TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) - The Ocean County Observer, a newspaper that traces its roots back more than 150 years, is being converted to a weekly due to declining circulation, the paper's publisher said.
Starting Jan. 10, the daily newspaper will be replaced by the weekly Toms River Observer-Reporter. The new weekly publication will focus on local schools and sports, small businesses and the Toms River-area population. The broadsheet format newspaper will be mailed to 40,000 homes.
Thomas M. Donovan, president and publisher of the Observer and the Asbury Park Press, both owned by Gannett Co. Inc., said publishing two daily newspapers in the same market became increasingly difficult given changing reader habits, advertising challenges and an increase in operating costs.
'This new initiative gives our readers and advertisers more opportunities to choose how they want to get their local news,' he said in an article published Wednesday in both newspapers.
'Under the new structure, we will have strong, comprehensive local news coverage in the daily and Sunday Asbury Park Press, breaking news and other interactive features on our redesigned Web site, APP.com, and great hometown coverage in our weekly Toms River Observer-Reporter,' he said.
There will be no layoffs because of the changes, Donovan said, with Observer employees being offered jobs at the new weekly, the Press, or as online staff.
Gannett has owned the Observer since 1998, just one year after it bought the Press.
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