Star Tribune makes deal to buy alt-weekly City Pages

[geardaddy]

http://www.startribune.com/star-tribune-buys-city-pages/302763201/

The Star Tribune agreed Wednesday to buy City Pages, a deal that creates an uncommon coupling of the biggest alternative weekly in the Twin Cities and Minnesota’s largest news organization.

In buying the publication from Voice Media Group, the Star Tribune Media Co. said it would stop publishing Vita.mn, a website and weekly tabloid that refashioned the Star Tribune’s entertainment coverage into formats that directly competed with City Pages for readers and advertisers.

After Vita.mn’s final edition next week, City Pages will become the last weekly of its kind in the metro area. In recent years, competitors such as the Rake, Metromix and the local version of the Onion ceased publishing.

City Pages continued to draw more advertising than Vita.mn, and its news pages are less formal in tone and quicker to throw an elbow, often enough at the Star Tribune.

“We have tremendous respect for the loyal, passionate audience and market position that the talented City Pages staff has built through hard work over many years,” Mike Klingensmith, chief executive of Star Tribune Media and publisher of the Star Tribune, said in a statement. “We think the publication and its digital properties can capitalize on being part of a larger, local media company to create an even stronger City Pages.”

This can't be good. Will they continue to do exposes?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. It's going to be Strib Junior, I'm afraid. Fluff pieces. Hipsterish but not controversial.

[geardaddy]

2. It's going to be Vita.mn all over again.

Entertainment and fluff.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

5. Yep. We're losing an important voice.

Though in the wake, perhaps something will spring?

City Pages had readership and advertisers because of that. When the Strib waters it down, a lot of those readers will be open to trying something new. And I imagine there will be a number of talented writers and editors wanting to create content for it.

[Brickbat]

3. Who's going to watch the watchdog?

[the_sly_pig]

4. City Pages is doomed.

Purchase and destroy.

[glinda]

6. I think the statement that they will "remain separate" applies after they replace any

decent staff with those who will promote certain businesses, opinions and only what they want.
Stinks.