Black-owned Florida media firm plans statewide black newspaper 12-19-05

Black-owned Florida media firm plans statewide black newspaper

By Eric Deggans
St. Petersburg Times
(December 17, 2005) Glenn Cherry still remembers the reaction from a group of white publishers when he broached the idea of creating Florida's first statewide, black-focused newspaper.

"They said, "Why?"' recalled Glenn Cherry, who serves as general manager of WTMP-1150 AM in Tampa and president/CEO of Tama Broadcasting, the state's largest black-owned media company. "It's an expense they don't see as a revenue source. But when you put the numbers down and you think about it - (advertisers) could make one stop and capture so many people."

Working with his brother Charles, Glenn Cherry has developed plans for a weekly paper called the Florida Courier, which would circulate across the state with black-focused news from a multitude of communities. Initially, the Cherrys hope to get 100,000 copies circulated in five markets: Tampa/St. Petersburg, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach/Miami; by the end of 2006, they plan to have 300,000 copies available each week.

At a time when big newspaper chains have announced space cutbacks, shrinking circulation numbers and massive layoffs, the Cherry brothers will stake their family-owned company's future on a corner of the media business increasingly seen as outmoded and in decline.

In the process, they will create a type of publication that exists almost nowhere else in the nation - a statewide newspaper focused on Florida's nearly 3-million black people.

"Once word gets out in the community, we think there will be demand for it," said Charles Cherry II, who will supervise content and distribution, while brother Glenn focuses on advertising sales.

"Black folks, for example, are disproportionally affected by Taser deaths," added Cherry, who currently serves as publisher of the Daytona Times and the Florida Courier, two black-focused newspapers (combined circulation: 25,000) owned by Tama Broadcasting. "We think we can provide a much wider look at issues which nobody else in the state is bothering to do."

Stacks of a prototype issue sit in Glenn Cherry's offices at WTMP, depicting a colorful, USA Today-inspired broadsheet with sections on Sports, Business, Living and Faith. Charles Cherry consulted with staff at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, which owns the St. Petersburg Times, to find a graphic artist who could help redesign their existing newspapers and create the look of their new one.

Stories in the prototype range from a profile of singer Jeffrey Osbourne to a look at Daytona-area businesses helping victims of Hurricane Katrina.

One nod to the old school: a cheesecake photo of a bikini-clad woman just above the weather map on the first section's back page. See an online version of each section front at www.flcourier.com.)

To make this venture work, the brothers must craft deals in three zones to print the newspaper: South Florida, West Florida and North/Central. Their editorial staff alone must expand from eight people now at their current papers to a network of 25 to 30 people - mostly freelancers.

They expect to circulate the paper free for at least three months, distributing copies at grocery stores and barber shops while cultivating subscription delivery by mail in hopes advertisers will soon see the value of a statewide reach. And though the Cherrys wouldn't release specific cost figures - they plan on financing the venture themselves - one media analyst predicted such a project could cost anywhere from $3-million to $10-million.

"There are lots of potential advertisers out there who have not utilized the black press," said Glenn Cherry, who estimated about 1.8-million black people live in the five metropolitan areas they have targeted. "The Wal-Marts, the Targets the Walgreens ... you see them sporadically in the black press because circulation numbers aren't large enough for them. We've had conversations with sponsors who have shown a lot of interest."

For years, the two brothers have run the print and broadcasting ends of Tama Broadcasting from opposite sides of the state, with Glenn in Tampa overseeing 11 radio stations in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, while Charles leads the two newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Pierce. According to a recent listing in Power Brokers magazine, Tama is the eighth-largest black-owned business in the Tampa Bay area, with 2004 revenues of $3-million.

They had discussed the idea of a statewide newspaper before their father, patriarch Charles Cherry, was diagnosed with colon/rectal cancer in 2004. But work on the project stalled while the family coped with the elder Cherry's illness; after his death in November 2004, the brothers returned to their plans.

"We stand on the tradition of advocacy in the black press," said Charles Cherry II, noting that their Daytona Beach paper has published for 20 years, while the Fort Pierce outlet has published for 18 years. "We have a passion for our community. The fact that this is a great business opportunity is wonderful, too."

While some Spanish-language newspapers in different markets have attempted to unify their advertising and content, few black-focused publications have tried anything similar. And with at least 20 black-focused newspapers already in Florida, the competition may be steep.

According to officials at the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a trade association for black-focused newspapers, the 25,000-circulation Arizona Informant is the only other statewide, black-focused newspaper in the country. Started 34 years ago, the publication was an attempt to unite the state's small numbers of geographically separated black people.

"It's going to be hard to crack those cities which already have established African-American publications," said Informant editor Clovis Campbell Jr. "Unless they offer something unique, with some unique information ... they're going to be wasting paper and ink and eventually a lot of money."

Ken Smikle, president of the black media news and research firm Target Market News, said advertisers might be attracted by Florida's large numbers of black people - at nearly 3-million, its black population was second-largest in the nation in 2003 - and an earning power of $46-billion statewide.

"All of these markets already have black radio stations that are well-established and advertisers already using black-focused media," Smikle said. "The pitfall might be that they spend too much money marketing the publication to an audience that doesn't respond, at least initially."

But with plans to roll out their first issue the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Cherry brothers are convinced they have a winning approach.

"In my mind, the measure of success will be the buzz ... the response in the community," Charles Cherry said. "People are loyal to a product (when) they feel it has the interests of the community at heart. That credibility is hard won, but we can earn it."

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Click here for free delivery of the Target Market News Bulletin You'll receive news of breaking stories, exclusives, updates and headlines on the latest developments in African American marketing and media Black Stats Frequently requested data on African American consumers Black Buying Power: $679 Billion (2004) Black U.S. Population: 38.3 million Top Five Black Cities - New York - Chicago - Detroit - Philadelphia - Houston Top Five Black Metros: - New York-New Jersey - Washington-Baltimore - Chicago-Gary - Los Angeles - Philadelphia Top Five Expenditures: - Housing 110.2 bil. - Food 53.8 bil. - Cars/Trucks 28.7 bil. - Clothing 22.0 bil. - Health Care 17.9 bil. Click here for more stats from "The Buying Power of Black America." ______________________ Get quick access to key U.S. Census Bureau Data Click here to go to African-American Census Bureau data _____________________ Copyright `© 2005 by Target Market News Inc.` All rights reserved Business address: 228 S. Wabash Ave. Suite 210 Chicago, IL 60604 t. 312-408-1881 f. 312-408-1867 info@targetmarketnews.com	Black-owned Florida media firm plans statewide black newspaper By Eric Deggans St. Petersburg Times (December 17, 2005) Glenn Cherry still remembers the reaction from a group of white publishers when he broached the idea of creating Florida's first statewide, black-focused newspaper. "They said, "Why?"' recalled Glenn Cherry, who serves as general manager of WTMP-1150 AM in Tampa and president/CEO of Tama Broadcasting, the state's largest black-owned media company. "It's an expense they don't see as a revenue source. But when you put the numbers down and you think about it - (advertisers) could make one stop and capture so many people." Working with his brother Charles, Glenn Cherry has developed plans for a weekly paper called the Florida Courier, which would circulate across the state with black-focused news from a multitude of communities. Initially, the Cherrys hope to get 100,000 copies circulated in five markets: Tampa/St. Petersburg, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach/Miami; by the end of 2006, they plan to have 300,000 copies available each week. At a time when big newspaper chains have announced space cutbacks, shrinking circulation numbers and massive layoffs, the Cherry brothers will stake their family-owned company's future on a corner of the media business increasingly seen as outmoded and in decline. In the process, they will create a type of publication that exists almost nowhere else in the nation - a statewide newspaper focused on Florida's nearly 3-million black people. "Once word gets out in the community, we think there will be demand for it," said Charles Cherry II, who will supervise content and distribution, while brother Glenn focuses on advertising sales. "Black folks, for example, are disproportionally affected by Taser deaths," added Cherry, who currently serves as publisher of the Daytona Times and the Florida Courier, two black-focused newspapers (combined circulation: 25,000) owned by Tama Broadcasting. "We think we can provide a much wider look at issues which nobody else in the state is bothering to do." Stacks of a prototype issue sit in Glenn Cherry's offices at WTMP, depicting a colorful, USA Today-inspired broadsheet with sections on Sports, Business, Living and Faith. Charles Cherry consulted with staff at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, which owns the St. Petersburg Times, to find a graphic artist who could help redesign their existing newspapers and create the look of their new one. Stories in the prototype range from a profile of singer Jeffrey Osbourne to a look at Daytona-area businesses helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. One nod to the old school: a cheesecake photo of a bikini-clad woman just above the weather map on the first section's back page. See an online version of each section front at www.flcourier.com.) To make this venture work, the brothers must craft deals in three zones to print the newspaper: South Florida, West Florida and North/Central. Their editorial staff alone must expand from eight people now at their current papers to a network of 25 to 30 people - mostly freelancers. They expect to circulate the paper free for at least three months, distributing copies at grocery stores and barber shops while cultivating subscription delivery by mail in hopes advertisers will soon see the value of a statewide reach. And though the Cherrys wouldn't release specific cost figures - they plan on financing the venture themselves - one media analyst predicted such a project could cost anywhere from $3-million to $10-million. "There are lots of potential advertisers out there who have not utilized the black press," said Glenn Cherry, who estimated about 1.8-million black people live in the five metropolitan areas they have targeted. "The Wal-Marts, the Targets the Walgreens ... you see them sporadically in the black press because circulation numbers aren't large enough for them. We've had conversations with sponsors who have shown a lot of interest." For years, the two brothers have run the print and broadcasting ends of Tama Broadcasting from opposite sides of the state, with Glenn in Tampa overseeing 11 radio stations in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, while Charles leads the two newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Pierce. According to a recent listing in Power Brokers magazine, Tama is the eighth-largest black-owned business in the Tampa Bay area, with 2004 revenues of $3-million. They had discussed the idea of a statewide newspaper before their father, patriarch Charles Cherry, was diagnosed with colon/rectal cancer in 2004. But work on the project stalled while the family coped with the elder Cherry's illness; after his death in November 2004, the brothers returned to their plans. "We stand on the tradition of advocacy in the black press," said Charles Cherry II, noting that their Daytona Beach paper has published for 20 years, while the Fort Pierce outlet has published for 18 years. "We have a passion for our community. The fact that this is a great business opportunity is wonderful, too." While some Spanish-language newspapers in different markets have attempted to unify their advertising and content, few black-focused publications have tried anything similar. And with at least 20 black-focused newspapers already in Florida, the competition may be steep. According to officials at the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a trade association for black-focused newspapers, the 25,000-circulation Arizona Informant is the only other statewide, black-focused newspaper in the country. Started 34 years ago, the publication was an attempt to unite the state's small numbers of geographically separated black people. "It's going to be hard to crack those cities which already have established African-American publications," said Informant editor Clovis Campbell Jr. "Unless they offer something unique, with some unique information ... they're going to be wasting paper and ink and eventually a lot of money." Ken Smikle, president of the black media news and research firm Target Market News, said advertisers might be attracted by Florida's large numbers of black people - at nearly 3-million, its black population was second-largest in the nation in 2003 - and an earning power of $46-billion statewide. "All of these markets already have black radio stations that are well-established and advertisers already using black-focused media," Smikle said. "The pitfall might be that they spend too much money marketing the publication to an audience that doesn't respond, at least initially." But with plans to roll out their first issue the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Cherry brothers are convinced they have a winning approach. "In my mind, the measure of success will be the buzz ... the response in the community," Charles Cherry said. "People are loyal to a product (when) they feel it has the interests of the community at heart. That credibility is hard won, but we can earn it." Go to Target Market News homepage	NEW! Search the entire contents of the Target Market News Web site! Looking for hard-to-find information on the African-American consumer market? Now you can easily search the contents of the leading source for information on African-American marketing and media. Scan our entire Web site for news, research and information using Google-powered keyword searches. Hundreds of articles, stories and report findings can be accessed for free. Click here to try it now! _____________________________________________________________________________________ 12th Annual Edition Available Latest 'Buying Power' report shows black consumers spending more on home life As the American economy continues to move sluggishly, African-American households are curtailing their spending in many categories, including food, clothing and basic household items, while investing more in home repair, home entertainment and consumer electronics. Although they are trimming back, black consumers are still spending more than their white counterparts on most of these products. 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