More changes at the San Juan Record

Covering the news in San Juan County over the past five weeks has been an incredible experience. Life has changed in dramatic ways for all of us.

Covering the news in these unprecedented times is already a challenge, but it is complicated by the fact that we have limited space to print the news.

The size of the newspaper each week is entirely dependent upon the amount of advertising in the paper. As advertising shrinks, so does the available space for news.

This has become a huge issue for us because we collect a tremendous amount of important news every week, but we run out of space and have to keep much of it for another time or not publish it altogether.

This week, for instance, there is only enough advertising to support a 12-page paper. However, we decided we need to print a 16-page paper, even though the costs to print are significantly higher.

Even though this 16-page decision allows us to print four more pages of news this week, we still needed a shoehorn to fit the news, and we are still left more than one dozen stories we would have liked to run.

In addition, the lack of space means we have limited room for photos. This is not a good thing!

As a result, we are considering making a change during the pandemic, and it may continue into the future.

Beginning next week, we plan to publish a third section of the paper available only to online subscribers of the San Juan Record.

We already have nearly 1,000 online subscribers at the current time and anticipate the number will grow as we implement the new E-section.

All subscribers are eligible for an online subscription, so if you currently subscribe to the San Juan Record and do not have an online subscription, simply let us know your email address, and we will get you set up.

We will be testing out this new system in coming weeks and are anxious to hear how it works for you. Please let us know!

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved our purchase of the Red Rock Radio station at 92.7 FM. May 1 is the day we will assume control.

Oldies Radio is a popular format and recent studies show that 92.7 is already the top-rated station for adults in a four-county area, including San Juan, Grand, Dolores, and Montezuma counties.

We do not anticipate significant changes to the programing. However, we intend to build the radio station, with a focus on regional news, issues, and events.

We hope you enjoy!

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In addition, we are pleased to report that the new San Juan Record website, at sjrnews.com, has had a great response since it first rolled out less than one month ago.

The newly expanded website includes a variety of information. We have had nearly 10,000 visits per day in the past month, with 75,000 hits per day.

Thank you for your support and stay tuned for additional developments.