1311:
137:
357:
416:
146:
407:, the Easons decided to launch a weekly free publication titled simply Creative Loafing. The four-person editorial staff operated out of the living and dining rooms of the Easons' Morningside home; the darkroom was in the basement. The print run of the first edition—all of eight pages—was 12,000 copies.
603:
In a bankruptcy auction on August 25, 2009, Atalaya
Capital Management of New York City, emerged as the new owner, paying $ 5 million (it was also CL's largest creditor, owed $ 30 million before the bankruptcy). The Easons had put in a bid of $ 2.3 million, and with the change in ownership, Ben Eason
545:
purchased a 25% minority share of the company for approximately US$ 5 million. In the process, Cox executives filled two seats on
Creative Loafing's eight-member board. An uneasy four-year relationship between the two companies followed, as Cox also owned Atlanta's only daily,
164:-based publisher of a monthly arts and culture newspaper/magazine. The company publishes a 60,000 circulation monthly publication which is distributed to in-town locations and neighborhoods on the first Thursday of each month. The company has historically been a part of the
282:
Creative
Loafing filed for Bankruptcy protection in 2008 during the crash. At the time it declared bankruptcy, Creative Loafing owned six alternative weeklies and was the nation's 2nd largest publisher of alternative weeklies behind the Village Voice
219:
Creative
Loafing, LLC is the name of the Publishing Company that owns Creative Loafing. Creative Loafing, LLC purchased the assets of Creative Loafing Atlanta from SouthComm in February 2017, which put the paper back into the Eason Family's hands.
171:
Creative
Loafing began as a family-owned business in 1972 by Deborah and Chick Eason, expanding to other cities in the Southern United States in the late 1980s and 1990s. In 2007 it doubled its circulation with the purchase of the
676:
In
February, 2017, Ben Eason re-purchased Creative Loafing in Atlanta and took the publication from a weekly to a monthly as part of a plan to take the company in a direction more compatible to the new digital publishing economy.
564:, the Easons and Creative Loafing board members voted to censure the two Cox executives for unethical conduct, and by June 2004 both companies agreed to allow the chain to repurchase its shares from Cox.
1331:
495:
Two years later, in
September 2000, he and his two sisters led a group of investors to purchase a controlling interest in the entire Creative Loafing chain, and subsequently brought the
673:
In 2016, the
Charlotte Creative Loafing was sold to Womack Publishing of North Carolina. In 2018, the Charlotte Creative Loafing was sold again and ceased publishing a print version.
399:
to inform the public about all of the city's cultural happenings—festivals, concerts, Wicca meetings. They originally began publishing it from the basement of their home in the
395:
in 1972 after the couple attended a 25-attendee
Georgia State University lecture by a visiting Russian scholar. This, and other poorly attended events, convinced them to start
449:, covering the suburbs north of the city in Cobb, Gwinnett, southern Forsyth and northern Fulton counties. Bowing to reader complaints about racy advertisements in
1341:
800:
433:. After a decade and a half in Atlanta, the Easons established new Creative Loafing weeklies in March 1987 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in 1988 in
1346:
741:
596:
In order to accomplish the acquisitions, the company borrowed $ 40 million. The ensuing economic slump hurt ad sales, and CL Inc. filed for
1141:
211:, was the managing editor of the newspaper 1993–1996 until their move to New York City, which commenced Sean Hannity's television career.
188:, forced the company into bankruptcy one year later. The parent company, Creative Loafing, Inc. was dissolved and Atalaya sold off the
914:
1326:
1336:
1220:
195:
The
Atlanta Creative Loafing launched the career of many writers and has been an institution in Atlanta's cultural scene. The
464:
By July 2007, Creative Loafing became a mini-empire with four papers in three states and purchased two heralded alt-weeklies—
974:
857:
1085:
944:
207:
by debuting her weekly column "Moodswing," which first appeared in 2001 and ran for eight years. Jill Hannity, the wife of
612:
Over the next two years, 2010–2011, Atalaya sold Creative Loafing's remaining mid-market papers. The first to be sold was
429:
was not the first alternative weekly Atlanta had seen, but over the years, its size and ambitions crowded out competitors—
888:
387:
Deborah Eason, a photographer for Delta Air Lines, and Elton "Chick" Eason, a math professor at Georgia State University
192:. In 2012, SouthComm purchased all of the properties and then sold off each of the papers to other publishers in 2018.
830:
484:
Ben Eason, son of Deborah and Elton, purchased the Tampa paper from his parents in 1994 and changed its name to the
548:
437:. Other expansions or acquisitions included newspapers in Greenville, South Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; and
770:
185:
1274:
1031:
808:
711:
59:
Sold to Ben Eason in February, 2017 by SouthComm Publishing following a brief ownership by hedge fund Atalaya
1059:
1118:
203:
fame were launched from an ad in Creative Loafing in the 1990s. Best-selling author and American humorist
1194:
617:
368:
225:
1249:
1167:
742:"Nashville-Based Media Company SouthComm Acquires Creative Loafing Atlanta and Washington City Paper"
230:
652:
three largest newspapers continued under Atalaya's ownership for one more year. In May 2012, the
260:
643:
were sold to SouthComm Inc., a publisher of alternative weeklies based in Nashville, Tennessee.
457:, for nightlife listings. These three Atlanta-area publications would later be folded back into
441:. The company also expanded its footprint in the Atlanta area, starting two community weeklies,
400:
541:
To help finance the 2000 deal transferring ownership to Ben Eason's group, media conglomerate
507:
banner, the Tampa paper officially reverted to its former name and the Sarasota paper became
180:
87:
1145:
521:
Greenville and Savannah properties back from her children. The Greenville paper was renamed
499:
papers into the fold. After a false start during which the May 31, 2006, edition of Tampa's
1004:
72:
8:
1310:
249:
of Charlotte, North Carolina, sold in October 2011 to SouthComm, sold in August 2014 to
136:
329:
165:
616:, which was shuttered in December 2010, with its brand sold for an undisclosed sum to
658:
589:
438:
306:
204:
982:
865:
542:
1093:
952:
681:
434:
236:
174:
1320:
945:"Weekly Newspaper Chain Cuts Two Stand-Alone Publications in Atlanta Suburbs"
670:
were sold to SouthComm, for an undisclosed sum, and CL Inc. ceased to exist.
200:
208:
287:
Other newspapers the company published over its 40-year history included:
552:, as well as television and radio outlets in the Atlanta area. After the
250:
403:
neighborhood of Atlanta. After a trial run of a monthly magazine called
356:
597:
556:
in April 2003 quietly launched its own free entertainment weekly named
196:
431:
The Great Speckled Bird; Poets, Artists & Madmen; The Sunday Paper
415:
241:
294:
of Greenville, South Carolina, sold in 2001 to Debby Eason, renamed
145:
662:, in a deal reported at $ 3 million. Two months later, on July 3,
1250:"Creative Loafing Chain Sold to Biggest Creditor for $ 5 Million"
572:
On July 24, 2007, Creative Loafing announced the purchase of the
161:
68:
1005:"Collection Number 05319: Independent Weekly Records, 1982-2004"
304:
of Savannah, Georgia, sold in 2001 to Debby Eason, merged into
1304:
129:
1332:
Alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States
1032:"A long, strange trip: The oral history of Creative Loafing"
712:"A long, strange trip: The oral history of Creative Loafing"
321:
nightlife weekly of Atlanta, Georgia, closed in March 2001
453:, the Easons established a separate Atlanta publication,
338:
in north suburban Atlanta, Georgia, closed in April 2001
315:
in north suburban Atlanta, Georgia, closed in April 2001
1160:
1144:. Association of Alternative Newsmedia. Archived from
1086:"Can Creative Loafing Get an Even Break in Charlotte?"
488:. In 1998 he expanded the paper and launched a second
476:, a longtime Reader-syndicated column by Cecil Adams.
327:
of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, 1997–2002, sold to
593:
and the SDMB, the associated Internet message board.
915:"Creative Loafing Savannah Becomes Connect Savannah"
405:
P-s-s-t . . . A Guide to Creative Loafing in Atlanta
273:
of Tampa, Florida, sold in October 2011 to SouthComm
1142:"Creative Loafing to Sell Minority Interest to Cox"
279:
of Washington, D.C., sold in July 2012 to SouthComm
258:of Sarasota, Florida, sold in December 2010 to the
184:; the $ 40 million debt it incurred, along with an
656:was sold to Wrapports, publisher of the competing
1318:
1121:. Tampa Bay Business Journal. September 19, 2006
628:published its own free weekly product under the
975:"Raleigh, N.C.-Area Newspapers Announce Merger"
1009:Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library
981:. Durham, N.C. August 15, 2002. Archived from
514:Shortly after the sale, Debby Eason purchased
1133:
1011:. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
600:bankruptcy protection on September 29, 2008.
168:newspapers association in the United States.
1342:Newspapers published in Georgia (U.S. state)
1275:"Creative Loafing's Sudden, Shocking Demise"
1119:"Tampa Alternative Weekly Changing Identity"
1053:
1051:
1309:
1168:"Creative Loafing goes to battle with AJC"
908:
906:
858:"Fla. Daily Takes Over Alternative Weekly"
852:
850:
764:
762:
705:
703:
701:
699:
697:
240:of Chicago, Illinois, sold in May 2012 to
229:of Atlanta, Georgia, sold in July 2012 to
135:
1186:
1113:
1111:
1057:
880:
684:, was sold to a group from Ohio in 2018.
567:
479:
410:
347:
1195:"Weekly Planet is Back in its Own Orbit"
1083:
1060:"Eason Children to Buy Creative Loafing"
1048:
1029:
889:"MetroBEAT, Battered, Stops the Presses"
768:
709:
414:
144:
1192:
967:
942:
903:
847:
831:"Creative Loafing Charlotte to be sold"
759:
739:
735:
733:
731:
694:
536:
1347:Newspapers published in North Carolina
1319:
1243:
1241:
1140:Iwan, Christine (September 27, 2000).
1108:
938:
936:
934:
932:
917:. Association of Alternative Newsmedia
891:. Association of Alternative Newsmedia
886:
795:
793:
791:
109:Atalaya Capital Management (2009–2012)
1247:
912:
771:"Sun-Times Owner Buys Chicago Reader"
1221:"Ambitious Move By Creative Loafing"
1139:
949:The Atlanta Journal and Constitution
801:"SouthComm Buys in Charlotte, Tampa"
728:
351:
1238:
1218:
1212:
929:
864:. December 20, 2010. Archived from
788:
632:name for some time after the sale.
103:Deborah and Chick Eason (1972–2000)
13:
1058:Edelstein, Ken (August 12, 2000).
807:. October 10, 2011. Archived from
620:, then-publisher of the competing
14:
1358:
1296:
1248:Scott, Jeffry (August 25, 2009).
769:Channick, Robert (May 23, 2012).
503:was prematurely published with a
16:Publisher in Atlanta, Georgia, US
1254:The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
913:Pulle, Matt (October 19, 2001).
549:The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
355:
1327:Newspapers published in Atlanta
1267:
1193:Hundley, Kris (July 19, 2004).
1077:
1030:Wheatley, Thomas (2018-07-26).
1023:
997:
943:Kempner, Matt (April 4, 2001).
710:Wheatley, Thomas (2018-07-26).
1337:Newspapers established in 1972
887:Howard, Joy (April 19, 2005).
823:
740:Celeste, Eric (July 3, 2012).
607:
1:
1084:Campbell, Meg (May 1, 1990).
687:
560:, in direct competition with
88:Alternative weekly newspapers
1219:Hau, Louis (July 24, 2007).
7:
292:Creative Loafing Greenville
214:
10:
1363:
1172:Atlanta Business Chronicle
835:Creative Loafing Charlotte
637:Creative Loafing Charlotte
618:The New York Times Company
342:
247:Creative Loafing Charlotte
226:Creative Loafing (Atlanta)
614:Creative Loafing Sarasota
527:Creative Loafing Savannah
509:Creative Loafing Sarasota
470:the Washington City Paper
302:Creative Loafing Savannah
256:Creative Loafing Sarasota
124:
94:
83:
63:
55:
40:
32:
24:
1064:Creative Loafing Atlanta
746:Creative Loafing Atlanta
680:The Creative Loafing in
664:Creative Loafing Atlanta
459:Creative Loafing Atlanta
451:Creative Loafing Atlanta
397:Creative Loafing Atlanta
393:Creative Loafing Atlanta
231:SouthComm Communications
622:Sarasota Herald-Tribune
261:Sarasota Herald-Tribune
641:Creative Loafing Tampa
568:Chicago and Washington
492:in Sarasota, Florida.
480:Sale to Eason Children
423:
411:Expansion in the South
348:Early years in Atlanta
271:Creative Loafing Tampa
154:
668:Washington City Paper
574:Washington City Paper
418:
277:Washington City Paper
181:Washington City Paper
148:
112:SouthComm (2012–2017)
106:Ben Eason (2000–2009)
1199:St. Petersburg Times
811:on December 20, 2011
604:was removed as CEO.
554:Journal-Constitution
537:Partnership with Cox
419:Early 1970s copy of
1148:on October 15, 2006
21:
1279:Charlotte Magazine
466:the Chicago Reader
424:
367:. You can help by
330:Independent Weekly
186:economic recession
166:alternative weekly
155:
19:
659:Chicago Sun-Times
635:In October 2011,
590:The Straight Dope
580:, along with the
474:The Straight Dope
439:Savannah, Georgia
385:
384:
251:Womack Newspapers
143:
142:
115:Ben Eason (2017–)
1354:
1313:
1308:
1307:
1305:Official website
1290:
1289:
1287:
1286:
1271:
1265:
1264:
1262:
1260:
1245:
1236:
1235:
1233:
1231:
1216:
1210:
1209:
1207:
1205:
1190:
1184:
1183:
1181:
1179:
1164:
1158:
1157:
1155:
1153:
1137:
1131:
1130:
1128:
1126:
1115:
1106:
1105:
1103:
1101:
1092:. Archived from
1081:
1075:
1074:
1072:
1070:
1055:
1046:
1045:
1043:
1042:
1036:Atlanta Magazine
1027:
1021:
1020:
1018:
1016:
1001:
995:
994:
992:
990:
971:
965:
964:
962:
960:
951:. Archived from
940:
927:
926:
924:
922:
910:
901:
900:
898:
896:
884:
878:
877:
875:
873:
854:
845:
844:
842:
841:
827:
821:
820:
818:
816:
797:
786:
785:
783:
781:
766:
757:
756:
754:
752:
737:
726:
725:
723:
722:
716:Atlanta Magazine
707:
651:
647:Creative Loafing
630:Creative Loafing
586:
562:Creative Loafing
531:Connect Savannah
529:was merged into
520:
516:Creative Loafing
505:Creative Loafing
427:Creative Loafing
421:Creative Loafing
380:
377:
359:
352:
307:Connect Savannah
298:, folded in 2005
205:Hollis Gillespie
158:Creative Loafing
151:Creative Loafing
139:
134:
131:
51:
49:
22:
20:Creative Loafing
18:
1362:
1361:
1357:
1356:
1355:
1353:
1352:
1351:
1317:
1316:
1303:
1302:
1299:
1294:
1293:
1284:
1282:
1273:
1272:
1268:
1258:
1256:
1246:
1239:
1229:
1227:
1217:
1213:
1203:
1201:
1191:
1187:
1177:
1175:
1166:
1165:
1161:
1151:
1149:
1138:
1134:
1124:
1122:
1117:
1116:
1109:
1099:
1097:
1096:on May 11, 2013
1082:
1078:
1068:
1066:
1056:
1049:
1040:
1038:
1028:
1024:
1014:
1012:
1003:
1002:
998:
988:
986:
985:on May 11, 2013
973:
972:
968:
958:
956:
955:on June 6, 2007
941:
930:
920:
918:
911:
904:
894:
892:
885:
881:
871:
869:
868:on May 11, 2013
856:
855:
848:
839:
837:
829:
828:
824:
814:
812:
799:
798:
789:
779:
777:
775:Chicago Tribune
767:
760:
750:
748:
738:
729:
720:
718:
708:
695:
690:
649:
610:
584:
570:
543:Cox Enterprises
539:
518:
482:
413:
381:
375:
372:
365:needs expansion
350:
345:
217:
130:creativeloafing
128:
120:
79:
75:
47:
45:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1360:
1350:
1349:
1344:
1339:
1334:
1329:
1315:
1314:
1298:
1297:External links
1295:
1292:
1291:
1266:
1237:
1211:
1185:
1174:. June 3, 2003
1159:
1132:
1107:
1076:
1047:
1022:
996:
979:The Herald-Sun
966:
928:
902:
879:
846:
822:
805:Nashville Post
787:
758:
727:
692:
691:
689:
686:
682:Tampa, Florida
654:Chicago Reader
626:Herald-Tribune
609:
606:
578:Chicago Reader
569:
566:
558:Access Atlanta
538:
535:
481:
478:
435:Tampa, Florida
412:
409:
383:
382:
362:
360:
349:
346:
344:
341:
340:
339:
333:
322:
316:
310:
299:
285:
284:
280:
274:
268:
264:, merged into
253:
244:
237:Chicago Reader
233:
216:
213:
190:Chicago Reader
175:Chicago Reader
141:
140:
126:
122:
121:
119:
118:
117:
116:
113:
110:
107:
104:
98:
96:
92:
91:
85:
81:
80:
77:
67:
65:
61:
60:
57:
53:
52:
42:
38:
37:
34:
30:
29:
26:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1359:
1348:
1345:
1343:
1340:
1338:
1335:
1333:
1330:
1328:
1325:
1324:
1322:
1312:
1306:
1301:
1300:
1280:
1276:
1270:
1255:
1251:
1244:
1242:
1226:
1222:
1215:
1200:
1196:
1189:
1173:
1169:
1163:
1147:
1143:
1136:
1120:
1114:
1112:
1095:
1091:
1087:
1080:
1065:
1061:
1054:
1052:
1037:
1033:
1026:
1010:
1006:
1000:
984:
980:
976:
970:
954:
950:
946:
939:
937:
935:
933:
916:
909:
907:
890:
883:
867:
863:
859:
853:
851:
836:
832:
826:
810:
806:
802:
796:
794:
792:
776:
772:
765:
763:
747:
743:
736:
734:
732:
717:
713:
706:
704:
702:
700:
698:
693:
685:
683:
678:
674:
671:
669:
665:
661:
660:
655:
648:
644:
642:
638:
633:
631:
627:
623:
619:
615:
605:
601:
599:
594:
592:
591:
583:
579:
575:
565:
563:
559:
555:
551:
550:
544:
534:
532:
528:
524:
517:
512:
510:
506:
502:
498:
493:
491:
490:Weekly Planet
487:
486:Weekly Planet
477:
475:
471:
467:
462:
460:
456:
452:
448:
444:
443:Gwinnett Loaf
440:
436:
432:
428:
422:
417:
408:
406:
402:
398:
394:
390:
379:
370:
366:
363:This section
361:
358:
354:
353:
337:
334:
332:
331:
326:
325:The Spectator
323:
320:
317:
314:
313:Gwinnett Loaf
311:
309:
308:
303:
300:
297:
293:
290:
289:
288:
281:
278:
275:
272:
269:
267:
263:
262:
257:
254:
252:
248:
245:
243:
239:
238:
234:
232:
228:
227:
223:
222:
221:
212:
210:
206:
202:
201:Jimmy Buffett
198:
193:
191:
187:
183:
182:
177:
176:
169:
167:
163:
159:
152:
147:
138:
133:
127:
123:
114:
111:
108:
105:
102:
101:
100:
99:
97:
93:
89:
86:
82:
78:United States
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
54:
43:
39:
35:
31:
27:
23:
1283:. Retrieved
1281:. 2018-10-31
1278:
1269:
1257:. Retrieved
1253:
1228:. Retrieved
1224:
1214:
1202:. Retrieved
1198:
1188:
1176:. Retrieved
1171:
1162:
1150:. Retrieved
1146:the original
1135:
1123:. Retrieved
1098:. Retrieved
1094:the original
1089:
1079:
1067:. Retrieved
1063:
1039:. Retrieved
1035:
1025:
1015:November 18,
1013:. Retrieved
1008:
999:
987:. Retrieved
983:the original
978:
969:
957:. Retrieved
953:the original
948:
919:. Retrieved
893:. Retrieved
882:
870:. Retrieved
866:the original
861:
838:. Retrieved
834:
825:
813:. Retrieved
809:the original
804:
778:. Retrieved
774:
749:. Retrieved
745:
719:. Retrieved
715:
679:
675:
672:
667:
663:
657:
653:
646:
645:
640:
636:
634:
629:
625:
621:
613:
611:
602:
595:
588:
581:
577:
573:
571:
561:
557:
553:
547:
540:
530:
526:
522:
515:
513:
508:
504:
500:
496:
494:
489:
485:
483:
473:
469:
465:
463:
458:
454:
450:
447:Topside Loaf
446:
442:
430:
426:
425:
420:
404:
396:
392:
388:
386:
373:
369:adding to it
364:
336:Topside Loaf
335:
328:
324:
318:
312:
305:
301:
295:
291:
286:
276:
270:
265:
259:
255:
246:
235:
224:
218:
209:Sean Hannity
194:
189:
179:
173:
170:
157:
156:
150:
149:Early 2000s
64:Headquarters
25:Company type
1230:January 14,
1204:January 18,
1178:January 29,
1152:January 18,
1125:January 19,
608:Dissolution
587:properties
401:Morningside
197:Parrotheads
90:in Atlanta.
1321:Categories
1285:2020-04-02
1259:August 27,
1041:2020-07-12
840:2014-10-15
721:2020-07-25
688:References
598:Chapter 11
36:Publishing
523:MetroBEAT
461:in 2001.
455:The Scene
376:July 2012
319:The Scene
296:MetroBEAT
242:Wrapports
666:and the
576:and the
525:, while
391:founded
283:Company.
215:Holdings
84:Products
33:Industry
1100:July 7,
1090:NewsInc
1069:July 7,
989:July 7,
959:July 7,
921:July 7,
895:July 7,
872:July 7,
862:NewsInc
815:July 7,
780:July 6,
751:July 7,
343:History
162:Atlanta
160:was an
125:Website
73:Georgia
69:Atlanta
46: (
41:Founded
28:Private
1225:Forbes
650:'s
624:. The
585:'s
582:Reader
519:'s
501:Planet
497:Planet
266:Ticket
472:—and
153:paper
95:Owner
1261:2009
1232:2008
1206:2007
1180:2007
1154:2007
1127:2007
1102:2012
1071:2012
1017:2012
991:2012
961:2012
923:2012
897:2012
874:2012
817:2012
782:2012
753:2012
639:and
468:and
445:and
178:and
132:.com
56:Fate
48:1972
44:1972
371:.
199:of
1323::
1277:.
1252:.
1240:^
1223:.
1197:.
1170:.
1110:^
1088:.
1062:.
1050:^
1034:.
1007:.
977:.
947:.
931:^
905:^
860:.
849:^
833:.
803:.
790:^
773:.
761:^
744:.
730:^
714:.
696:^
533:.
511:.
76:,
71:,
1288:.
1263:.
1234:.
1208:.
1182:.
1156:.
1129:.
1104:.
1073:.
1044:.
1019:.
993:.
963:.
925:.
899:.
876:.
843:.
819:.
784:.
755:.
724:.
389:,
378:)
374:(
50:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
