San Clemente Times acquires Capistrano Dispatch

SAN CLEMENTE — Norb Garrett, owner and CEO of the San Clemente Times newspaper, has announced the acquisition of The Capistrano Dispatch, a move that expands the company’s print distribution network to 30,000, including directly to 21,000 South Orange County homes. The Capistrano Dispatch, which has been published for five years in a bi-weekly format, will be redesigned and moved to a weekly format starting in June. The SC Times will continue as a weekly.

As part of the deal, Garrett announced that Jonathan Volzke has joined the company as a partner and will remain editor of The Capistrano Dispatch while also serving in a senior editorial role for the company.

The two newspapers began a “network” advertising buy last June, allowing businesses to reach both markets. The cross-market buy proved successful for advertisers, who found new customers, and for both papers, which added new revenue.

“This addition will allow us to continue to grow our unique local media platform in South Orange County,” said Garrett.

“I’m thrilled to join forces with Norb, as we both believe that the future of local media belongs in the hands of dedicated, local independent publishers,” said Volzke.