In an unusual occurrence in today’s world of electronic communications, a new print newspaper is rolling off the presses in Los Angeles today. The Los Angeles Register joins the already crowded LA newspaper scene as a newspaper for those interested in a “right of center” viewpoint. The new newspaper is published by Freedom Communications, the publisher of the popular Orange County Register.
The Los Angeles Register will be available in more than 6,000 outlets in the area and home delivery service will begin May 1st.
Freedom Communications expanding
California-based Freedom Communications is also the publisher of the Orange County Register, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside) and the Long Beach Register.
Aaron Kushner, the owner of Freedom Communications, wants to become the major player in local news coverage in Southern California, an area with a number of culturally different communities.
“Los Angeles is a large and vibrant market,” Kushner explained in a recent interview, defending his belief that the Register can do well despite the many other daily newspapers in the area including the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News. “We believe there is a place for our kind of newspaper in Los Angeles.”
Kushner also said he is betting that the city is ready to embrace a newspaper with a political viewpoint that is “right of center.”
The launch of a new newspaper is becoming unusual a declining industry suffering from declining ad revenue and the growing trend toward reading news on mobile devices.
Analyst commentary about Los Angeles register
Not all analysts are convinced the Register will be a success. An LA version of the Orange County Register, a paper known for its libertarian editorial pages, is not a natural fit in liberal-leaning Los Angeles.
“Strategically in the unsettled market of greater Los Angeles, they are now the most aggressive player,” said Ken Doctor, an analyst with Outsell Research. “But it’s pretty hard in 2014 to find new five-day or seven-day print subscribers of newspapers.”
Kushner doubled the size of the newsroom in Orange County when he bought Freedom Communications in 2012. A year and half later, the paper cut 32 jobs in a reorganization. The company now has around 370 employees, a number of which are transferring to the new LA operation.
