Creative Loafing

Last updated
Creative Loafing
Company typePrivate
IndustryPublishing
Founded1972 (1972)
FateSold to Ben Eason in February, 2017 by SouthComm Publishing following a brief ownership by hedge fund Atalaya
Headquarters
Atlanta, Georgia
,
United States
Products Alternative weekly newspapers in Atlanta.
Owner
    • Deborah and Chick Eason (1972–2000)
    • Ben Eason (2000–2009)
    • Atalaya Capital Management (2009–2012)
    • SouthComm (2012–2017)
    • Ben Eason (2017–current)
Website creativeloafing.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Early 2000s Creative Loafing paper A Week on MARRTA.jpg
Early 2000s Creative Loafing paper

Creative Loafing is an Atlanta-based publisher of an arts and culture news and events newspaper/magazine. The company historically published a weekly publication that once had a 160,000 weekly circulation. While Creative Loafing is no longer publishing a newspaper, it continues to be Atlanta's primary calendar of cultural events. Currently The company has historically been a part of the alternative weekly newspapers association in the United States.

Contents

Creative Loafing began as a family-owned business in 1972 by Deborah and Chick Eason, expanding to other cities in the Southern United States in the late 1980s and 1990s. In 2007 it doubled its circulation with the purchase of the Chicago Reader and Washington City Paper ; the $40 million debt it incurred, along with an economic recession, forced the company into bankruptcy one year later. The parent company, Creative Loafing, Inc. was dissolved and Atalaya sold off the Chicago Reader. In 2012, SouthComm purchased all of the properties and then sold off each of the papers to other publishers in 2018.

The Atlanta Creative Loafing launched the career of many writers and has been an institution in Atlanta's cultural scene. The Parrotheads of Jimmy Buffett fame were launched from an ad in Creative Loafing in the 1990s. Best-selling author and American humorist Hollis Gillespie by debuting her weekly column "Moodswing," which first appeared in 2001 and ran for eight years. Jill Hannity, the wife of Sean Hannity, was the managing editor of the newspaper 1993–1996 until their move to New York City, which commenced Sean Hannity's television career. Mara Shaloup won a Clarion Award for her work breaking the Black Mafia story in 2006. Investigative report and CL Editor CB Hackworth's piece on racial segregation brought Oprah Winfrey to Forsyth County to confront overt racism in 1987.

Holdings

Creative Loafing, LLC is the name of the Publishing Company that owns Creative Loafing. Creative Loafing, LLC purchased the assets of Creative Loafing Atlanta from SouthComm in February 2017, which put the paper back into the Eason Family's hands.

Other newspapers the company published over its 40-year history included:

History

Early years in Atlanta

Deborah Eason, a photographer for Delta Air Lines, and Elton "Chick" Eason, a math professor at Georgia State University, founded Creative Loafing Atlanta in 1972 after the couple attended a 25-attendee Georgia State University lecture by a visiting Russian scholar. This, and other poorly attended events, convinced them to start Creative Loafing Atlanta to inform the public about all of the city's cultural happenings—festivals, concerts, Wicca meetings. [12] They originally began publishing it from the basement of their home in the Morningside neighborhood of Atlanta. [13] After a trial run of a monthly magazine called P-s-s-t . . . A Guide to Creative Loafing in Atlanta, the Easons decided to launch a weekly free publication titled simply Creative Loafing. The four-person editorial staff operated out of the living and dining rooms of the Easons' Morningside home; the darkroom was in the basement. The print run of the first edition—all of eight pages—was 12,000 copies. [1]

Expansion in the South

Early 1970s copy of Creative Loafing The Parking Rip-Off.jpg
Early 1970s copy of Creative Loafing

Creative Loafing was not the first alternative weekly Atlanta had seen, but over the years, its size and ambitions crowded out competitors—The Great Speckled Bird; Poets, Artists & Madmen; The Sunday Paper. [1] After a decade and a half in Atlanta, the Easons established new Creative Loafing weeklies in March 1987 in Charlotte, North Carolina, [14] and in 1988 in Tampa, Florida. [13] Other expansions or acquisitions included newspapers in Greenville, South Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Savannah, Georgia. The company also expanded its footprint in the Atlanta area, starting two community weeklies, Gwinnett Loaf and Topside Loaf, covering the suburbs north of the city in Cobb, Gwinnett, southern Forsyth and northern Fulton counties. Bowing to reader complaints about racy advertisements in Creative Loafing Atlanta, the Easons established a separate Atlanta publication, The Scene, for nightlife listings. These three Atlanta-area publications would later be folded back into Creative Loafing Atlanta in 2001. [9]

By July 2007, Creative Loafing became a mini-empire with four papers in three states and purchased two heralded alt-weeklies—the Chicago Reader and the Washington City Paper—and The Straight Dope, a longtime Reader-syndicated column by Cecil Adams. [1]

Sale to Eason Children

Ben Eason, son of Deborah and Elton, purchased the Tampa paper from his parents in 1994 and changed its name to the Weekly Planet. In 1998 he expanded the paper and launched a second Weekly Planet in Sarasota, Florida. [15]

Two years later, in September 2000, he and his two sisters led a group of investors to purchase a controlling interest in the entire Creative Loafing chain, and subsequently brought the Planet papers into the fold. After a false start during which the May 31, 2006, edition of Tampa's Planet was prematurely published with a Creative Loafing banner, the Tampa paper officially reverted to its former name and the Sarasota paper became Creative Loafing Sarasota. [15]

Shortly after the sale, Debby Eason purchased Creative Loafing's Greenville and Savannah properties back from her children. The Greenville paper was renamed MetroBEAT, while Creative Loafing Savannah was merged into Connect Savannah. [8]

Partnership with Cox

To help finance the 2000 deal transferring ownership to Ben Eason's group, media conglomerate Cox Enterprises purchased a 25% minority share of the company for approximately US$5 million. In the process, Cox executives filled two seats on Creative Loafing's eight-member board. [16] An uneasy four-year relationship between the two companies followed, as Cox also owned Atlanta's only daily, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , as well as television and radio outlets in the Atlanta area. After the Journal-Constitution in April 2003 quietly launched its own free entertainment weekly named Access Atlanta, in direct competition with Creative Loafing, the Easons and Creative Loafing board members voted to censure the two Cox executives for unethical conduct, and by June 2004 both companies agreed to allow the chain to repurchase its shares from Cox. [17] [18]

Chicago and Washington

On July 24, 2007, Creative Loafing announced the purchase of the Washington City Paper and the Chicago Reader, [19] along with the Reader's properties The Straight Dope and the SDMB, the associated Internet message board.

In order to accomplish the acquisitions, the company borrowed $40 million. The ensuing economic slump hurt ad sales, and CL Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on September 29, 2008. [20]

In a bankruptcy auction on August 25, 2009, Atalaya Capital Management of New York City, emerged as the new owner, paying $5 million (it was also CL's largest creditor, owed $30 million before the bankruptcy). The Easons had put in a bid of $2.3 million, and with the change in ownership, Ben Eason was removed as CEO. [20]

Dissolution

Over the next two years, 2010–2011, Atalaya sold Creative Loafing's remaining mid-market papers. The first to be sold was Creative Loafing Sarasota, which was shuttered in December 2010, with its brand sold for an undisclosed sum to The New York Times Company, then-publisher of the competing Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The Herald-Tribune published its own free weekly product under the Creative Loafing name for some time after the sale. [6]

In October 2011, Creative Loafing Charlotte and Creative Loafing Tampa were sold to SouthComm Inc., a publisher of alternative weeklies based in Nashville, Tennessee. [4]

Creative Loafing's three largest newspapers continued under Atalaya's ownership for one more year. In May 2012, the Chicago Reader was sold to Wrapports, publisher of the competing Chicago Sun-Times , in a deal reported at $3 million. [3] Two months later, on July 3, Creative Loafing Atlanta and the Washington City Paper were sold to SouthComm, for an undisclosed sum, and CL Inc. ceased to exist. [2]

In 2016, the Charlotte Creative Loafing was sold to Womack Publishing of North Carolina. In 2018, the Charlotte Creative Loafing was sold again and ceased publishing a print version. [21]

In February, 2017, Ben Eason re-purchased Creative Loafing in Atlanta and took the publication from a weekly to a monthly as part of a plan to take the company in a direction more compatible to the new digital publishing economy and bringing the content back to its roots publishing a comprehensive listing of Atlanta events.

The Creative Loafing in Tampa, Florida, was sold to a group from Ohio in 2018.

In 2019, Creative Loafing contributed its archives to Georgia State University as part of a plan to digitize all the print editions going back its initial publication in 1972. In 2022, Creative Loafing published its last print edition - its 50th Anniversary edition. While the company has not ruled out doing special newspaper editions in the future, its commitment is to a digital magazine with a focus on events, culture, local artists, bands, neighborhoods and local news.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabernacle (concert hall)</span> Concert hall in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States

The Tabernacle is a mid-size concert hall located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Opening in 1911 as a church, the building was converted into a music venue in 1996. It is owned and managed by concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment and has a capacity of 2,600 people.

<i>Chicago Reader</i> Alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago

The Chicago Reader, or Reader, is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The Reader has been recognized as a pioneer among alternative weeklies for both its creative nonfiction and its commercial scheme. Richard Karpel, then-executive director of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, wrote:

[T]he most significant historical event in the creation of the modern alt-weekly occurred in Chicago in 1971, when the Chicago Reader pioneered the practice of free circulation, a cornerstone of today's alternative papers. The Reader also developed a new kind of journalism, ignoring the news and focusing on everyday life and ordinary people.

An alternative newspaper is a type of newspaper that eschews comprehensive coverage of general news in favor of stylized reporting, opinionated reviews and columns, investigations into edgy topics and magazine-style feature stories highlighting local people and culture. Its news coverage is more locally focused, and their target audiences are younger than those of daily newspapers. Typically, alternative newspapers are published in tabloid format and printed on newsprint. Other names for such publications include alternative weekly, alternative newsweekly, and alt weekly, as the majority circulate on a weekly schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTGS</span> TV station in Hardeeville, South Carolina

WTGS is a television station licensed to Hardeeville, South Carolina, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Savannah, Georgia, area. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, WTGS maintains transmitter facilities on Fort Argyle Road/SR 204 in western unincorporated Chatham County, Georgia, while its studios are located in the Savannah Morning News building on Chatham Parkway in Savannah.

<i>The Charlotte Observer</i> American newspaper in North Carolina

The Charlotte Observer is an American newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. It is owned by Chatham Asset Management.

<i>Indy Week</i>

Indy Week, formerly known as the Independent Weekly and originally the North Carolina Independent, is a tabloid-format alternative weekly newspaper published in Durham, North Carolina, United States, and distributed throughout the Research Triangle area and counties. Its first issue was published in April 1983.

<i>Southern Voice</i> (newspaper) American LGBT newspaper

Southern Voice was a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender newspaper in Atlanta and the Southeast United States.

The Herald is a daily morning newspaper published in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in the United States. Its coverage is York, Chester, and Lancaster counties. In 1990, the paper was bought by The McClatchy Company of Sacramento, California. After McClatchy claimed bankruptcy in 2020, the paper was bought by Chatham Asset Management.

<i>Nashville Scene</i> Newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville Scene is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with New Times Media early in 2006. The paper was acquired by SouthComm Communications in 2009. Since May 2018, it has been owned by the Freeman Webb Company. The publication mainly reports and opines on music, arts, entertainment, and local and state politics in Nashville.

<i>Creative Loafing</i> (Atlanta) Monthly local magazine from Atlanta

Creative Loafing is a U.S. city monthly paper serving the Atlanta metropolitan area covering local news, politics, arts, entertainment, food, music and events. Its weekly print circulation is 70,000, and its cumulative readership in print is 477,000 according to Scarborough Feb 2014 - Jan 2015 study, and the website creativeloafing.com draws nearly 500,000 visitors monthly according to Google Analytics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Times</span>

Real Times Media LLC is the owner and publisher of the Chicago Defender, the largest and most influential African American weekly newspaper, as well as five other regional weeklies in the eastern and Midwestern United States. Its headquarters are in Midtown Detroit.

<i>Washington City Paper</i> Alternative newspaper in Washington, D.C.

The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area since 1981. The City Paper is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focused on local news and arts. It is owned by Mark Ein, who bought it in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Variety Playhouse</span> Music venue and former movie theater in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

The Variety Playhouse is a music venue in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is located on Euclid Avenue and features a variety of music acts including rock, indie, electronic, funk, country, folk, bluegrass, jazz, blues and world music as well as other live shows.

Florida Airlines was a commuter airline based in Florida that operated from 1960 to 1982. It is said to have had the largest Douglas DC3 fleet in the world in 1976. Airline deregulation eventually resulted in the demise of the airline. The company slogan was The Florida Connection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center Stage (Atlanta)</span> Music venue in Atlanta, United States

Center Stage is a mid-sized concert complex comprising three separate venues located in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally known as Theatre Atlanta, the concert hall was built in memorial to a young theater enthusiast. Upon its opening in the fall of 1966, the building functioned as a performing arts theater, but has since become primarily music-focused.

Wrapports LLC was the American-based privately owned publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Reader. It was headquartered in the Sun-Times building in Chicago.

SouthComm Communications was a media company that owned a number of alternative newspapers and other news sources in the United States such as the Nashville Scene and the Washington City Paper. It was based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2018 the trade magazines owned by SouthComm were sold to Endeavor Business Media.

Euclid Media Group (EMG) was a media company in the United States, operating 2013-2023. It was headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio and owned the Orlando Weekly, Cincinnati CityBeat, Cleveland Scene, Creative Loafing (Tampa), Detroit Metro Times, Riverfront Times, San Antonio Current, Out In SA and Out in STL.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Wheatley, Thomas (2018-07-26). "A long, strange trip: The oral history of Creative Loafing". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  2. 1 2 3 Celeste, Eric (July 3, 2012). "Nashville-Based Media Company SouthComm Acquires Creative Loafing Atlanta and Washington City Paper". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Channick, Robert (May 23, 2012). "Sun-Times Owner Buys Chicago Reader". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "SouthComm Buys in Charlotte, Tampa". Nashville Post. October 10, 2011. Archived from the original on December 20, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Creative Loafing Charlotte to be sold". Creative Loafing Charlotte. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  6. 1 2 "Fla. Daily Takes Over Alternative Weekly". NewsInc. December 20, 2010. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  7. ↑ Howard, Joy (April 19, 2005). "MetroBEAT, Battered, Stops the Presses". Association of Alternative Newsmedia. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Pulle, Matt (October 19, 2001). "Creative Loafing Savannah Becomes Connect Savannah". Association of Alternative Newsmedia. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Kempner, Matt (April 4, 2001). "Weekly Newspaper Chain Cuts Two Stand-Alone Publications in Atlanta Suburbs". The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Archived from the original on June 6, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Raleigh, N.C.-Area Newspapers Announce Merger". The Herald-Sun. Durham, N.C. August 15, 2002. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Collection Number 05319: Independent Weekly Records, 1982-2004". Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  12. ↑ Wheatley, Thomas (2018-07-26). "A long, strange trip: The oral history of Creative Loafing". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  13. 1 2 Edelstein, Ken (August 12, 2000). "Eason Children to Buy Creative Loafing". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ Campbell, Meg (May 1, 1990). "Can Creative Loafing Get an Even Break in Charlotte?". NewsInc. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Tampa Alternative Weekly Changing Identity". Tampa Bay Business Journal. September 19, 2006. Retrieved January 19, 2007.
  16. ↑ Iwan, Christine (September 27, 2000). "Creative Loafing to Sell Minority Interest to Cox". Association of Alternative Newsmedia. Archived from the original on October 15, 2006. Retrieved January 18, 2007.
  17. ↑ "Creative Loafing goes to battle with AJC". Atlanta Business Chronicle. June 3, 2003. Retrieved January 29, 2007.
  18. ↑ Hundley, Kris (July 19, 2004). "Weekly Planet is Back in its Own Orbit". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved January 18, 2007.
  19. ↑ Hau, Louis (July 24, 2007). "Ambitious Move By Creative Loafing". Forbes. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
  20. 1 2 Scott, Jeffry (August 25, 2009). "Creative Loafing Chain Sold to Biggest Creditor for $5 Million". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 27, 2009.
  21. ↑ "Creative Loafing's Sudden, Shocking Demise". Charlotte Magazine. 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.