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Monday May 12, 2008
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Monday May 12, 2008
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1325 H Street Modesto, CA 95354 209-578-2000 www.ModBee.com |
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Mission Statement/Motto: We will provide news and information that exceeds our customers’ expectations every day.
Founded: The Modesto Bee, under various names and ownership, has been published daily since 1884, when the paper was known as the Daily Evening News. In 1924 The Daily News merged with the Modesto News-Herald and became the Modesto News-Herald. The newspaper was purchased by Charles K. McClatchy in 1924 and officially became The Modesto Bee and News-Herald in 1933. However, the name on the masthead was shortened to The Modesto Bee in 1975.
Key Executives:
Margaret Randazzo, President & Publisher
Mark Vasche’, Editor & Senior Vice President of News
Timothy Ritchey, Vice President of Advertising
Dan Baptista, Vice President of Circulation
Eric Johnston, Vice President of Marketing, Interactive Media & Audience Development
Walt Kletke, Vice President of Finance
Cathy Allison, Vice President of Human Resources
General Hiring Contact: Peggy Nielsen, Employment Manager, 209-578-2093 or call the Job Line, 209-578-2004.
Distinction: Two things set The Modesto Bee apart from other newspapers. The Modesto Bee was given the California Newspaper Publishers Association “Best in the State” award for both its print product and its online site in the same year, 2005. In addition, The Modesto Bee is one of top papers in the state when it comes to city zone penetration with 50% penetration daily and 52% on Sunday.
Market: Modesto's best-of-both worlds location offers the natural wonders of the lush San Joaquin Valley and easy access to San Francisco, Sacramento and Yosemite all within 100 miles. Modesto is Stanislaus County's largest city and is one of the 20 largest cities in California with a population of 208,100. Stanislaus County has 514,370 people who spend more than $6 billion on retail purchases each year. Of the county's 973,000 acres, approximately 80% is farmed. It is ranked among the top 10 counties in the United States for agriculture production. The county is the leading producer of milk, milk products, poultry, eggs, nut crops, fruit and wine grapes. Modesto is also home to the world's largest winery (Gallo), wet process cannery and almond processing plant. The area is also ethnically diverse with 35% of the total population being Latino.
Circulation Area: The Modesto Bee is delivered to homes and business in six counties. They are Stanislaus County (the primary market), southern San Joaquin County, Merced County, Tuolumne County, Calavares County and parts of Mariposa County. Of the many California newspapers, large and small, The Modesto Bee has the highest city-zone penetration of more than 50%.
Customers: An average daily Modesto Bee reader is aged 35+, equally male or female, with 41% having some college education and 29% with a college degree. 41% percent have a household income greater than $50,000 and 52% have children in their household. The majority of readers are white, and 15% are of Hispanic origin. While 17% of readers consider their employment to be managerial or professional, 19% are operative, non-farm laborers or craftsmen.
Site: The Modesto Bee is located in the heart of Modesto’s original downtown area. The building houses all facets of the newspaper from ad sales to printing.
Readership: Daily readers per copy are 2.5 for a total daily readership of 210,000. Sunday readers per copy is 3.0 for a total Sunday readership of 266,000.
Circulation: 83,878 daily and 88,380 Sunday.
Size:Avg. Daily (Mon - Sat): 61.0 pages; Avg. Sunday: 86.0 pages.
Single-Copy Sales: 12% daily and 14%Sunday.
Production: The Modesto Bee and many other products are printed on our Goss Flexoliner printing press. Built in 1988, it is the first press of its kind ever built exclusively for newspaper printing. Installation of the press coincided with a remodel of The Modesto Bee building in 1988. The press was moved in, and then the west wall was filled in around it.
Color: Avg # Color pages (Mon-Sat): 21.17 pages; Avg # Color pages (Sunday): 32.0 pages.
Newspaper Website: www.modbee.com
Average Monthly Page Views/Unique Visitors: Average monthly page views: 3,238,690. Average monthly unique visitors: 318,070.
Other Websites: www.modesto.com - a local search page.
Employees: 328 full-time and 226 part-time employees.
Newsroom Staff: 81 full-time and 9 part-time journalists.
Bureaus: Turlock, Ripon and Sonora.
Major Awards: California Newspaper Publisher Association awarded The Modesto Bee the 2005 General Excellence Award (Best in the State) for newspapers in the 75,000-200,000-circulation category. Modbee.com was named best website in the state in the same circulation category. Modbee.com also won Best News Web site in the nation by the NAA Digital Edge Awards. The Modesto Bee has also received several McClatchy Presidents Awards over the past two years.
Major Advertisers: Save Mart (locally owned grocery store chain), Gottschalks, Department store, Macy's, PMZ Realty (local real estate company).
Creative Ventures: In 2005 and 2006 The Modesto Bee launched several innovative news and advertising programs on modbee.com. The first program involved a content partnership with a large local grocer for the Taste section online. The grocer provided content, including recipes for a recipe database and articles from its monthly magazine to add to The Modesto Bee’s website. Online, The Modesto Bee branded the Taste section with the grocer’s name and created an e-mail newsletter for people interested in tips for holiday meals.
In January of 2006, The Modesto Bee launched video advertising on its website. The video advertising created a lot of interest both with readers and with advertisers.
The newspaper’s latest accomplishment is the production of a video version of the daily news called, "Today's Edition." It's a daily video that includes interviews with editors, reporters and actual footage from local events. It's available on the website and as a download for an ipod (video or audio only) from Apple I-Tunes.
Special Publications: In 2005, The Modesto Bee launched Vida en el Valle in the market, a bilingual weekly newspaper that originated in Fresno at The Fresno Bee. Vida is now the largest weekly bilingual publication in the nation and has been voted “Best Bilingual Newspaper of its size” by the National Association of Hispanic Publications, eight out of the past nine years.
Well-Known Newsroom Personality: Jeff Jardine writes a column several times a week focusing on local people, local events and local issues.
Community Involvement: Each year, The Modesto Bee gives more than $700,000 back to the community in the form of cash contributions, grants and promotional advertising. The newspaper supports more than 120 nonprofit organizations whose goals and values are consistent with those of the newspaper and its readers. The American Heritage Scholarship Series, Kids' Day and the Fields of Green initiative are just a few examples of Modesto Bee programs in the community.
Market: Modesto’s central location puts you within a short drive of the ocean, mountains and some of the nations most renowned parks. Day trip options from Modesto include San Francisco, Sacramento, and Yosemite National Park among many others.
Our mild climate makes outdoor activities enjoyable year round. Modesto is in the heart of one of the greatest agricultural areas in the nation, the fertile San Joaquin Valley. Dairy products, nuts, fruits, wine grapes, and poultry products are some of the top commodities. Visit during the early spring and the beautiful orchards in bloom will delight. May through November is harvest season. You can “taste Modesto” at the Farmers Market and the many fresh produce stands in the area. You simply can’t go wrong in Modesto. There’s something for everyone. It’s a cozy cite with exciting new attractions.
Location: The saying goes, “When you’re in Modesto, your are two hours or less from everywhere.” Modesto sits about 77 miles south of Sacramento, about 100 miles west of Yosemite National Forest, about 91 miles south east of San Francisco, close to 120 miles northeast of the beautiful beaches of Monterey and Carmel and about the same distance southeast of the Napa Valley wine region.
Transportation: Modesto sits just off U.S. Highway 99, a major highway that runs the length of the state. Modesto has its own airport, and is 90 minutes or less from three major international airports, Sacramento, Oakland and San Francisco. There’s an Amtrak station in Modesto and there’s an extensive railway system used for transporting the produce grown in the area.
City Population: Modesto is home to 208,100 people placing it among the top 20 largest cities in the state.
City Households: 73,500
Household Growth Rate: Annual household growth runs about 2% in both the city of Modesto and Stanislaus County.
Education: 21% high school education, 19% some college, 21% college, 11% post college.
Ethnic Makeup: 82% white, 4% African-American, 1% American Indian, 6% Asian, 35% Hispanic.
Median Age: 32
Average Income: $62,844
Median Home Value: $340,000
Average Rent: $800
Climate: Modesto has great weather. The average summer high is 87 degrees, but there can be 100-degree temperatures in July and August. The average summer low is 58 degrees. In the winter months (if you can call it winter!) the average high is 63 degrees and the average low is 44 degrees. Modesto averages 13 inches of rainfall per year.
Major Employers/Industries: Agriculture is the primary industry, but major employers include health care, education and government. Some specific companies include Gallo Winery and Gallo Glass, Signature Foods, Foster Farms, Doctor’s Hospital, Memorial Hospital and The Modesto Bee.
Major Retailers: Macy's; JCPenney; Gottschalks; Sears; Mervyn's; Target; Costco; Rite-Aid; Bed, Bath & Beyond; Wal-Mart; Walgreen’s; Best Buy; Circuit City; Michaels; Office Depot; Big 5; Petsmart; Save Mart Supermarkets; Raley’s Supermarket, Valley Sporting Goods; Al’s Furniture.
Higher Learning: California State University, Stanislaus; UC Merced, Modesto Junior College.
Culture: Modesto Symphony Orchestra, Townsend Opera Players, Modesto Civic Theatre, Central West Ballet, the Central California Art League and three museums.
Sports: Modesto Nuts minor league baseball.
Major Annual Events: Oakdale Chocolate Festival, Patterson Apricot Festival, Riverbank Wine and Cheese Festival, Hughson Fruit and Nut Festival, Ripon Almond Blossom Festival, Modesto Graffiti Weekend, Save Mart Modesto Relays (track and field event), Stanislaus County Fair.
Tourist Attractions: The McHenry Mansion and the Hershey Chocolate Factory is located in nearby Oakdale.
Recreation: In the city of Modesto alone there are more than 50 parks, four private golf courses/clubs, and more than 10 public golf courses/ranges. Three main rivers run through the area: the Stanislaus River, Tuolumne River and San Joaquin River. There are also several lakes and reservoirs close by that make for excellent fishing.
Nightlife: Over the past eight years, downtown Modesto has undergone a dramatic transformation from an undesirable location for businesses and citizens to a bustling, vibrant city center. The downtown area is now filled with local eateries and fine dining establishments, nightclubs, a cigar bar, movie theaters, and coffee houses. This fall, the much-anticipated Gallo Center for the Performing Arts is scheduled to open, which will bring a whole new level of culture and entertainment to the area.
Claim to Fame: Modesto is the hometown of George Lucas and his movie American Graffiti relates the days of his youth cruising the main drag of Modesto.
Famous Citizens: Ray Lankford (outfielder with St. Louis Cardinals); stock car racer Ernie Irvin; Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz; winemakers Ernest and Julio Gallo.
Trivia: What Broadway and film star married her junior high school sweetheart, Modesto businessman Harry Kullijian, in 2003 and now calls Modesto home? Answer: Carol Channing.
Area Information: www.visitmodesto.com or Modesto Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1150 Ninth Street, Suite C, Modesto, CA 95354. Phone: 888-640-8467, 209-526-5588. Fax: 209-526-5586.
Recent Issues of the Newspaper: Modesto Bee Library/Info Center, 209-578-2333.
The McClatchy Company