Window Media, Nation's Largest LGBT Publisher, Closes

ATLANTA — The nation's largest publisher of newspapers serving the gay and lesbian community has shut down and plans to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Employees arrived at work Monday morning to find out about the sudden end to the newspapers owned by Window Media LLC. At Southern Voice newspaper in Atlanta, editor Laura Douglas-Brown said the locks were changed at her office and a note was posted on the door.

She said the company's other publications – including the Washington Blade, Houston Voice and South Florida Blade – were also being closed.

"From my understanding, there was just no more money to keep these companies running," she said in a telephone interview Monday as she sat with her former employees outside their locked Atlanta office. "We had all been told that the companies would be sold. The fact that we were shut down was a complete shock."

The company's financial trouble stemmed from a number of factors. Besides an industrywide drop in advertising revenue amid the economic meltdown, mainstream publications are writing more about gay and lesbian issues, reducing dependency on niche publications such as Window Media's.

"Window Media long provided a very special outlet for the gay community to learn about itself way before there were a lot of other places to find that type of thing," said Michael Musto, an openly gay writer for the Village Voice in New York, which is owned by Village Voice Media Holdings. "This was the gay community writing about itself, and that's a voice we should never lose."

Steven Myers, co-president of Window Media in Washington, D.C., declined comment.

He said he'd be able to talk more about the closures later this week.

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Few details were available on the planned Chapter 7 filing. Unlike Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, which protect companies from creditors as they reorganize and continue to operate, Chapter 7 involves shutting down and liquidating assets.

The company had been struggling financially since last year. The company's majority stockholder, New York City-based Avalon Equity Partners, was taken over by the U.S. Small Business Administration in August 2008, administration spokesman Dennis Byrne said. He said the SBA does not expect to recover the $7 million that Avalon invested in Window Media.

Avalon owner David Unger said he was "not involved any more," then hung up the phone abruptly.

Just last month, the Washington Blade, the oldest newspaper in the U.S. for gays and lesbians with a circulation of 30,000, celebrated its 40th anniversary. Former editor Kevin Naff said he was greeted Monday morning by Window Media corporate employees who told him of the company's demise.

He said the staff was planning to meet Tuesday to discuss starting another gay newspaper under a new name.

"We are united," Naff said by telephone. "It's sad what's happened but hopefully there's a new door about to open."

___

On the Net:

Window Media LLC: http://www.window-media.com

Comments

[outtv]

This is crazy.....­.we have the best talent and the tech to move our community into the future....­with great power ..we all have computers.­.....Iphon­es...Utube­...skype..­.lets build a world wide network...­. if you have any interest lets talk

Mike Maloney...­....OUTTV

[Mark Haines]

I'm surprised to see that the news that two Window Media Publications , the South Florida Blade and 411 Magazine, both headquartered in Fort Lauderdale/Miami were saved from the ashes has not been covered in Huffington Post yet. Mark's List Media, LLC, http://jumponmarkslist.com, a site that has supplied 411 and Blade with 10 to 15 pages of content every week for over three years and Multimedia Platforms, LLC has hired all of Florida's staff, less two people who quit. 411 was on newsstands today and next week, the magazine will launch as Mark's List Magazine during White Party Week. The magazine's publication carries on uninterrupted. The staff is operating with 100% new equipment. In a few weeks we will move into a state of the art facility. All of the overhead, old equipment and excessive debt was wiped out by the Chapter 7 filing. Every single advertiser has stayed and we are likely to add at least two new advertisers this week.

[Mark Haines]

I'm surprised to see that the news that two Window Media Publications , the South Florida Blade and 411 Magazine, both headquartered in Fort Lauderdale/Miami were saved from the ashes has not been covered in Huffington Post yet. Mark's List Media, LLC, http://jumponmarkslist.com, a site that has supplied 411 and Blade with 10 to 15 pages of content every week for over three years and Multimedia Platforms, LLC has hired all of Florida's staff, less two people who quit. 411 was on newsstands today and next week, the magazine will launch as Mark's List Magazine during White Party Week. The magazine's publication carries on uninterrupted. The staff is operating with 100% new equipment. In a few weeks we will move into a state of the art facility. All of the overhead, old equipment and excessive debt was wiped out by the Chapter 7 filing. Every single advertiser has stayed and we are in fact launching with 6 more ad pages than White Party Week last year.

[Mark Haines]

I'm surprised to see that the news that two Window Media Publications , the South Florida Blade and 411 Magazine, both headquartered in Fort Lauderdale/Miami were saved from the ashes has not been covered in Huffington Post yet. Mark's List Media, LLC, http://jumponmarkslist.com, a site that has supplied 411 and Blade with 10 to 15 pages of content every week for over three years and Multimedia Platforms, LLC has hired all of Florida's staff. 411 was on newsstands today and next week, the magazine will launch as Mark's List Magazine during White Party Week. The staff is operating with 100% new equipment. In a few weeks we will move into a state of the art facility. All of the overhead, old equipment and excessive debt was wiped out by the Chapter 7 filing. Every single advertiser has stayed and we are in fact launching with 6 more ad pages than White Party Week last year.

[scpatl4now]

Talked to an employee of Southern Voice here in Atlanta who said that the closure coincided with pay day so none of them got their last paycheck either. I think more than irrelevant­...they were just poorly run

[SchmataHari]

I blame dubya. But then again, after eight years of blaming Dubya, it's kinda what I do. The fallout from the economic decisions from the reign of Bush-Cheney will be felt for the rest of our lives. Hey, you gotta blame someone...­....dubya - that's my final answer

[jalowe1957]

Many alternative papers have bitten the dust, and this is yet another casualty.

[Robin Anderson-Forbes]

Sad that after 40 years the Washblade is gone. Sad that a number of other publications went down in this mess too. There were some good stories and reports and reporters. I think though that this inevitable though.

[MarkBoston]

About 2 years ago the company that owns the Blade , came to Boston and took over one of our two gay weekly's . It folded in less than a year. Lucky for us we still have Bay Windows. BW's covers the whole of New England with attention on Boston. There is another paper from central Massachusetts with the awful name of " Rainbow Times " ( gag ) Then we have several monthly gay publications out of Boston including " the Guide" and the very upscale and glossy "Spirit ". *** I have not heard anything about the National " Advocate" or " OUT" folding as one man said he heard via the grape vine. I have been an avid reader of the Advocate since 1967

[marylandtravelinman]

First the ghetto goes, then the paper. We are becoming homogenized. Resistance is futile.

[OceanSize]

If homogeny means no more poverty, I'm all for it.

[Samuel Perry]

no more poor people is a lot different from no more poverty. no more poor people, but where did all this delicious Soylent Green come from? "Wow! We ended world hunger and poverty in one stroke! but um...where IS everyone?"

[LeftLeanWing]

NOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOO­OOOOoooooo­oooooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooooo !

[SouthJerseySteve]

I heard The Advocate is shutting down too. We are getting our news online and there's no need for print media, however, I enjoy reading my Advocate while in the bathroom..­..

[dans5843]

This is very sad. I loved coming to DC and reading the Blade.
I am so sorry for the employes, last thing we need is more people unemployed at a time when it's so hard to get a job now.

I wish them well.

[Tmboy]

Simply put... THIS BITES.