The Capital Times
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| 'The Capital Times' | |
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| Type | newspaper |
| Format | Monday-thru-Saturday broadsheet (until 4/26/2008) Wednesday-and-Thursday tabloid (beginning 4/30/2008) |
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| Owner | Capital Newspapers |
| Publisher | Clayton Frink[1] |
| Editor | Paul Fanlund[1] |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Political allegiance | Progressivism |
| Headquarters | Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
| Circulation | 19,355 Weekday 21,065 Saturday[2] |
| Sister newspapers | Wisconsin State Journal |
| ISSN | 0749-4068 |
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| Website: captimes.com | |
The Capital Times (or just Cap Times) is a newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Capital Newspapers. The newspaper is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin.[3] The Capital Times formerly published Mondays thru Saturdays, with a weekday circulation of 19,355 and a Saturday circulation of 21,065.[2] The paper ceased daily (Monday-Saturday) publication with its April 26, 2008 edition and became a primarily Internet-based news operation, although it will publish twice a week, beginning April 30, 2008, for free or supplement distribution.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early Years
Founded by William T. Evjue in 1917, The Capital Times began publishing as an afternoon daily on December 13, 1917, directly competing with the Wisconsin State Journal. The newspaper's motto was and continues to be "Wisconsin's Progressive Newspaper."[4]
Evjue, before starting the newspaper, was a managing editor and business manager at the State Journal. The Wisconsin State Journal had been a supporter of the progressive Robert La Follette, whom Evjue considered a hero, until he began publicly opposing World War I. In the summer of 1917, Evjue quit the Wisconsin State Journal over his disagreement with the State Journal's abandonment of La Follette.[4] [5]
Rumors were spread that the new newspaper was editorially pro-German due to Evjue's support for the anti-war LaFollette. As a result, shortly after publishing the first issue, the newspaper faced an advertising boycott. However, Evjue was resolved to beat the boycott and began visiting nearby communities selling $1 subscriptions. By the summer of 1919, the newspaper had a circulation of over 10,000 and the advertising boycott ended.[4]
In November of 1927, the paper would launch a Sunday edition.
[edit] Competition
Fierce competition continued between the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times until the late 1940s when the newspapers could not afford to replace their aging equipment. After years of attempting to scoop each other and competing for advertising and circulation, the newspapers entered into consolidation talks in the hope of maintaining both newspapers.[4]
After tense negotiations, Lee Enterprises, owner of the Wisconsin State Journal, and Evjue's The Capital Times Company formed Madison Newspapers, Inc. (now Capital Newspapers) on November 15, 1948 to operate both newspapers under joint agency.
On February 1, 1949, the Wisconsin State Journal moved from afternoons to mornings and was the sole newspaper published on Sunday in the partnership.[6] The Capital Times would continue to publish on weekday afternoons and on Saturday mornings.
[edit] The Evjue Foundation
Following the death of its founder, William T. Evjue, in 1970, his controlling interest in The Capital Times Company, as publishers of The Capital Times, was transferred to The Evjue Foundation, founded a few years previous to make small donations to worthy causes.
As explained in a section of The Capital Times' website devoted to the Foundation's history, proceeds from Evjue's bequest
must go to organizations that best exemplify the beliefs that he championed during his lifetime, causes that could improve the quality of life for all the people in the Dane County area.
Accordingly, this bequest (initially valued at $13,450) makes the Evjue Foundation majority shareholder of The Capital Times Company, in addition to being co-owner of Capital Newspapers.
As of 28 February 2005, the latest figures available, the Foundation's assets totalled $24,501,817, with $2,296,514 available for grants.
[edit] Switch to the Internet
On February 7, 2008, with The Capital Times facing declining circulation (a problem facing the newspaper industry in general and afternoon dailies in particular), the paper announced it would cease daily print publication April 26, 2008. From that point, according to publisher Clayton Frink, it would "shift its focus" to regular news updates on its website, captimes.com, as well as publish a more widely distributed free weekly print edition. As of the April 30, 2008 edition, The Capital Times will appear twice a week, Wednesdays and Thursdays, in a 48-page tabloit format (moving from its longtime broadsheet style) that will be included with the Wisconsin State Journal and also be distributed for free through newsracks and newstands in the Madison area. The move has gained national attention as it involves a prominent daily newspaper shifting to full-time electronic news distribution while at the same time keeping a traditional (albeit non-daily) newspaper format.[1]
The two Capital Times editions would also have distinct formats:
- The Wednesday editions would be a traditional news-and-opinion format, with more in-depth reportage, analysis, and regular columnists.
- The Thursday editions will run under the name 77 Square (for the number of square miles within the city of Madison), and feature entertainment and lifestyle articles and listings (replacing the Thursday "Rythym" section that appeared in both the Capital Times and State Journal).
As part of the move, The Capital Times saw its staff reduced from about 64 to 44 positions, with 20 additional printing and distributing positions at Capital Newspapers being eliminated. Among the prominent staffers departing the paper were associate editor Joe Hart[2] and features columnist Doug Moe (who would move to the State Journal in the same role). Also in relation to the move, Capital Times executive editor Paul Fanlund would take the title of editor, while editor Dave Zweifel would become editor emeritus; Zweifel had been with the paper since 1962 and editor since 1983.
[edit] Columnists
- Bill Berry (editorial)
- Linda Brazill (features)
- Judy Ettenhofer (editorial)
- Todd Finkelmeyer (sports)
- FYI Guy (features)
- Ed Garvey (editorial)
- Joe Hart (sports)
- Phil Haslanger (editorial)
- Mike Ivey (business)
- Margaret Krome (editorial)
- Mike Lucas (sports)
- Adam Mertz (sports)
- Joel McNally (editorial)
- John Nichols (editorial)
- Barbara Quirk (features)
- Dennis Semrau (sports)
- Rob Schultz (sports)
- Rob Zaleski (news)
- Dave Zweifel (editorial)
[edit] References
- ^ a b Contact Us. Capital Newspapers. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ a b Retail Advertising Rates 2006/2007 (PDF). Capital Newspapers. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ The Capital Region's primary sources. Capital Newspapers. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ a b c d Our History. The Capital Times. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ Madison, WI. Lee Enterprises. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ History. Capital Newspapers. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
[edit] External Links
- The Capital Times website
- Link to Capital Times website primer and redesign blog
- Website for "77 Square" (under development as of 4/24/2008)
- "Daily Paper To Drop Much of Print Version in Shift to Web", from Editor & Publisher, February 7, 2008
- "The end of an era", from Isthmus, April 25, 2008
- "Noted Madison Newspaper to Print Final Daily", from Associated Press (via editorandpublisher.com), April 25, 2008
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