NAA Goes From Deficit To Surplus; Membership Up p. 13

By: TONY CASE HE NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION of America reported revenues for the first 10 months of its fiscal year of $22.3 million, down from $22.4 million in 1995. Operating expenses in the term, ended March 31, were $22.5 million.
But at the annual NAA business meeting this week in New York City, association treasurer Richard D. Gottlieb of Lee Enterprises Inc. said "extraordinary" gains on investments, amounting to over $1 million, created an operating surplus of $925,000.
This, compared with last year at this time, when NAA had a $1.1 million deficit resulting from $1.6 million in staff buyouts.
During the meeting, which lasted about 10 minutes, William S. Morris III of Morris Communications Corp., NAA membership committee chairman, said the association had "much to be proud of in the membership area."
NAA's membership continues to rebound, Morris reported. It had slumped following the merger of several association groups into the NAA in the early 1990s, but lower dues have brought members back, especially smaller newspapers. NAA now represents 87% of total U.S. daily newspaper circulation.
Smaller-market dailies ? those with less than 25,000 circulation ? make up over half the association's daily roster, accounting for 59% of daily members. Fully 30% of daily members have between 25,000 and 100,000 circulation. The remaining 11% have greater than 100,000 circulation.
Morris boasted of "substantial" increases in NAA's nondaily membership, which soared to 443 this year from 1993's 205.
NAA has 1,572 members in the United States and abroad and 296 associate members, putting the group's total membership at 1,868.
During the business meeting, John J. Curley of Gannett Co. Inc. was elected chairman of NAA, succeeding Uzal H. Martz Jr. of the Pottsville (Pa.) Republican, who becomes immediate past chairman and remains on the NAA board for one year.
David C. Cox of Cowles Media Co. becomes vice chairman, Gottlieb is secretary and Morris assumes the treasurer's post.
The six newly elected NAA board members are: Alan M. Horton, Scripps Howard Inc.; Boisfeuillet Jones Jr., Washington Post; John W. Madigan, Tribune Co.; Michael A. Parta, New York Mills (Minn.) Herald; Jay R. Smith, Cox Newspapers Inc.; and Louis A. "Chip" Weil III, Central Newspapers Inc.
Nine NAA board members were reelected to two-year terms: Alejandro Jose Aguirre, Diario Las Americas; Andrew E. Barnes, St. Petersburg Times; Betty Berryman, Winchester (Ky.) Sun; Larry Franklin, Harte-Hanks Communications Inc.; Robert M. Jelenic, Journal
Register Co.; Michael E. Pulitzer, Pulitzer Publishing Co.; P. Anthony Ridder, Knight-Ridder Inc.; W. Curtis Riddle, Wilmington, Del., News Journal; and John W. Sweeney III, Houston Chronicle.
Three board members were reelected to one-year terms: Richard E. Diamond, Staten Island Advance; Stephen Hamblett, Providence Journal Co.; and Erwin R. Potts, McClatchy Newspapers.