CLEVELAND TIMES (1922)

The CLEVELAND TIMES (1922) represented the last serious attempt to establish another daily newspaper in Cleveland. It survived for 5 years in the mid-1920s. The paper began as the Cleveland Commercial on 2 Mar. 1922; it was renamed the Cleveland Times & Commercial by the following year and eventually became simply the Times. Published by the Cleveland Commercial Publishing Co. and edited by O. K. Shimansky, the Times reputedly had the backing of the local utilities and the Van Sweringen brothers. It hoped to challenge the Plain Dealer's morning monopoly, but lacking the Plain Dealer's AP franchise, it used the UP night wire and relied heavily upon the New York World for syndicated material. In its efforts to become competitive, the Times lowered its price from $.03 to $.02 and began publishing a tabloid Sunday edition. Circulation rose from 20,000 in 1923 to 32,000 in 1926. Fresh capital was secured from ORIS P. AND MANTIS J. VAN SWERINGEN, and Samuel Scovil, former president of the CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING CO., emerged as president of the Commercial Publishing Co. The Times moved from its offices at 307 Superior into a new 2-story plant constructed for it at 2160 Payne Ave. Earl E. Martin, hired to edit the Times in 1926, set out to broaden the paper's general appeal by building up a solid local staff, but his efforts proved too late. Scovil announced the suspension of the Times on 3 Mar. 1927. Its circulation lists and good will were purchased by the PLAIN DEALER for $100,000.


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