Freedom Communications | Orange County Register
Freedom Communications’ challenge to the Los Angeles Times — the Los Angeles Register — will soft launch on April 16, the company announced Monday. The company also plans to introduce roughly a dozen community papers throughout Los Angeles County.
Over 7,500 retail and news rack locations will carry the Register at $1.50 on weekdays and $2 on Saturdays and Sundays, the company said. Home delivery will follow at an initial four-week subscription rate of $19.99.
According to a company statement:
“The Los Angeles Register will deliver community-building information about local activities, people and issues that impact our lives every day,” said Aaron Kushner, co-owner of Freedom Communications and Publisher of the Los Angeles Register. “Newspapers play an incredibly vital role in the social fabric of our lives- informing, inspiring and connecting us with our community. The Los Angeles Register and our community newspapers serving Los Angeles will focus on creating deep and meaningful local connections, as it is this type of bond and mission that helps subscribers, advertisers and our community itself thrive.”
In December, Kushner told the staff of the Orange County Register that the new paper will have “not quite the heft of the Orange County Register” and will be produced by the O.C. Register’s existing staff.
Freedom Communications, known for its “libertarian editorial tradition,” the Orange County Register said, also laid out the Los Angeles paper’s editorial stance:
Opinion pages will bring an alternative voice and unique political perspective, and emphasize constructive debate and civil dialogue on the issues most vital to Los Angeles County. Opinion columnists will clearly support the protection of individual liberties and freedoms you possess that enable you to develop your community, grow your business and live life to the fullest.
Kushner and co-owner Eric Spitz purchased Freedom Communications in 2012. Last year, they launched the Long Beach Register, purchased The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise and beefed up the Orange County Register in a buck-the-trend bet on print.
Correction: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect spelling of Aaron Kushner’s last name.
