Daily News ends weekday Santa Clarita section, SCV news moved to main paper

In a letter to readers on Monday, Daily News editor Ron Kaye announced that the newspaper is ending its weekday Santa Clarita section and folding Santa Clarita news into the main news section. The paper will continue to provide a separate section on Santa Clarita news and sports on weekends.

Citing the general media business environment as a cause for the move, Kaye said:

It's no secret that the information and entertainment industries - including newspapers, television, movies and music - are undergoing dramatic changes that require making some tough decisions. This step is one of the changes we have found it necessary to make.

The letter does not mention whether journalists who typically write stories about Santa Clarita will continue to do so. Kaye says that the DailyNews.com Santa Clarita website and its citizen journalism endeavour ValleyNews.com will still function.

Kaye says that he is "committed to redoubling our efforts to make the Daily News the most important and valued information source in the Santa Clarita Valley," though it is unclear how Santa Clarita news will fare in the larger paper, which reports on San Fernando Valley news.

In a virtually identical letter addressed to readers of the special Antelope Valley section, Kaye states that Antelope Valley news will be featured on Pages 1 and 3 of the main paper, the same pages that will feature Santa Clarita news. It is unknown if the Daily News will produce different editions of the main news section to accomodate Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley news or if news from both areas will share space on Pages 1 and 3.

The Daily News, owned by Denver based MediaNews Group, had a weekday circulation of about 157,000 in March of this year according to the parent company's website. The company owns several newspaper properties around Los Angeles, including the Pasadena Star-News and the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

No circulation numbers on the Daily News' Santa Clarita section were available at either MediaNews Group's website or its Los Angeles subsidiary and financial data for the current quarter could not be found.

The change in format leaves rival The Signal as the Santa Clarita Valley's only dedicated weekday newspaper. In newspaper racks around town, the Daily News Santa Clarita section and the Signal's front page competed for reader's attention, with the former often providing an informed outsider's view of Santa Clarita news.

Comments (3)

jeffNovember 13 at 11:58 PM PT

I finally was able to take a look at the Daily News today. I had seen a few different editions. So for what it's worth I think I mischaracterized how they've changed it. One edition appeared just to be the plain Daily News; the other I saw in a newstand still had Santa Clarita on the top, and at least two SCV related articles on the front page. Apparently they do have multiple editions for different areas. Perhaps I'll subscribe to avoid this kind of thing in the future.

MorningstarrNovember 13 at 7:42 AM PT

It is really sad. The LA Times did the same thing a few years back so all we are left with is the Signal for local news. I believe the Daily news was bought out by the New York Times (?) a few months back. So, I am sure there will be many more changes to come. I like getting a newspaper so I don't think they will ever be obsolete. But times are a changin'

jeffNovember 13 at 10:31 AM PT

I just found this interesting blog [thenutgraph.blogspot.com]. I haven't been following the Daily News drama closely, but it appears the paper has other challenges as well.

jeffNovember 13 at 11:58 PM PT
I finally was able to take a look at the Daily News today. I had seen a few different editions. So for what it's worth I think I mischaracterized how they've changed it. One edition appeared just to be the plain Daily News; the other I saw in a newstand still had Santa Clarita on the top, and at least two SCV related articles on the front page. Apparently they do have multiple editions for different areas. Perhaps I'll subscribe to avoid this kind of thing in the future.
MorningstarrNovember 13 at 7:42 AM PT
It is really sad. The LA Times did the same thing a few years back so all we are left with is the Signal for local news. I believe the Daily news was bought out by the New York Times (?) a few months back. So, I am sure there will be many more changes to come. I like getting a newspaper so I don't think they will ever be obsolete. But times are a changin'
jeffNovember 13 at 10:31 AM PT
I just found this interesting blog [thenutgraph.blogspot.com]. I haven't been following the Daily News drama closely, but it appears the paper has other challenges as well.