VILLAGE VOICE MEDIA TO LEAVE AWN

By: Staff reports AWN Loses 5 Markets



Village Voice Media (VVM) has announced plans to leave Alternative
Weekly Network (AWN) to create its own advertising group, the
Association of Alternative Newsweeklies reports.


Village Voice Media, created six months ago when it acquired Stern
Publishing's chain of weeklies, considered joining AWN competitor The
Ruxton Group, but has instead entered the national-sales market solo.
VVM's current partnership with AWN will end as of Jan. 1, 2001.


VVM's departure from Sacramento-based AWN means five of the top 15
markets will not be covered. AWN loses the New York, Los Angeles,
Seattle, Minneapolis, and Cleveland markets due to VVM's own
advertising network.


VVM does hope to eventually have non-VMM papers as affiliates in its
national advertising network, similar to New Times Inc.'s Ruxton Group.


VVM publishes New York's Village Voice, LA Weekly,
Seattle Weekly, City Pages in Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Cleveland Free Times, OC Weekly in Orange County, Calif.,
and Nashville Scene.