Anchorage Times
Encyclopedia
The Anchorage Times was a daily newspaper
published in Anchorage, Alaska
that became known for the pro-business political stance of longtime publisher and editor, Robert Atwood
. Competition from the McClatchy
-owned Anchorage Daily News
forced it out of business in 1992.
. Atwood had been brought to Alaska by Rasmuson to assume the position of editor-publisher of the paper, which at that time had a circulation of 650. He would hold the position until 1990.
During the war
years, Anchorage's population swelled from less than 8,000 to over 43,000, overtaking Fairbanks
as Alaska's largest city, and making the Times Alaska's largest daily newspaper.
In 1947, Alaska territorial governor Ernest Gruening
appointed Atwood to chair the Alaska Statehood Committee. In Atwood's hands, the Anchorage Daily Times became a prominent voice for statehood.
, began publishing in 1948, having begun as a weekly two years earlier. Although initially more of an editorial challenge than a competitive threat, the contest would influence the course of both newspapers over the next few decades. In 1974, the Times and the Daily News entered into a joint operating agreement in order to reduce costs. Later that year, the Times would begin issuing a Sunday edition. The Daily News had been publishing Sundays since 1965.
The Anchorage Daily Times was renamed the Anchorage Times in 1976. In 1977, the Daily News filed suit against the Times, claiming violations of the joint operating agreement. Atwood countered that the Daily News was really to blame for their own troubles, citing the discontinuation of subsidies to the paper by Ted Field
, the son of Daily News publisher Kay Fanning and heir to the Marshall Field
fortune.
The papers reached an out-of-court settlement in 1978, and the agreement was terminated in 1979. In the short term, this was a setback for the struggling Daily News, which was compelled to seek outside investors. The Sacramento
-based McClatchy
newspaper chain, bought the Daily News that same year.
McClatchy's investment fueled an all-out circulation war. By 1984, readership of the Times had fallen behind that of the Daily News. In an interview with the Alaska Journal of Commerce
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/061002/bus_061002.shtml, Times editor and assistant publisher, Bill Tobin, traced the paper's ultimate failure to the late '80s, and to publisher Robert Atwood's resistance of the morning format. The Times remained an afternoon paper, whereas the Daily News had been publishing a morning edition since 1964.
. The new management was not able to turn the paper around, and after two and a half years and claimed losses of $10 million, a decision was made to shut down operations. The paper's assets were sold to McClatchy, and the last issue of the Anchorage Times was published on June 3, 1992.
A ten-year deal was inked to maintain the editorial voice of the defunct paper by way of a half-page Voice of the Times section opposite the Daily News editorial page. In 2002, this deal was renewed for another five years. On May 10, 2007, several days after Veco CEO and Voice of the Times publisher Bill Allen
pleaded guilty to political bribery charges, the Daily News announced that it would terminate the agreement at the end of that month. In June, the Voice of the Times began publishing an exclusively online edition. In October 2008, the Voice of the Times announced that it would stop publishing, with a probable final date of November 1, 2008.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
that became known for the pro-business political stance of longtime publisher and editor, Robert Atwood
Robert Atwood
Robert Bruce Atwood was the long-time editor and publisher of the Anchorage Times, and a proponent of Alaska statehood.-Biography:...
. Competition from the McClatchy
McClatchy
-Surname:* Carlos K. McClatchy, president of The McClatchy Company; grandson of Charles Kenny McClatchy* Charles Kenny McClatchy , editor of the Sacramento Bee and founder of The McClatchy Company...
-owned Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage Daily News
The Anchorage Daily News is a daily newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska, in the United States. It is often referred to colloquially as either "the Daily News" or "the ADN"...
forced it out of business in 1992.
History
The Anchorage Times was founded by Ted Needham and L. Frank Shaw as the Pioneer-News. The first issue, an advertisement-heavy "extra" edition, was published on May 27, 1915 and distributed without charge. The headline story was "Status of the New Townsite." It was the first newspaper published in the town, which was not yet formally known as "Anchorage." Regular weekly publication, as the Cook Inlet Pioneer and Knik News began on June 5, 1915 and daily publication began in October using equipment purchased from the defunct Cordova Daily Alaskan. The paper was sold to Charlie Herron in the spring of 1916, and on May 24 changed its name to The Anchorage Daily Times & Cook Inlet Pioneer. On May 29, 1917, it became the Anchorage Daily Times. In December 1924, it was sold to cover debts to a group headed by Bank of Alaska president Edward A. Rasmuson and Jacob B. Gottstein.Robert Atwood
In June 1935, 28-year-old Robert Bruce Atwood, Edward Rasmuson's son-in-law, arrived in Anchorage from Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. Atwood had been brought to Alaska by Rasmuson to assume the position of editor-publisher of the paper, which at that time had a circulation of 650. He would hold the position until 1990.
During the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years, Anchorage's population swelled from less than 8,000 to over 43,000, overtaking Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
as Alaska's largest city, and making the Times Alaska's largest daily newspaper.
In 1947, Alaska territorial governor Ernest Gruening
Ernest Gruening
Ernest Henry Gruening was an American journalist and Democrat who was the Governor of the Alaska Territory from 1939 until 1953, and a United States Senator from Alaska from 1959 until 1969.-Early life:...
appointed Atwood to chair the Alaska Statehood Committee. In Atwood's hands, the Anchorage Daily Times became a prominent voice for statehood.
Competition
A rival, the Anchorage Daily NewsAnchorage Daily News
The Anchorage Daily News is a daily newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska, in the United States. It is often referred to colloquially as either "the Daily News" or "the ADN"...
, began publishing in 1948, having begun as a weekly two years earlier. Although initially more of an editorial challenge than a competitive threat, the contest would influence the course of both newspapers over the next few decades. In 1974, the Times and the Daily News entered into a joint operating agreement in order to reduce costs. Later that year, the Times would begin issuing a Sunday edition. The Daily News had been publishing Sundays since 1965.
The Anchorage Daily Times was renamed the Anchorage Times in 1976. In 1977, the Daily News filed suit against the Times, claiming violations of the joint operating agreement. Atwood countered that the Daily News was really to blame for their own troubles, citing the discontinuation of subsidies to the paper by Ted Field
Ted Field
Frederick Woodruff "Ted" Field is an American media mogul and entrepreneur and film producer.-Biography:Field was born in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, the son of Katherine Woodruff Fanning, an editor of the Christian Science Monitor, and Marshall Field IV, who owned the Chicago Sun-Times. He is...
, the son of Daily News publisher Kay Fanning and heir to the Marshall Field
Marshall Field
Marshall Field was founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores.-Life and career:...
fortune.
The papers reached an out-of-court settlement in 1978, and the agreement was terminated in 1979. In the short term, this was a setback for the struggling Daily News, which was compelled to seek outside investors. The Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
-based McClatchy
The McClatchy Company
The McClatchy Company is a publicly traded American publishing company based in Sacramento, California. It operates 30 daily newspapers in 15 states and has an average weekday circulation of 2.2 million and Sunday circulation of 2.8 million...
newspaper chain, bought the Daily News that same year.
McClatchy's investment fueled an all-out circulation war. By 1984, readership of the Times had fallen behind that of the Daily News. In an interview with the Alaska Journal of Commerce
Alaska Journal of Commerce
Alaska Journal of Commerce is a newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska....
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/061002/bus_061002.shtml, Times editor and assistant publisher, Bill Tobin, traced the paper's ultimate failure to the late '80s, and to publisher Robert Atwood's resistance of the morning format. The Times remained an afternoon paper, whereas the Daily News had been publishing a morning edition since 1964.
Veco and the Voice of the Times
In 1989, Atwood sold the Times to Veco Corporation, an oilfield service company seeking to invest its profits from the clean-up efforts following the Exxon Valdez oil spillExxon Valdez oil spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused...
. The new management was not able to turn the paper around, and after two and a half years and claimed losses of $10 million, a decision was made to shut down operations. The paper's assets were sold to McClatchy, and the last issue of the Anchorage Times was published on June 3, 1992.
A ten-year deal was inked to maintain the editorial voice of the defunct paper by way of a half-page Voice of the Times section opposite the Daily News editorial page. In 2002, this deal was renewed for another five years. On May 10, 2007, several days after Veco CEO and Voice of the Times publisher Bill Allen
Bill Allen
Bill Allen may refer to:* Bill "Hoss" Allen , American radio disc jockey* Bill Allen , American film and television actor* Bill Allen , American basketball player...
pleaded guilty to political bribery charges, the Daily News announced that it would terminate the agreement at the end of that month. In June, the Voice of the Times began publishing an exclusively online edition. In October 2008, the Voice of the Times announced that it would stop publishing, with a probable final date of November 1, 2008.
Known Editors
- Frank L. Shaw (or L.F. Shaw), 1915-1916, 1916-1919
- Harry G. Steel, 1916
- James Wilbur Ward, 1919-1920
- Edgar L. Bedell, 1920-1925
- Roy Gratton Southworth, 1925-1927, 1931-1933
- Charles Fisk, 1927-1931
- Charles Settlemier, 1933-1935
- Robert AtwoodRobert AtwoodRobert Bruce Atwood was the long-time editor and publisher of the Anchorage Times, and a proponent of Alaska statehood.-Biography:...
, 1935-1990 - Bill TobinWilliam TobinWilliam Joseph Tobin was an American newspaper journalist, reporter and editor. Tobin was the first correspondent for The Associated Press to be based in Juneau, Alaska.-Early life:...
, 1963-1992 - J. Randolph Murray, 1989-1992
External links
- the on-line "Voice of the Times"
- "Voice of the Times" at the Anchorage Daily News (to May 2007)
- Alaska Newspaper Project
See also
- Alaska Statehood ActAlaska Statehood ActThe Alaska Statehood Act was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 7, 1958, allowing Alaska to become the 49th U.S. state on January 3, 1959.-History: the road to Statehood:...
- Anchorage Daily NewsAnchorage Daily NewsThe Anchorage Daily News is a daily newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska, in the United States. It is often referred to colloquially as either "the Daily News" or "the ADN"...
- Robert AtwoodRobert AtwoodRobert Bruce Atwood was the long-time editor and publisher of the Anchorage Times, and a proponent of Alaska statehood.-Biography:...
- History of Anchorage, AlaskaHistory of Anchorage, Alaska- Russian purchase to U.S. Territory :Russian presence in south central Alaska was well established in the 19th century. In 1867, U. S. Secretary of State William H. Seward brokered a deal to purchase Alaska from a debt-ridden Imperial Russia for $7.2 million...
- List of defunct newspapers of the United States
- Veco Corporation