• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, April 2, 2008

McClatchy Co. is seeking to reach a larger Hispanic audience by sharing content with ImpreMedia, one of the largest Spanish-language publishers in the United States. The deal will allow McClatchy's Spanish-language newspapers to import both print and online content from seven of ImpreMedia's big titles, and vice versa, including El Diario de La Prensa and Hoy New York, El Mensajero in San Francisco, La Opinion in Los Angeles, La Raza in Chicago, La Prensa in Orlando, and Rumbo, in Texas.

These ImpreMedia publications will share content with three Spanish-language papers owned by McClatchy: El Nuevo Herald, located in Florida, Vide en el Valle, in California, and La Estrella, in Texas. Howard Weaver, McClatchy's vice president of news, remarked: "Sharing with other top Spanish-language publications is a chance to improve our service and also share our content with many thousands of new readers in new markets."

ImpreMedia purchased Hoy New York--a free Spanish-language daily with circulation of about 56,000--from its previous owner, the Tribune Co., in February 2007. Together with El Diario de La Prensa, Hoy New York gives ImpreMedia daily circulation of over 100,000 in New York City. The Tribune Co. held onto Hoy's Los Angeles and Chicago operations.

McClatchy has been hit hard by the secular downturn currently sweeping the newspaper business in general. In the fourth quarter of 2007, the company's revenues slumped 14.9%, compared to the same period in 2006; for the full year 2007, revenues were down 7.9% compared to 2006, taking into account the purchase of Knight Ridder properties.