The Demise Of The Newport-Mesa Daily Voice

R.I.P.

MORE NEWS FROM TOM JOHNSON
My friend, Tom Johnson, gave me a call today to provide me with a little more information about the pending demise of the Newport-Mesa Daily Voice after ten months of operation and the launch of the brand new Newport Independent.


PUBLISHER OF TWO NEW ENTITIES
Tom has joined Firebrand Media in Laguna Beach and will be the publisher of the Laguna Beach Independent and the soon-to-be-launched Newport Beach Independent. The Newport-Mesa Daily Voice will be acquired by Firebrand in this process and will be folded up although many of the features of the Daily Voice will be perpetuated in the Newport Independent.

NO COSTA MESA COVERAGE PLANNED NOW
According to Tom, there are no plans for Costa Mesa coverage by the Newport Beach Independent, which will be a one-day-a-week print publication (Fridays) and 24/7/365 online entity. The Independent will be available at news racks around Newport Beach - it's a freebie - and may be available via subscription for home delivery, too. That model would charge enough for the subscription to cover delivery costs and a slight amount more, which would be distributed to a few select non-profit organizations.

ROGER BLOOM AS EDITOR
Tom is currently building a staff. He just hired Roger Bloom as Editor. Bloom has the chops for this gig - he worked at the Daily Pilot and the Register in years past and more recently was the Managing Editor of the Orange County Business Journal. Tom is excited to have a man of Bloom's experience on his team to help him get this new publication off and running. They are in the process of adding a reporting staff.

LOBDELL NOT A PART OF THIS ENDEAVOR
William Lobdell, former Daily Pilot editor, Los Angeles Times reporter, award-winning author and Tom's partner in the Daily Voice, will not be part of this new endeavor. As reported here earlier, HERE, he's gone a different direction, teaming up with convicted, and apparently repentant, swindler Barry Minkow to report on malfeasance in business. Johnson and Lobdell remain close friends.

LAUNCH AFTER MEMORIAL DAY
Tom tells me that he's looking for a launch of the Newport Independent shortly after Memorial Day this year. The Newport-Mesa Daily Voice will cease operations around that time. I wish him all the best.