The Lake Norman Times issued its final publication this past Wednesday, April 15th 2009. This edition marks the end to a 17 year run of covering Lake Norman and the surrounding communities. The Times first posted an announcement on its website April 1st that it would be ceasing publication in the coming weeks, although most held out hope that this was simply an April Fools prank.
Sadly, this was not a joke and the result of declining advertising revenue which has been hurting many papers across the country. Bill Kiser (editor and general manager) writes on Time’s website, “What did the Times in? To borrow a quote, “it’s the economy, stupid.” That, in a nutshell, is what is plaguing the newspaper industry - heck, the entire nation - these days, and the Times wasn’t immune to those problems. Other businesses have shut down, and unemployment figures in the four-county region surrounding the lake exceeds 13 percent.”
The Times also faced increasing competition from the Weekly Herald (formerly the Huntersville Herald) which is distributed for free to targeted households throughout north Mecklenburg.
Sat, Apr 18, 2009
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