More cuts are happening in the land of Tampa Bay daily newspapers. The Tampa Tribune announced last week they will cease operation of Hernando Today, an off-shoot of the Tribune that has served the Brooksville area for three decades.
Ken Koehn, managing editor for the Tribune, attributed the closure to a tough advertising climate and described the local paper’s production as “cost-productive” in a self-penned article appearing in the Hernando Today.
“We cherish our role of serving the Hernando community, which made this an extremely difficult decision,’’ Koehn said. “But like many newspapers across the country, we are streamlining operations to make our core products financially successful.’’
The last publication will hit doorsteps November 30. The paper will also cut off the website.
Hernando Today subscribers will be transitioned to a Thursday-Sunday Tribune subscription automatically. That begins December 4. Subscribers also have the option to subscribe to a discounted subscription if they choose. That option can be chosen by contacting Tampa Tribune reader services.
The closure follows a history of troubles for the Tampa Tribune. The paper was sold by Virginia-based Media General in 2012 for less than market cost. Almost immediately following the sale, employees were given the option of taking a severance package or suffer pay cuts.
The Tampa Tribune isn’t the only paper in the area struggling to stay afloat. The Tampa Bay Times has also recently lost a number of experienced reporters to an optional buy out. The Times has closed several of its buildings and bureaus as well.
