The South Bay’s four local Patch.com pages may be on the chopping block.
From the Wall Street Journal last week:
“AOL Inc. Chief Executive Tim Armstrong is resorting to major cuts at the company’s Patch local news unit in a last-ditch effort to turn it into the profitable enterprise he promised it would be by the end of the year. The company told Patch executives Friday that it is closing or finding partners for 400 Patch sites….”
Find out what's happening in Redondo Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The South Bay has embraced the hyper-local websites which currently serve the communities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Redondo Beach.
The sites are so popular it’s been rumored the neighboring cities of Torrance and El Segundo would soon have their own Patch pages added.
Find out what's happening in Redondo Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to the WSJ article, not only will that not be happening any time soon but the existing sites may be shut down permanently.
Local Patch Editors Nicole Mooradian, Liz Spear and John Schreiber have done an amazing job covering their respective neighborhoods. They post local news as it happens, promote neighborhood businesses and organizations, provide a friendly forum for the community to share all manner of information and they’ve kept us very well-informed with regard to hot button issues such as the AES Power Plant and proposed oil drilling in Hermosa.
I’d like to encourage everyone that has ever used the Patch sites to send Liz, Nicole and John supportive emails saying why you think Patch should continue to serve our communities. I have no idea if it will help, but it certainly couldn't hurt.
Jackie
