Topics (Newspapers) to change product mix

Topics Newspapers ^ | Jan. 31, 2002 | Unbylined

[bleudevil]

Topics to change product mix

Topics Newspapers tjekel@topics.com

FISHERS, Jan. 31, 2002 — Topics Newspapers today announces changes in its product mix that the publishing company expects will better meet the news and information needs of its customers in suburban Indianapolis. The changes are also expected to make Topics more profitable by concentrating on successful components of the suburban publishing firm.

The Daily Ledger, which has served Noblesville and surrounding communities six afternoons a week since 1888, will be delivered two days a week — Tuesday and Friday mornings — starting in April. The newspaper will be renamed The Noblesville Ledger. It will focus on Noblesville, where 60 percent of the newspaper's current paid subscribers live, plus the communities of Westfield, Sheridan, Cicero, Arcadia and Atlanta.

"The Noblesville Ledger will provide readers with local news and information they want and need," said Tom Jekel, general manager and editor. "Local news is our franchise. After April, The Ledger will no longer publish state, national and international news."

Also in April, Topics will reduce its number of free-distribution weekly newspapers from nine to three, creating larger products whose boundary lines reflect consumer behavior more than governmental boundaries, Jekel said. With even more local news content, these refocused neighborhood newspapers will be delivered Thursday mornings. The Topics northeast edition will be delivered to homes primarily in Fishers, Geist and Lawrence. A northwest edition will reach homes primarily in Carmel and Zionsville. A third edition will be distributed to homes in north central Marion County.

Among other impacts, Westfield citizens will be served by The Noblesville Ledger instead of a weekly of its own. Topics will close its Johnson County operation Feb. 15, moving Greenwood-based employees to its Fishers headquarters. After April, Topics will no longer distribute newspapers in Pike Township — the same time it adds weekly distribution in a new market for the company, Zionsville.

These changes come after a study of the profitability of each Topics publication, as well as readership and consumer trends in the suburban marketplace.

"While it has been recognized as among the best small dailies in the state, The Daily Ledger has not been profitable in recent years. Westfield Topics, also not profitable, merges with The Noblesville Ledger in serving citizens north of 146th Street in Hamilton County. The Pike, Greenwood and Center Grove Topics products also have not been profitable, so they will be discontinued," Jekel said. "Changes on the south side will occur sooner than on the north side as Topics closes its Johnson County operation Feb. 15 and moves Greenwood-based employees to our Fishers headquarters."

"With new operational and organizational plans, fewer employees will be required than the 89 full-time and 22 part-time workers currently on our payroll," Jekel said. "The number of full-time Topics employees after all changes are implemented will be 50. Displaced employees will have opportunities to be considered for openings at our sister paper, The Indianapolis Star. It's our hope that all Topics employees who want a job will land one either at Topics or The Star."

[bleudevil]

Indianapolis suburban weekly newspaper chain downsizing. A few years ago, I wouldn't have thought it - Hamilton County was growing, growing, growing.

[InvisibleChurch]

Did you read where Hamilton Southeastern is going to double in size in 10 years? I thought Carmel grew fast.