American newspaper founded in 1919
The Santa Clarita Valley Signal
Type
| Daily newspaper
|
---|
Format
| Broadsheet
|
---|
Owner(s)
| Richard and Chris Budman
|
---|
Publisher
| Richard Budman
|
---|
Editor
| Tim Whyte
|
---|
Managing editor
| Perry R. Smith
|
---|
Staff writers
| Perry R. Smith (Santa Clarita city government reporter), Justin Vigil-Zuniga (high school sportswriter), Tyler Wainfield (education reporter), Rylee Holwager (business and features reporter), Dan Watson, Katherine Quezada (photographers)
|
---|
Founded
| 1919
|
---|
Language
| English
|
---|
Headquarters
| 25060 Avenue Stanford
Santa Clarita, California
91355
United States
|
---|
Website
| signalscv
.com
|
---|
The Santa Clarita Valley Signal
is a newspaper in
Santa Clarita
,
California
. It was founded in 1919 as a weekly, the
Newhall
Signal.
From c. 1979 to 2016, the
Signal
was owned by
Savannah, Georgia
-based
Morris Multimedia
, who sold it to Paladin Multi-Media Group. The current owners are Richard and Chris Budman, who purchased Paladin in June 2018.
The
Signal
covers the city of Santa Clarita and surrounding unincorporated areas in the
Santa Clarita Valley
, about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of downtown
Los Angeles
. By 2018, it was the only newspaper serving the city.
[1]
As at August 2018 it has a circulation of around 8,000.
[2]
History
[
edit
]
Morris Multimedia
, based in
Savannah
,
Georgia
and led by chairman
Charles H. Morris
, owned the
Signal
for thirty-seven years.
[3]
In January 2016, Morris Multimedia sold
The Signal
to Paladin Multimedia Group.
[4]
Charles F. Champion
, the
Signal
'
new president and publisher, said he wanted to "build on the paper's award winning news platform", attract more local advertisements, and increase his audience. At that time the forty editorial, advertising sales, circulation, digital and production departments staff members retained their jobs.
[4]
Champion's business partners were
Gary Sproule
, Russ Briley and Ken DePaola.
[5]
In June 2018, Richard and his wife Chris Budman purchased the
Signal
'
Santa Clarita-based parent company Paladin Multimedia Group in an equity purchase.
[5]
[3]
[6]
Richard Budman, who had been the
Signal
publisher under Morris Multimedia from 2004 to 2007, and his wife Chris Budman, purchased the
Signal
in June 2018.
[5]
Tim Whyte, who had worked with Budman as the
Signal
'
general manager until 2007, returned as editor-in-chief in 2018. Whyte writes all the editorials for the daily. In 2018, along with the five-day edition, the
Signal
began to publish a new Sunday magazine with free distribution to 75,000 households, featuring a "bylined column" entitled "Black and Whyte" by Whyte.
[7]
The Santa Clarita Valley Signal
covers community news which include government and politics, business, elementary, secondary and college education, public safety, features, entertainment and high school and college sports within the Santa Clarita Valley. It has its own editorial board.
Controversy
[
edit
]
According to an October 9, 2018 article in the
Columbia Journalism Review
(CJR), the new management led to a conservative shift in the paper's editorial stance, which prompted a group of progressives in the Santa Clarita Valley to start their own news outlet, the
Proclaimer
.
[7]
According to a July 24, 2018 article in
The Daily Beast
, the Budmans have espoused conspiracy theories and promoted the
Republican Party
in the valley. Richard Budman defended himself against allegations that the couple's politics could influence the newspaper's editorial stance, stating that the newspaper ran positive stories on
Katie Hill
, then a
Democratic
congressional candidate.
[1]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Frazin, Rachel (July 24, 2018).
"Santa Clarita Valley Signal's New Owners Boosted Far-Right Conspiracies"
.
The Daily Beast
. Retrieved
October 11,
2018
.
- ^
Schonbrun, Zach (5 August 2018),
"When a Local Paper Gets New Owners, Partisan Strife Hits Its Doorstep"
,
The New York Times
- ^
a
b
"Former publisher buys The Signal"
.
California News Publishers Association
(CNPA)
. Retrieved
August 16,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
"Paladin Multi-Media Group to acquire Santa Clarita Valley Signal"
. Santa Clarita, California. December 15, 2015
. Retrieved
October 11,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
Schaff, Jason (June 2018).
"The Signal sold to former publisher"
.
The Santa Clarita Valley Signal
. Retrieved
October 11,
2018
.
- ^
Aushenker, Michael (June 8, 2018).
"Santa Clarita Valley Signal Sold to Former Publisher"
.
San Fernando Valley Business Journal
. Retrieved
October 11,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
Darrach, Amanda (October 9, 2018).
"Both Sides Now: When a California town's newspaper gets troubling new owners, critics start their own"
.
Columbia Journalism Review
(CJR)
. Retrieved
October 9,
2018
.
External links
[
edit
]
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