By Paul Tash, Chairman and CEO
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Since I started here as a reporter in 1978, I have answered my phone with some version of "St. Pete Times." I will need to learn a new habit.
Starting Jan. 1, this newspaper will become the Tampa Bay Times. The new name reflects the growth of our newspaper and our vision for this region.
This change has been a long time coming. For decades, the Times has been reaching north and east from St. Petersburg. Nearly 25 years ago, we launched our Tampa edition; on a typical Sunday, it routinely sells more than 100,000 copies. By a wide margin, the Times is Florida's favorite newspaper.
With that success, our name no longer fits the newspaper or the audience we serve. Three-fourths of St. Petersburg Times readers live outside St. Petersburg.
The new name does not signal any ...