Vida en el Valle Expands to Become Largest Latino Weekly in Nation

FRESNO, Calif., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vida en el Valle, regularly judged to be the best bilingual weekly newspaper in the country, will expand to become the nation's largest Latino-focused weekly as well when new deliveries in Sacramento and Stockton begin next month. The McClatchy-owned publication will begin distributing to 40,000 households through The Sacramento Bee and another 20,000 through a cooperative agreement with The Record in Stockton. With its expanded distribution of more than 167,000, Vida will cover a vast portion of the San Joaquin Valley, which is currently the fourth largest Latino market base in the United States.

With the Feb. 1 expansion, Vida en el Valle will become the top Latino weekly publication in the nation, serving a total Latino population of 1.7 million in Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Sacramento counties. Vida provides local and statewide news of interest to Latinos in the Valley, news from Mexico and Latin America, and in-depth coverage of Latin entertainment, people and events.

Separate editions in each of five geographic regions will provide local news and advertising to residents of Fresno, Modesto, Merced, Stockton and Sacramento. Vida is delivered to address-specific homes that fit the profile for a bilingual newspaper, helping advertisers identify potential customers. Advertisers may buy any combination of the five editions. Copies also are available in racks and stores.

"The San Joaquin Valley is a major player in the United States' Latino community, and Vida en el Valle will strive to serve this fast-growing segment of the population," said Valerie Bender, publisher of Vida. "We are excited that Vida en el Valle will reach out to a greater segment of this population."

Vida en el Valle was started Aug. 29, 1990, as a free bilingual newspaper publication of The Fresno Bee to serve the Latino population.

Juan Esparza has been editor since Vida was started in August 1990 with a distribution of just 19,000 in Fresno County. Since its beginning, Esparza has been recognized nationally as one of the top 100 Hispanic journalists in the country. The National Association of Hispanic Publications has named Vida en el Valle the Best Bilingual Newspaper in the country three years in a row and eight times in the past nine years. That same organization gave Vida 41 first-place awards and 64 second-place awards in reporting, photography and design in 13 years of NAHP competition. Vida has also received numerous awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, including a general excellence award in 1998 for weekly newspapers, the first time a bilingual newspaper was so honored.

Vida en el Valle is a publication of The Fresno Bee. The Bee is owned by The McClatchy Company, headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and is the leading newspaper and internet publisher in its region. McClatchy publishes 12 daily and 17 non-daily newspapers located in western coastal states, North and South Carolina and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. McClatchy has daily circulation of 1.4 million and Sunday circulation of 1.8 million. McClatchy's newspapers include, among others, the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee and The Modesto Bee in California, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) and the Anchorage Daily News. McClatchy also operates leading local websites in each of its daily newspaper markets, offering readers information, comprehensive news, advertising, e-commerce and other services, and owns and operates McClatchy Interactive, a national interactive media operation that provides newspapers with content publishing tools and software development. McClatchy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MNI.