The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(01-19-2020 09:27 AM)Monarchblue Wrote:  I feel like an online publication that consolidates coverage of the entire state would be something that could be successful. My problem with The Pilot at this point is the lack of content. I finish reading all the interesting content in about 10 minutes, and then there is no reason to comeback for a few days, because there is basically nothing new. AL.com does a good job in a statewide format for Alabama. I'd love to see something similar in VA.

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What helps with AL.com is that Alabama Media Group owns newspapers in three of the state's four biggest metros (B'ham, Mobile, Huntsville) and the fourth is the capital, where they're going to have a presence anyway. That gives them a much easier time blanketing the state than having to start a media outlet from a blank slate.

BH Media (the former Media General) would be the best-positioned company to do something like that with publications in Richmond, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Bristol, Charlottesville and Danville, among other places. But they'd also have to expend significant capital to establish a better presence in the DC suburbs (Fredericksburg and Culpeper is as close as they get) and Tidewater (where there's nothing). And like most heritage media companies these days, they're cutting and consolidating before they're expanding. Perhaps if BH bought Tribune, or at least the Pilot and DP, but it's not like the Pilot wasn't on the block for many years.

A friend of a friend tried to start a state-focused online-only publication. Had a good idea with good reporters and writers, but I don't think it lasted much more than a year, if that. Going from a standing start in this market is tough to impossible, especially if you're unaffiliated with a larger media organization.