Hutto closes after 9 years

HUTTO — The Hutto Herald printed its final edition July 28.

Owners Kay and Jim Johnson founded the newspaper Aug. 10, 1995, bringing a newspaper back to the town that had been without its own publication since 1929.

“Our decision to get out of the newspaper business was made about 15 months ago. We concluded we wanted to begin slowing down our pace, taking time to do other things, travel and smell the roses along the way,” they wrote in the final issue.

The Herald reported 789 circulation on its 2003 Statement of Ownership, Management & Circulation.

In August 2003, the Taylor Daily Press launched the free weekly Hutto News. Williamson County, where Hutto is located, has seven paid newspapers and two free newspapers.

ACM buys Valley group

DALLAS — American Consolidated Media Inc. purchased the assets of Valley Media Ltd., publisher of shoppers and community newspapers serving the Rio Grande Valley, and Publisher Services Inc., the printing and distribution arm.

The transaction includes the Bargain Book, Valley Town Crier in McAllen, Rio Grande Valley Business and Winter Texan.

ACM owns four dailies and 21 weeklies in Texas and two Oklahoma papers.

John Cribb, Cribb & Associates, represented the seller in the transaction.

Austin daily joins push to reach Spanish readers

AUSTIN — The Austin American-Statesman plans to launch a weekly Spanish-language newspaper this month.

The free publication ¡ahora sí! will have 20,000 initial distribution at Austin area stores and vending machines.

Five American-Statesman employees will produce the publication and others will provide copy as well.

Fort Worth daily cuts back on story jumps

FORT WORTH — The Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Aug. 15 unveiled changes to its design and content that include a new policy designed to find ways to not jump stories inside.

Editor Jim Witt suggested in a memo to newsroom employees that staff

members follow one of several techniques to avoid jumping — write shorter stories, put the complete story inside and tease to it from the front page, or put a story on the front that deals with the main aspect and write a sidebar that goes inside if the reader desires even more information.

Tech to offer doctorate in mass communications

LUBBOCK — The Texas Tech University College of Mass Communications has been approved for a doctor of philosophy in mass communications program by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The college plans to admit two or three doctoral students in spring 2005 and eight to 10 students in fall 2005.

The program will focus on the study of mass communications and the convergence of all media of mass communications. Coursework may concentrate in advertising, electronic media, journalism or public relations, but each student must acquire at least some background in all areas and media of mass communications.