St. Louis' only gay monthly newspaper
is going on hold till 2010, the Riverfront Times reported.
The Vital Voice is on hold until
January 2010 after publishing its September issue.
The paper's owner said she opted for
the temporary shutdown of St. Louis' only newspaper exclusively
serving the city's gay and lesbian community to concentrate on a
makeover for the publication, but she did not disclose details.
“The economics of it all … it just
made sense to take the time and money we need to focus on coming out
in 2010 the way we want,” Pam Schneider told the paper.
In July, the sudden closure of the New
York Blade's print operation came close on the heels of news that
the New York-based gay glossy Genre had shuttered its
operation. Both publications said the bad economy had prompted their
demise.
At the time, Blade executives
held out hope of a return but signs of a comeback have yet to
materialize.
The Blade counted a circulation
of 22,000 readers. The Vital Voice, which began in 2000,
boasts a circulation between 13,000 and 15,000 readers. Schneider
said the
paper's website will continue to be updated.