Spanish language paper ready to launch in February

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's broadest media company is preparing to expand its reach even further.

Deseret Management Corp., which includes several media entities, including the Deseret News, is preparing to launch a Spanish-language newspaper that will focus on issues pertinent to the state's fastest-growing population segment.

El Observador, scheduled to begin publication Feb. 9, will run three times a week, with editions published on Tuesdays, Thursdays and on weekends. The weekday editions will focus on hard news, while the weekend editions will include more features and family-oriented content.

"The Hispanic/Latino community in Utah is a very important part of our future, of our 'now,' " said Jim Wall, Deseret News publisher. "They are under-represented. They have no voice."

He added that previous efforts at Spanish-language newspapers lacked the commitment necessary to provide the resources to publish a credible publication.

"When we decided we would invest in this (endeavor), it was really out of a need to have a voice of trust and credibility," Wall said.

Wall said initial circulation will be 10,000 home deliveries each week, with an additional 15,000 copies distributed via racks and hand delivery at targeted locations — including Zions Bank, Hispanic stores and the Mexican consulate — throughout the week, and with an emphasis on churches on weekends.

"We will always maintain a circulation of 25,000 to stay at 50 percent market penetration of our primary market with a combination of home delivery and free delivery at racks, banks, stores and churches," Wall said in an e-mail. "After our initial launch, we will offer home delivery for $5 per month."

Delivery details are available at 801-204-6125.

Wall said the expectation is to have 10,000 home-delivered paid subscriptions in the first year.

"With a credible, trusted, dynamic Spanish-language publication that has significant market acceptance and penetration, we believe that health care providers, banks, retail businesses, auto dealers, service providers, educational institutions, government bodies and more will finally have a way to communicate to the rapidly growing and important Hispanic/Latino population," he added. "A world-class publication with 50 percent market penetration is budgeted to be profitable in the first year of operation."

Mark H. Willes , president and chief executive officer of DMC, noted that people who speak and read Spanish are the fastest-growing segment of the population in Utah.