James Fisher, a long-time advertising sales executive for Mountain Xpress and most recently WNC Magazine made the announcement today via Facebook:
Pleased to announce that I am the advertising sales manager at the new Asheville Scene! Looking forward to working with these 2 amazing journalists and many other great folks!
Fisher will bring a ton of experience and contacts to Asheville Scene, a new publication of the Asheville Citizen-Times. The first edition is set to be published Aug. 3.
With the hiring of former Verve editor Jess McCuan and Mountain Xpressfood writer Mackensy Lunsford, the Asheville Citizen-Times is putting together a team that will produce a new entertainment publication. The publication will replace the current Take5, a tab that is inserted into the newspaper every Friday and distributed as a standalone product in boxes on downtown streets. More background here.
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Oh, and come check out what we’re up to at the Asheville Scene launch party: Friday, Aug 17, 5-8pm, Grove Arcade…Woody Wood & Underhill Rose performing, lots of treats… free & open to eveyone!
In spite of what a local publisher once said, nice guys CAN finish first. James and Jason are two stellar examples! Like Mark Twain quipped, I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it ceased to exist. It feels like both James and the AC-T staff are preparing for an auspicious launch with the Asheville Scene. Good luck on this exciting endeavor!
Thanks Sammy! You rock!
Sounds like they are amassing quite a team.
Although Gannett Pacific Corporation owns more newspaper boxes on the street than anyone, they haven’t seen fit to send a representative to the last three meetings between newspaper box owners and the Downtown Commission streetscape subcommittee that is working out placement limitations.
James is a great guy and I wish him well personally.
I can’t say I wish this corporate greed machine as much good will. I was in Greenville, SC when the Gannett Pacific Corporation paper (The Greenville News) set out to intentionally destroy the local independent papers by cutting off their advertising with special “buy us only” deals and buying distribution exclusivity at high volume retail outlets. Gannett was successful in destroying the local, independent voices there and now there are none.
Watch what happens next when this project from The Mean Machine tries to run over the locals.
Mr. Fobes, is that you?
Thanks, Jason. Looking forward to helping out with the Scene! I know our goal is to provide interesting, informative content for the community. Hopefully, local businesses will benefit through marketing in the new Asheville Scene. I will be diligent and fair in my efforts…always have been, always will be. I believe the Scene is going to be an asset to Asheville, another voice for telling our amazing story. See you out on the town!
What ever happened to the plan by City officials to llimit the number of “paper boxes” in downtown …