I just got word from a reliable source that the MidCity Advocate will be changing its' name starting next week. The paper will be renamed to The City Sentinel. The paper will also sport a new streamlined look.

Was there an ownership change . . . any personnel changes . . . editor . . . writting staff? The paper has always seemed a little mundane to me . . . but I guess that's their concept . . . very middle of the road . . . no controversial stories . . . kind of neighborhood news . . . family news etc. I usually check the stories on the front page and any real estate news, but that's about it. Occasionally, I'll get a little further back into the paper. They do cover neighborhood events like home tours pretty well, highschool sports and local politics. I hope it continues to provide that coverage since none of the other papers do. With more restaurants and retail beginning to appear in the urban core, their advertiser opportunities should be increasing.

They run just a few real stories and the rest are basically reprinting press releases. But sometimes they latch onto something and do a good job. I like it.

It's been a curiosity of mine as to why the newspaper costs something at some distribution points but not at others. For example, if you stop in the gas/gro at Broadway and 10th (? ... near there somewhere), it is always free and I noticed that was so at least one other place I've been ... but at others it's in a newspaper vending machine and costs money.

Anyone know why the difference?

I know what you mean Doug, I'm not sure if places like that subsidize the cost of a few papers (Deep Deuce Grill gives it free too) or if they do it to increase readership. It is a more "hometown" feeling paper since they cover less sexy topics, but that is where most of their readers are, in the historical and MidTown areas so they cover the historical home tours and events. I know more but don't know if I can speak on it until next week. They haven't had ownership changes, Harry Meister started the paper and is still owner. If anything, their staff has got better lately, they moved to bigger diggs in Automobile Alley( although their old Firestation 2 location was sweet) a few months back. I'm one of their advertisers and a close friend, and with all the development in the area, I do see it only getting better.

Well, score one for Metro: the first issue branded "City Sentinel" has landed at my place.

Thanks windowphobe. I can talk more about it now that it has "landed". They changed the name for several reasons. After doing some market research they found that people got the name confused and thought it was a Midwest City newspaper. Also, the Advocate is supposedly the name of the city's gay newspaper. So people thought it was Midwest City's gay newspaper. Now I'm pretty sure their focus group was non-readers or target market nonsubscribers. I can see their concern if they're trying to branch out and get new readers (which I would hope). The streamlined look was done primarily because, well....... it despirately needed a fresh more mainstream look. It had too much of a community newspaper feel.

The Advocate is a national gay magazine.

Nonetheless, you get my point it was a gay media. Also, I forgot to mention, the reader panels also showed that the word Sentinel is a more respected name of papers in the newspaper community. I personally don't care for the new name.

I landed my first copy of the new "Sentinel" last night, where I picked it up at a local coffee joint. Looks a lot more content-laden than the Mid-City Advocate, but I agree I'm not sure I really like the name "Sentinel." Kind of has a "military" sound to it.

I personally never had an issue with the old name. "Advocate" to me sold the idea that this was a group promoting the issues important to people in the Mid-City area, but I can see where some who are not familiar with that designation would find it confusing.

FYI - the City's primary gay publication is now defunct. We did have the "Gayly Oklahoman," but it went under about 2 years ago. It was replaced with a nice, monthly regional magazine started by one of the Gayly's former writers.

The Gayly was run out of business by the website HNOKC.COM (http://HNOKC.com). I believe the magazine you are referring to, ParksGal, is Stand Out.