Chicago Reader has Dutch treat

By: What, exactly, were executives at Chicago Reader Inc. smoking when they decided to start a publication in Amsterdam?

When freelance journalist Todd Savage approached the company about investing in his plan to launch a weekly in the Dutch capital, they eagerly embraced the concept. "We said yes to this idea rather than other hairbrained schemes that we were approached with because we saw the same hole in the market that Todd saw," explained Jane Levine, executive vice president of Chicago Reader Inc.

It's not every day that biz types are all ears when it comes to ink-stained wretches, especially when they have to part with money. But Savage, 38, proved the exception after he discovered there was no English-based media in Amsterdam. With no prior experience in running papers, he got in touch with his inner Trump ? and after two years of research, he produced a 150-page plan.

In March 2004, the lively Amsterdam Weekly was born. Savage manages a staff of 10, including five Americans. About 80% of the articles are written in English by Dutch natives. It now claims a circulation of 21,000.

Executives at Chicago Reader are keeping a close eye on their experiment. "I've never had so many people volunteer to work on a project," Levine says.