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Media conglomerate buys community paper
By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times, LAND O'LAKES -- In the Loop, the twice-monthly tabloid mailed free to homes in central Pasco County and New Tampa, has been swallowed by the media conglomerate that owns the Tampa Tribune. Richmond, Va.-based Media General, which purchased In the Loop for inclusion in its Sunbelt Newspaper Group, will publish the paper weekly starting Nov. 7. "I think it's a great strategic move for Media General and Sunbelt," said Sunbelt publisher Carla Rockwell, who operates a chain of eight weekly newspapers in Hillsborough County. In the Loop was founded in early 1999 as a color alternative to the community's black-and-white weekly newspaper, the Laker. Representatives of former owner, Versatile Ventures Inc., declined to comment about the acquisition. Newspaper officials say In the Loop is mailed to 40,000 homes. The paper will continue to publish two editions: one for Odessa, Lutz and Land O'Lakes, the other for New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. Content consists mostly of advertisements and community announcements. The new owners plan no immediate overhauls, although a name change could be in the future, Rockwell said. "They've done a great job there," Rockwell said. "We just want to continue doing the same great job." Aside from the Tampa Tribune and the Sunbelt chain, Media General owns the Suncoast News in west Pasco and Hernando Today in Hernando County.
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