Metro Publishing Group Completes Spinoff

Posted on December 28, 2001

Metro Newspapers, an alternative newspaper group in the San Francisco Bay Area, has completed the spin-off of its community newspapers into a separately owned and operated company. Dan Pulcrano, who had been chief executive officer of Metro Newspapers and executive editor of its four alternative weeklies, becomes principal owner and CEO of Metro Newspapers, as well as publisher of its flagship weekly, Metro. David Cohen, who had been chief executive officer of SVCN, Inc. (Silicon Valley Community Newspapers) and publisher of its six community newspapers, becomes principal owner and publisher of SVCN, LLC.

``Metro/SVCN was one of the first companies to successfully embrace both community papers and alternative weeklies, and the strategy resulted in rapid growth,'' Pulcrano said. ``Now that both groups have achieved critical mass, each has enough revenues to operate on its own. And each one can now pursue independent and more specialized editorial visions and business strategies.''

``With a community newspaper-dedicated company,'' Cohen said, ``we will be able to focus all of our energy on delivering the fiercely local coverage that make our papers strong in the valley's established family neighborhoods. And the Metro group will be able to concentrate on its mission of providing cutting edge content to broader markets.''

Metro Newspapers publishes Metro Silicon Valley, Metro Santa Cruz, North Bay Bohemian and Oakland's Urbanview. It also operates two web-based businesses, Metroactive, a Bay Area-wide arts and entertainment service, and Boulevards, a network of city information sites. Metro's four alternative papers reach an estimated 500,000 readers in seven counties. Metro Newspapers employs 100 people, distributes nearly 200,000 copies weekly and anticipates 2002 revenues of more than $10 million. Metro will continue to operate from its offices at 550 South First Street, San Jose.

SVCN publishes the Campbell Reporter, Willow Glen Resident, San Jose City Times (a legal newspaper), Cupertino Courier, Sunnyvale Sun, Los Gatos Weekly-Times and Saratoga News. SVCN's delivers community newspapers to 100,000 homes with 200,000 readers in the communities of Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and the San Jose neighborhood Willow Glen. SVCN employs 50 people and anticipates 2002 revenues of $8 million. The community newspapers focus on community news, ranging from city council and planning commission actions to police activities and education. SVCN expects to move its offices to 1085 The Alameda in San Jose when construction is completed in late January.