UNIQUE: Agreement gave half a page to Veco chairman who pleaded guilty to bribery.
Starting next month, the Daily News will stop publishing the Voice of the Times, a half-page editorial section that has appeared in the paper every day for the past 15 years, Daily News publisher Mike Sexton announced Wednesday.
The Voice of the Times has been published and controlled by Bill Allen, the chairman and chief executive of Veco. The section generally reflects the editorial views of Allen, who was publisher of The Anchorage Times, a daily newspaper, for two years before folding it in 1992.
On Monday, the Veco chief pleaded guilty to federal bribery and conspiracy charges linked to an FBI corruption investigation that has already led to the indictment of four current or former state legislators.
When the Times ceased operations, the Daily News agreed to an almost unprecedented arrangement: to keep alive the editorial viewpoint of the Times by giving Allen a half page a day facing the lead page of the Daily News editorial section. Allen was free to publish his opinions without interference from the Daily News, according to the paper.
The original contract between the Times and News was for 10 years, until 2002. The contract was renewed once for five years, through this month, but will not be extended again.
Sexton made that announcement in a written statement released Wednesday. In it, Sexton said he informed Allen last week that the Daily News would let the contract expire. Earlier this week, in a story about Allen's guilty plea, Sexton had said only that the arrangement to publish the Voice of the Times was under review.
"We believe the arrangement added to diversity of debate and discussion in Alaska, but have intended for some time to move beyond it to embrace an even greater range of opinions," Sexton said.
Authorities searched Veco offices months ago. While Sexton's statement did not say the FBI investigation played a role in the decision to drop the Voice of the Times, it did say, "Like all Alaskans, we deplore the corruption of state government and were deeply disappointed to learn these details."
McClatchy Newspapers, a national newspaper company that owns the Daily News, agreed in 1992 to print the Voice of the Times' generally pro-development, socially conservative columns and editorials, produced by a small staff employed by Allen. The Times has been paying the production costs, such as ink and newsprint, for its space in the Daily News. Neither the Times nor the Daily News has disclosed that cost.
The closing of the Times and the beginning of the Voice of the Times came after a hard-fought, long-running newspaper war between the long-dominant and conservative Times and an upstart, more liberal Daily News.
The Daily News publisher at the time, Jerry Grilly, said the goal of the Voice of the Times was "to help ensure that Anchorage enjoys a diversity of viewpoints."
The arrangement was so unusual that it's covered in journalism classes as a curiosity of the newspaper wars that left most American cities with only one daily paper.
The Times billed its opinions as "A conservative Voice for Alaskans." It often clashed with the editorial views of the Daily News.
Voice of the Times editor Bill Tobin said he learned just Wednesday that the deal was finished.
"It's a great loss," he said. Readers liked having the Voice of the Times in the Daily News, he said.
"Obviously, we regret that it's coming to an end."
Tobin said the Voice of the Times plans to publish an editorial in today's paper reacting to the news of its demise. Another editor, Tom Brennan, declined to be interviewed but did say the change was more or less expected.
"We've thought this might be the end of it for some time, and we're working on our future plans," he said.
Sexton and other Daily News managers declined to be interviewed about the Voice of the Times.
Former Ketchikan Daily News publisher Lew Williams, who wrote a book on Alaska newspaper history, said Alaskans are generally conservative and the Daily News should include commentary that reflects their views or risk losing readers.
"Sometimes the Daily News is accused of being too left-wing," Williams said.
Sexton said the paper's Opinion pages will "remain open to the pro-development views that characterized the VOT and to the many other voices and contrary opinions that make Alaska the most exciting place in the country to practice journalism."
Rep. Mike Doogan (D-Anchorage), a former Daily News columnist, once wrote an article for the Anchorage Press about the agreement, which was headlined "An unholy alliance."
Doogan said Wednesday the Times was the voice of Veco, not of conservatives.
Wednesday afternoon, the Voice of the Times issued a statement thanking its readers and hinting the paper's voice will return, one way or another.
It reads: "Our days as part of the newsprint industry are ending, but The Voice of The Times will live on."
Daily News reporter Kyle Hopkins can be reached at khopkins@adn.com.
