MainStreet Media announces merger

Two of San Diego’s leading central coast community newspaper groups merged this week, under an agreement announced by Anthony Allegretti, president and CEO of MainStreet Media Group, and Dex Allen, president and publisher of CMC Publishing’s San Diego Ranch Coast Newspapers.

The company operates under the name MainStreet Communications.

MainStreet Communications also publishes the

Ramona Sentinel

,

Poway Chieftain

and

Rancho Bernardo News Journal

plus the

Sentinel

and

Rancho

monthly magazines and

Ramona Lifestyles

, an annual publication. Jeff Mitchell will continue as publisher of those publications.

Under the agreement, the

Rancho Santa Fe Review

and the

Carmel Valley News

will continue to be published and incorporate the

Rancho Santa Fe Record

and

Carmel Valley Leader

. The

Del Mar Times

and

Solana Beach Sun

will continue to be published and will combine with the

Del Mar Village Voice

. The first editions of the combined publications will be delivered to homes and in news racks on Dec. 10.

“We’re taking the best of both papers, which have strong track records in reporting on their communities’ news and people plus solid advertising bases, to bring our readers even better local newspapers,” Allegretti said. “This merger eliminates the reader and advertiser confusion that multiple papers in a community create.”

Allen added, “With this merger we are able to expand the

Carmel Valley News

to a weekly publication and serve the fast-growing Carmel Valley marketplace on a more frequent basis. In doing so, the

Carmel Valley News

will join its sister publications as a weekly community newspaper serving the fastest growing and most affluent demographics in San Diego County.”

Phyllis Pfeiffer of San Diego Suburban News, who is publisher of the

La Jolla Light

, and Allen will share publishing responsibilities for the north coastal region, with Pfeiffer overseeing the

Del Mar Times

and

Solana Beach Sun

and Allen the

Rancho Santa Fe Review

and

Carmel Valley News

as well as

San Diego Premier

, a luxury real estate and lifestyles magazine. Veteran magazine publisher Tracy Pendergast will continue on as publisher of Premier magazine.

“Our papers care about our communities and believe that local newspapers bind our neighborhoods together,” Pfeiffer said. “We’re looking forward to bringing readers and advertisers the best features from both papers as we move ahead.”

Kathy Day is executive editor of Del Mar and Solana Beach as well as the Light; Halie Johnson is editor of the two north coastal papers. Lorine Wright continues as associate publisher/executive editor of the Review and the News.

The combined company offers advertisers an efficient way to reach 101,661 of the most affluent households in San Diego County.