of operation. When in fact, the initial losses ended up being greater than expected and included projections of future losses.
Richard Petersen, the previous editor of the Times Advocate, was named the first editor of the North County Times.
"The transition from those two papers to one was very difficult," recalled Petersen. "It was hard to get a read on the community mood for those of us who were in the eye of the storm, but looking back on it today I find the transition remarkable."
Now, in 2006, the paper is not only surviving, it’s thriving on all fronts, according to Publisher, Richard High.
“The idea from the beginning has been to make a good newspaper,” High said. “We are far from mature, it is a colt at this point. But we are developing a strong newspaper with solid financial strength and some of the most loyal readership in the country.”
Every day of the week, employees publish 93,000 copies of the newspaper spread over eight editions that report the news of each North County community, and The Californian, which is distributed in Southwest Riverside County.
Ten years later, Petersen said he believes the newspaper has established a solid place in North County life.
“I do believe that the paper today has something that it didn’t have when we started it,” he said. “It has a heart. There is a sense of character and compassion to the newspaper. It is local, it’s entertaining and it has become a good friend.”
To our friends at The North County Times, Happy Anniversary!