Rumbo, the Spanish-language newspaper that entered four Texas metropolitan markets (including Houston) over a year ago, announced some changes earlier this week:
The Spanish-language Rumbo newspapers in San Antonio, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley have announced new personnel and distribution changes.
The newspapers are available free to readers in all three markets effective today. Previously, the newspapers cost a quarter.
Rumbo also is doubling its number of distribution points and providing free home delivery. The company is increasing its Houston distribution to 230,000 copies weekly and its San Antonio distribution to 120,000 weekly. The Valley edition will have a distribution of 60,000.
Two new publishing industry executives have been hired, Rumbo chief executive Edward Schumacher Matos announced.
Lynne Cook, former vice president of sales at the Houston Chronicle, has been named vice president of sales for Rumbo. Jose Rego, former chief financial officer of Metro newspapers, the world’s largest chain of free dailies, has been named Rumbo’s chief financial officer.
[snip]
Meximerica Media, the publisher of Rumbo, announced last month that it had stopped publishing its Spanish-language Rumbo newspaper in Austin and that it was making changes to its three other newspapers. All had been dailies.
The Rumbo newspapers in Houston and San Antonio are now being published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with each day’s paper having a specific focus. The Rio Grande Valley edition will be published on Friday.
In January of 2005, we posted on a New York Times story that highlighted the local-news focus or Rumbo, and its well-educated staff. This latest development can only be interpreted as a retrenchment for Rumbo, which is unfortunate. We’re all hoping for the emergence of a smart, locally focused news daily in this town, even if it’s not written in English.
