The Capital Times, Madison's cutest, money-losingest daily newspaper has announced plans to stop printing every day. It brings the end to two eras - the 90 year run of the progressive rag, and the waiting for The Capital Times to finally, finally accept that they were better esteemed then read by the community. They will switch to online only opinion and commentary and weekly A&E coverage as an insert for the Wisconsin State Journal (also distributed as a free weekly). The jig will be up this spring.
Claiming a circulation of 17 thousand, they were smaller then the combined circulation of the UW's two student papers, and barely larger than either one. They were killed, essentially, by being an afternoon newspaper in an era where people don't need afternoon newspapers. And that our-news-is-a-day-old-every-morning stigma could never change, due to a 60 year old agreement with the Wisconsin State Journal and mutual owner Lee Enterprises.
I've worked for the online division of both papers. I also worked for what now becomes the Capital Times's weekly competitors, The Onion-Madison and Isthmus weeklies. It's like mommy and daddy are fighting. Although, in this metaphor, mommy hasn't won a fight in years.
