War for eyes and ads of San Fernando Valley escalates.

Times increases its efforts to overtake Daily News

The war between the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News for the San Fernando Valley's newspaper readers and advertisers continues to escalate despite stagnant advertising revenues there.

The Times is beefing up its editorial

staff and hopes that expanded coverage will lead to market share gains there. It is expected to make changes in its View section and increase the frequency of its now weekly Valley Life section in April, sources indicated. Valley Life is a Friday entertainment/arts feature section in tabloid form but it could change to the Times' standard broadsheet.

Various prototypes using graphics and enhanced color are under consideration as the Times seeks to leverage upgraded printing presses in its 10-year-old Chatsworth plant, sources close to the Times said. Times officials wouldn't comment for competitive reasons.

Since shutting down its San Diego operation in late 1992, the Times has shifted resources into the valley, making it a pivotal territory.

Jeffrey Klein, president of the Times' Valley Edition, wouldn't disclose specific plans, but he acknowledged more reporters are being hired in addition to the 16 staffers who transferred from San Diego. The newcomers will add about 30 new bylines, giving the valley and Ventura editions a total of 120 editorial staffers.

A major physical expansion of the valley's newsroom will be completed in about six months, according to Bob Rawitch, executive editor.

David Auger, publisher at the Daily News, said "We hear changes are coming (at the Times) April 1 that involve zoning of the valley and Ventura editions and changes in their View section that will make them more competitive with our LA Life section. This makes sense."

Rivalry between the papers has steadily been intensifying the last 12 months despite a dismal economy.

Auger said the year is off to a slow start on the advertising side but his company is ahead for the first two months of 1993.

Klein said the Times has revised its valley ad goals downward and expects 1993 to be flat. The Times' parent, Times Mirror Co., reported corporate advertising revenues for the five weeks ended Jan. 31 were off 5.8 percent to $117.3 million. It does not break out figures for individual newspapers.

The Daily News is privately owned by Jack Kent Cooke and doesn't release any figures other than circulation.

Both newspapers have offered advertisers discounts and for the first time the Times has aggressively gone after small and medium size businesses using an outside telemarketing firm. The Valley Edition now carries three partial pages of small restaurant ads and five pages of professional services ads in its Tuesday Valley Business section.

The Times is also starting a quarterly Parenting special supplement to attract the many families with children under 18 living in the valley.

Circulation has grown slightly at both the Times and News since the most recent Audit Bureau of Circulation report last September, according to the papers' respective publishers. The Daily News reported circulation of 207,421 last September while the Times had 232,996 daily readers for its valley/Ventura editions.

The figures don't totally reflect the actual circulations within the San Fernando Valley. The News has 24,023 readers outside its primary market, the San Fernando Valley. The Times combines its valley/Ventura numbers.

The Daily News seeks to attract national advertisers and has joined the Orange County Register to form the "The Register-News Network." Advertisers can now purchase equal space in both papers and get a 3 percent rate reduction with one order.

Auger said there has been advertising interest but didn't give specifics. Klein said networks have been tried in the past in Southern California and have been mostly ineffective.

In an effort to enhance his position in the Los Angeles market, Jack Kent Cooke recently made an unsolicited bid to acquire the Santa Monica Outlook and the Torrance Breeze. Copley Newspapers rejected the bid and a spokesman said those papers are not for sale.