MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- The
East Valley Tribune, which went to a free circulation, four-day-a-week paper in January, will eliminate its Saturday print edition, effective May 16, publisher Julie Moreno announced Tuesday.
The suburban Phoenix paper, owned by Freedom Communications Inc., will continue to publish print editions on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for distribution in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Queen Creek.
The decision to eliminate Saturday editions was the result of the ongoing sluggish economy, which has resulted in fewer automotive and real estate advertisements, Moreno said. Such ads traditionally have bolstered Saturdays, she said.
"At the onset, we knew that we needed to be willing to assess the strategy and make adjustments along the way," Moreno said. "Now that we have some experience with our new model, we have begun the process of looking at what is working well, and what elements should be adjusted."
Eliminating Saturday editions will result in 13 layoffs, mostly employees who work in production-related functions, Moreno said.
The newspaper will also adjust its Chandler editions in mid-May. The Ocotillo Tribune, a weekly published each Friday, will be combined with the Chandler Tribune, Moreno said. The Tribune will also increase distribution in Chandler by 10,000 copies to 25,000, to more effectively serve the market, she said.
The East Valley Tribune will also restart delivery subscriptions in select areas, starting in Mesa, for readers and advertisers willing to pay for delivery. No price has been determined.
The paper continues to update its Web site, www.evtrib.com, with news and information seven days a week.
In January, the Tribune became one of the first daily newspapers to cut its publication schedule by nearly half and go from a paid subscription to free distribution model. Those changes resulted in a reduction of 40 percent of the newspaper's staff, or about 140 workers.
Freedom Communications, based in Irvine, Calif., operates 33 daily and 77 weekly newspapers, including The Orange County (CA) Register and two Arizona dailies, The Sun in Yuma and the Daily News-Sun in Sun City.
