{{short description|Newspaper company based in San Jose, California, US}} {{for|other newspapers with the same name|Metro (disambiguation)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox company | name = Weeklys | image = Metro Newspaper stand.jpg | image_caption = A Metro news rack | type = Newspaper | products = Alternative newspapers | location = 380 S First Street<br/> San Jose, California 95113 | founded = 1985 | founder = Dan Pulcrano | website = {{URL|weeklys.com}} }} '''Weeklys,''' formerly known as '''Metro Newspapers,''' is an American media group established in 1985 and based in San Jose, California. The company is operated by its founder and longtime executive editor, Dan Pulcrano.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stoll |first1=Michael |date=26 September 2013 |title=C2SV: The Music and Technology Festival of Silicon Valley |url=http://www.liquidagency.com/blog/c2sv-an-exclusive-interview-with-dan-pulcrano/ |accessdate=28 May 2014 |website=liquidagency.com |publisher=Liquid Brand Exchange}}</ref> It publishes alternative weekly newspapers, community newspapers and magazines in Northern California.
The alt weeklies are free-distribution, tabloid-sized newspapers emphasizing news and analysis, local coverage and in-depth coverage of arts, culture and entertainment. The community newspapers are larger format broadsheet publications that are home delivered.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mediabids.com/publication/ad-rates/the-gilroy-dispatch/.jsp?pubId=40552 |title=Buy Newspaper advertising in Gilroy Dispatch via MediaBids |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=MediaBids.com |publisher=MediaBids |access-date=22 March 2021 |quote=}}</ref> Together, the publications reach a weekly audience of about half a million people, according to The Media Audit. Weeklys also operates digital publishing businesses.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Releases |first=-Press |date=2001-12-19 |title=Metro Publishing Group Completes Spinoff • Association of Alternative Newsmedia |url=https://aan.org/aan/metro-publishing-group-completes-spinoff/ |access-date=2020-09-28 |website=Association of Alternative Newsmedia |language=en-US}}</ref>
== History == In 1984, Dan Pulcrano put together a group of local Silicon Valley and entertainment industry investors and recruited ''LA Weekly'' executive David Cohen as co-publisher to launch ''Metro.'' From an initial circulation of 40,000 it grew to approximately 100,000.<ref name=":0" />
In 1990, ''Metro'' acquired ''Los Gatos Weekly,'' a newspaper Pulcrano had founded eight years earlier, and the ''Chicago Tribune''-owned ''Los Gatos Times-Observer.'' The two were merged to become ''Los Gatos Weekly-Times''.<ref name=":0" />
In 1994, the company launched a second alt weekly called ''Metro Santa Cruz.<ref>{{cite web |last=Connor |first=Mike |date=May 5–12, 2004 |title=Standing on the Shoulders of Giants |url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/05.05.04/history-0419.html |work=Metro Santa Cruz |publisher=Metro Publishing Inc.}}</ref>'' That same year, Metro bought a stake in the ''Sonoma County Independent.''<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 7, 1994 |title=San Jose publisher buys into Independent |work=The Press Democrat |location=Santa Rosa, California |pages=29}}</ref> In 2000, the newspaper was rebranded as the ''North Bay Bohemian'' and the circulation area was expanded to Marin and Napa counties.<ref>{{cite news |last=Iwan |first=Christine |date=October 5, 2000 |title=Sonoma County Independent Adopts New Identity |url=http://www.aan.org/alternative/sonoma_county_independent_adopts_new_identity/Aan/ViewArticle?oid=1100 |access-date=June 1, 2009 |work=aan.org}}</ref>
In 2001, company co-founder David Cohen spun off five newspapers from Metro to form a new company called Silicon Valley Community Newspapers. The papers included the ''Saratoga News'', ''Campbell Reporter'', ''Cupertino Courier'', ''Sunnyvale Sun'' and ''Willow Glen Resident''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 10, 2001 |title=Silicon Valley newspapers go their own way |work=Santa Cruz Sentinel |pages=6 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
In 2009, ''Metro Santa Cruz'' was renamed ''Santa Cruz Weekly''. In 2014, Metro Newspapers acquired ''Good Times'', the ''Gilroy Dispatch'', the ''Hollister Free Lance'' and the ''Morgan Hill Times'' from Brookside Capital. Metro then merged ''Good Times'' with ''Santa Cruz Weekly''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Baumann |first=Greg |date=Mar 31, 2014 |title=Metro Newspapers buys weeklies in Santa Cruz, Gilroy, Morgan Hill and Hollister |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/03/31/metro-newspapers-buys-weeklies-in-santa-cruz.html |access-date=May 22, 2022 |publisher=Silicon Valley Business Journal}}</ref>
In 2015, Metro acquired the ''Pacific Sun''; the ''Bohemian'' ceased distribution in Marin County and increased its Sonoma County and Napa County distribution.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zaragoza |first=Jason |date=2015-05-06 |title=Metro Newspapers Acquires Pacific Sun |url=http://www.altweeklies.com/aan/metro-newspapers-acquires-pacific-sun/Article?oid=8130597 |accessdate=2015-05-17 |work=AltWeeklies.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Holbrook |first=Stett |date=2015-05-13 |title=The 'Sun' Also Rises |url=http://www.bohemian.com/northbay/the-sun-also-rises/Content?oid=2715942 |accessdate=2015-05-17 |work=North Bay Bohemian}}</ref>
In 2019, the company acquired the ''King City Rustler'', ''Soledad Bee,'' ''Greenfield News'' and ''Gonzales Tribune'' from News Media Corporation.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Lyon |first=Mike |date=2019-07-03 |title=California publisher buys South County newspapers |url=https://soledadbee.com/california-publisher-buys-south-county-newspapers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929090538/https://soledadbee.com/california-publisher-buys-south-county-newspapers/ |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |access-date=2025-09-23 |website=Soledad Bee |language=en-US}}</ref> That same year it purchased ''The Pajaronian''.<ref>{{Citation |title=Santa Cruz Good Times Buys Watsonville Register-Pajaronian |date=July 7, 2019 |url=https://www.sanjoseinside.com/2019/07/07/santa-cruz-good-times-buys-watsonville-register-pajaronian/ |access-date=January 18, 2020 |publisher=San Jose Inside}}</ref>
In 2020, the company was renamed to Weeklys, acquired the ''East Bay Express,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Debolt |first=David |date=March 24, 2020 |title=East Bay Express sold to group led by Metro Silicon Valley |url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/03/23/east-bay-express-sold-to-group-led-by-metro-silicon-valley/ |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2020-10-12 |website=East Bay Times |language=en-us}}</ref>'' launched ''East Bay'' magazine, and acquired the ''Scotts Valley Press Banner''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Fern |date=October 8, 2020 |title=Weeklys Buys 'Press Banner,' Enlarges Its Newspaper Stable |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/356676/weeklys-buys-press-banner-enlarges-its-newspape.html |access-date=2020-10-12 |website=Publishers Daily}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 6, 2020 |title=Good Times Purchases Press-Banner |url=https://goodtimes.sc/santa-cruz-news/good-times-purchases-press-banner/ |access-date=2020-10-12 |website=GoodTimes.sc}}</ref> In 2021, Weeklys launched a new paper called the ''Los Gatan''.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 3, 2021 |title=Independent publisher launches new weekly in Los Gatos, California |url=https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/independent-publisher-launches-new-weekly-in-los-gatos-california,201534 |accessdate=21 March 2022 |magazine=Editor & Publisher}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=September 10, 2021 |title=Independent publisher launches new weekly in Los Gatos, California |url=https://www.fairfieldsuntimes.com/news/national/independent-publisher-launches-new-weekly-in-los-gatos-california/article_65adba12-12bb-11ec-b9ed-f73ed1aba797.html |accessdate=21 March 2022 |newspaper=Fairfield Sun Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pulcrano |first=Dan |date=2021-09-23 |title=Tales of the Town: A Newspaper is Born Again |url=https://losgatan.com/tales-of-the-town-a-newspaper-is-born-again/ |access-date=2025-09-25 |website=Los Gatan |place=Los Gatos, California |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2022, Weeklys acquired ''Bay Area Parent'' from Dominion Enterprises,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bay Area Parent Acquired by ParentCo LLC |url=https://dirksvanessen.com/press_releases/view/346/bay-area-parent-acquired-by--p/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227082920/https://dirksvanessen.com/press_releases/view/346/bay-area-parent-acquired-by--p/ |archive-date=2022-12-27}}</ref> and bought the recently closed ''Healdsburg Tribune'' and relaunched it.<ref name="Dudley">{{cite web |last=Dudley |first=Brier |date=May 13, 2022 |title=California publisher saves newspaper shuttered by nonprofit |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/california-publisher-saves-newspaper-shuttered-by-nonprofit/ |accessdate=17 May 2022 |newspaper=Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 4, 2022 |title=Weeklys Acquires Healdsburg Tribune |url=https://cnpa.com/weeklys-acquires-healdsburg-tribune/ |access-date=May 22, 2022 |publisher=California New Publishers Association}}</ref>
== Publications ==
=== Alternative Weeklies ===
* ''Good Times'' * ''East Bay Express'' * ''Metro Silicon Valley'' * ''North Bay Bohemian'' * ''Pacific Sun<ref>{{cite web |last=Gogola |first=Tom |date=Dec 21, 2018 |title=Alt Together Now: The 'Pac Sun' in the '60s |url=https://www.mediabids.com/publication/ad-rates/the-gilroy-dispatch/.jsp?pubId=40552 |access-date=22 May 2022 |website=PacificSun.com |publisher=Pacific Sun |quote=With the demise of the Village Voice last year, the Pacific Sun is now the oldest continuously published alternative weekly in the country.}}</ref>''
=== Community Weeklies ===
* ''Gilroy Dispatch'' * ''Greenfield News'' * ''The Healdsburg Tribune'' * ''Hollister Free Lance'' * ''King City Rustler'' * ''Los Gatan'' * ''The Morgan Hill Times'' * ''The Pajaronian'' * ''Press Banner'' * ''Salinas Valley Tribune'' * ''Soledad Bee'' * ''Tri-City Voice''
=== Magazines ===
* ''Bay Area Parent'' * ''Bohéme - North Bay'' * ''Cannabis Chronicle'' * ''East Bay Magazine'' * ''South Valley Magazine''
==Silicon Valley Community Newspapers== Metro developed a group of weekly community newspapers, including the ''Los Gatos Weekly-Times'', ''Saratoga News'', ''Campbell Reporter'', ''Willow Glen Resident'' and ''Sunnyvale Sun''. On December 17, 2001, David Cohen, a co-founder of Metro, bought the group, which at the time included six publications and left to run Silicon Valley Community Newspapers as an independent company. Cohen sold it three years later to Knight Ridder which sold the group to McClatchy. McClatchy immediately resold SVCN to Dean Singleton's MediaNews Group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gradethenews.org/2006/mcclatchy.htm |title= Knight Ridder breakup may create unprecedented concentration of ownership in Bay Area newspapers|last1=Stoll|first1=Michael |date= 14 March 2006|website=gradethenews.org |publisher=Grade the News |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref> In 2014, Bay Area News Group marketing director Erika Brown announced that the newspapers would be distributed to subscribers of the ''Mercury News'', rather than generally to homes in the community.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2014/02/12/2_12_14_community_newspapers_metro_mercury_news_bang/|title=Wake of the Weeklies|date= 12 February 2006|website=San Jose Inside | publisher=Metro Newspapers |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref>
== Alumni == The company has a number of notable alumni, including British television journalist Louis Theroux, ''New York Times'' opinion writer Michelle Goldberg, former News Director of Vice News Michael Learmonth, typographer Conor Mangat <ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |title=PLatelet a typeface designed by conor mangat |url=https://www.emigre.com/PDF/Platelet.pdf#page=8 |access-date=22 March 2012 |website=Emigre |quote=His exploits to date include spells in branding and new media at MetaDesign in San Francisco, editorial design for Metro Newspapers in Silicon Valley}}</ref> and film producer Zack Stentz<ref>{{cite web |last=Templeton |first=David |date=2003-03-13 |title=Too Weird: Dreaming of vampires, waking to nanobugs, writer Zack Stentz gets his first big-screen credit in 'Agent Cody Banks' |url=http://www.metroactive.com/metro/09.13.06/blogher-0637.html |access-date=2017-12-01 |publisher=Metroactive}}</ref> ''Metro Silicon Valley'' was one of the first newspapers to publish Matt Groening's ''Life in Hell'' comic strip, long before he created ''The Simpsons'', and Rob Brezsny's ''Real Astrology''.<ref>Richard von Busack, "Groening Pull," ''Metro Silicon Valley'', July 4, 2012.</ref>
==References== <references />
==External links== * [http://www.metrosiliconvalley.com/metro/index.html/ Metro Silicon Valley] * [http://www.goodtimes.sc/ Good Times] * [http://www.bohemian.com/ North Bay Bohemian] * [http://www.pacificsun.com/ Pacific Sun] * [http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ East Bay Express] * [http://www.sanjoseinside.com/ San Jose Inside] * [http://www.weeklys.com/ Weeklys Company website] * [http://Metro.Agency/ Metro.Agency]
{{Metro Newspapers}}
Category:Weekly newspaper companies of the United States Category:Newspapers published in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Companies based in San Jose, California Category:American companies established in 1985 Category:Weekly newspapers published in California