''The Spotlight Newspapers'' is made up of 3 weekly newspapers in the suburban communities in the Capital District of
New York State.
The group began in 1955 with ''The Spotlight''.
History
The Spotlight first appeared as a four-page penny saver in
Delmar,
New York on December 1, 1955.
It was founded by Mrs. Charles E. Walsh, Jr., (as she listed herself in the paper at the time) with its “offices” at a residential address on Roweland Avenue.
Tracy Walsh sold the paper to Robert G. King, a former Advertising salesman for the Times Union, in 1957. Nathaniel A. Boynton, a
Slingerlands
Slingerlands is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York, United States. It is located immediately west of Delmar and near the New Scotland town-line and south of the Albany city-limits, and is thus a suburb of Albany. The S ...
resident and former Associated Press writer, purchased the paper in 1975 and began a full-coverage news policy. Boynton stopped the free distribution of the paper and promoted subscription sales.
In 1980, Boynton sold the paper to Richard Ahlstrom, a retired vice-president of Westchester-Rockland Newspapers owned by
Gannett. Ahlstrom turned The Spotlight into an 11- by 15-inch tabloid format, which allowed him to nearly double the news layout and photo content of the paper.
He also started the
Colonie and
Loudonville editions of The Spotlight.
Ahlstrom sold the papers to
Eagle Newspapers in 1998, which formed Spotlight, LLC.
Spotlight, LLC expanded through purchases of existing newspapers and start-ups in areas without local newspapers to its present 12 weekly newspapers in just by 2007. Papers in
Rotterdam, NY
Rotterdam is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 30,523 at the 2020 census.
The town of Rotterdam is in the south-central part of the county. It was founded in 1661 by Dutch settlers, who named it after the ...
,
Niskayuna
Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 23,278 at the 2020 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county. ...
,
Scotia
Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" around ...
-
Glenville,
Clifton Park Guilderland,
Burnt Hills, NY,
Malta, NY,
Milton and the City of
Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...
sprang up in rapid succession.
The group also began publishing two monthly publications, Capital District Parent Pages and Capital District Senior Spotlight.
On October 1, 2009, Spotlight Newspapers and its parent company
Eagle Newspapers were sold to Community Media Group, LLC. Community Media Group is a New York-based company with local ownership.
The Spotlight has always been a local news source. Reviewing early copies doesn’t give a true picture of the changing larger world. John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination received a heartfelt, but scant four-inch editorial.
In the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, there was little or no coverage of the struggle for civil rights, of the Vietnam War protests, of the American hostages held in Iran, or of nuclear power plant protests, but there was coverage of the Lion’s Club pancake suppers, the Bethlehem Snow Queen competition, and the Voorheesville Dionysians’ latest theatrical offerings.
In fairness, for the first three decades, The Spotlight had no paid editorial staff.
What it did show, and continues to show, is the local news which is important to the people in our towns. One of the earliest and widely read features is the letters to the editor.
Residents had the opportunity to make their views known, and they did not mince words.
“Bethlehem residents can get fired up over issues,” said Opinion Pages Editor and former executive editor Susan Graves. “They have been writing letters to the editor about town issues almost since The Spotlight’s beginning.”
The earliest Spotlights struggled for form. As a penny saver, a full-page advertisement from Handy Dandy Cleaners on the front cover was standard and perfectly reasonable. Later, letters to the editor were often on the cover.
The paper was printing what the community fed it; sifting through announcements, press releases, and photos. As the years went by, and ownership changed hands, The Spotlight evolved and grew. Based on their backgrounds and area of expertise, each owner imparted a lasting legacy on the papers, which continue to be the voices of their communities.
While residents still turn to the spotlight to see who made the Dean’s List, and which former classmate got married, they also turn to the papers for detailed coverage of school board meetings, town board meetings, and important local budget votes.
Spotlight Newspapers continues to be a source for local news for Albany, Schenectady, and Saratoga Counties of
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
.
References
{{reflist
External links
Spotlight NewsBethlehem SpotlightColonie SpotlightGuilderland SpotlightCapital District Parent PagesCapital District Senior Spotlight
Newspapers published in New York (state)
Weekly newspaper companies of the United States