Ventura County Star

History and ownership

On June 15, 1925, the first issue of the Ventura County Star was published. Its first publisher was Roy D. Pinkerton. He co-founded the Star with William H. Porterfield, who died in 1927. An early stockholder in the Star was John P. Scripps Newspaper Group.

In 1936, the Star acquired rival paper Ventura Free Press (which itself was founded in 1875) from Dan W. Emmett, and soon began publishing as the Ventura County Star-Free Press. In 1986, John P. Scripps merged with E. W. Scripps Company.

1990s Ventura County "Newspaper Wars"

E. W. Scripps purchased the Camarillo Daily News in 1992 from Harris Enterprises. The daily Simi Valley Enterprise and the weekly Moorpark News-Mirror also were acquired in 1992. Scripps also owned the daily Thousand Oaks News Chronicle Editor & Publisher magazine called Ventura County the "site of one of the hottest newspaper wars in the nation." The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News and the Thomson Newspapers group all published competing Ventura County newspapers. The Camarillo Daily News stopped publishing in December 1993. The competing Thomson Oxnard Press-Courier last published on June 14, 1994. The Thomson weekly newspapers, the Camarillo Sun and Ventura Sun, also ceased publication. The Santa Paula Chronicle also ended publication.

The paper dropped the Free-Press part of the name in November 1994.

2015 spinoff

Scripps spun out its newspapers to Journal Media Group in April 2015, and Gannett acquired the Journal newspapers in April 2016. Daily circulation was reported to be around 45,700 and its Sunday circulation at 58,600.

2018 Office move in Camarillo

After more than 10 years at the 550 Camarillo Center Drive location, the Ventura County Star announced in May 2018 that they were moving to a new office on East Daily Drive in Camarillo.

Leadership

From 1960 to 1987, the editor was Julius Gius. Later, George Cogswell III was the publisher for five years, leaving in 2012 to be publisher and chief revenue officer of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee. followed by Shanna Cannon. As of October 2016, the president is Mark J. Winkler.

Incidents

Calvin Sharp murder case gag order

In December 2008, Judge Ken Riley ordered the Ventura County Star not to print the content of an affidavit, which the public defender representing defendant Calvin Sharp claimed could prejudice potential jurors. Although unenforceable under the First Amendment by Judge Riley's own admission, he refused to lift the order. This gag order was lifted by Judge Riley by December 15, 2008. A redacted copy of that affidavit was made available on the Ventura County Star web site. Judge Riley would step down in January 2009. Sharp's arraignment was delayed until March 2009. Sharp was sentenced to life in prison in 2012.

2011 circulation practices

The Ventura County Star has faced many complaints that involved its circulation practices rather than its editorial content. As of April 2, 2011, the Better Business Bureau listed ten (10) separate "significant" complaints from the previous three years, of which two alleged the company made unauthorized debits from the customers' checking accounts, four alleged problems obtaining refunds, two alleged the company harassed a customer or former customer, two alleged improper billing, and two alleged delivery continued after customers tried to cancel. (The number of allegations does not add to the total number of complaints because two of the complaints made multiple allegations.)

References

References

1. (June 16, 1925). "Ventura Star Press Turns {{!}} First Issue of Newspaper Printed by New Publisher". The Morning Press.
2. (September 3, 1927). "Star Founder Is Called Suddenly {{!}} W.H. Porterfield Dies in San Diego after an Operation". Morning Free Press.
3. (September 9, 1931). "Robert P. Scripps, Newspaper Publisher, Here". Ventura County Star.
4. (August 20, 1936). "Ventura "Free Press" Sold by Dan Emmett". Los Angeles Times.
5. (March 14, 1986). "Scripps companies sign merger pact". Record Searchlight.
6. Saillant, Kay - [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-12-me-55916-story.html Camarillo Daily News to Close in December : Media: The 67-year-old publication will be replaced with a zoned version of the Ventura County Star-Free Press.] Los Angeles Times, November 12, 1993
7. Stein, M.L. - [https://archive.org/details/sim_editor-publisher_1994-06-25_127_26/page/78/mode/2up California Daily Closes]. Two weeklies also closed, were part of the Thomson newspaper chain. Editor and Publisher Magazine, June 25, 1994
8. Saillant, Kay. (November 18, 1994). "Chain's Daily Papers to Get Name Change". [[Los Angeles Times]].
9. (April 1, 2015). "Journal, Scripps merger creates two closely aligned media companies". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
10. . (April 8, 2016). ["Gannett buys Ventura County Star"](http://www.pacbiztimes.com/2016/04/08/gannett-buys-ventura-county-star/). *Pacific Coast Business Times*.
11. [https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2018/05/26/ventura-county-star-moving-new-office-camarillo/647470002/ Note to readers: The Star is moving to a new office in Camarillo]. Ventura County Star, May 26, 2018
12. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-19-me-55417-story.html Pioneering Newspaper Editor Julius Gius Dies at Age 84], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', October 19, 1996
13. [http://www.santabarbara.bbb.org/Business-Report/Ventura-County-Star-306300 BBB Business Review of Ventura County Star] {{Webarchive. link. (May 13, 2011 , The Better Business Bureau of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, Inc.)
14. [http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jun/21/star-publisher-cogswell-named-publisher-of Star publisher Cogswell named publisher of Memphis newspaper], ''Ventura County Star'', June 21, 2012
15. "Scripps announces new publisher of the Ventura County Star".
16. [http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/aug/13/stars-new-publisher-is-longtime-advertising/ Star's new publisher is longtime advertising executive], ''Ventura County Star'', August 13, 2012
17. "New publisher named for the Ventura County Star".
18. "Ventura County Star names Mark Winkler new president". Ventura County Star.
19. Hadly, Scott - [http://archive.vcstar.com/news/crime/judge-blocks-murder-case-story-ep-372648927-352356901.html Judge Blocks Murder Case Story], ''Ventura County Star'', December 11, 2008. ''Riley orders The Star not to publish sealed facts from Sharp documents''
20. Egelco, Bob - [https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Judge-won-t-lift-order-he-says-is-unenforceable-3180618.php Judge won't lift order he says is unenforceable]. San Francisco Chronicle December 16, 2008
21. Judge lifts gag order in Sharp case, Ventura County Star, December 15, 2008
22. Why The Star is publishing, free press overrides all. Ventura County Star (CA) - December 16, 2008
23. ref link at the time at http://web.vcstar.com/documents/news08/sharpe.pdf {{Webarchive. link. (July 24, 2011 "Affidavit in Support of Search Warrant, 397-07" Ventura County Star, December 2008)
24. Hernandez, Raul - [http://archive.vcstar.com/news/county-judge-steps-down-after-20-years-ep-372513352-352316801.html County Judge Steps Down After 20 Years]. Ventura County Star, January 14, 2009
25. Lohr, David - [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/calvin-sharp-sentenced_n_2251904 Calvin Sharp Sentenced To Life For Fatal Cleaver Attack On 6-Year-Old Sev’n Molina] Huffington Post, December 6, 2012
26. [https://www.vcdistrictattorney.com/mission/team/people-v-calvin-sharp/ People vs. Calvin Sharp]. Ventura County District Attorney, ''Judge finds killer who used meat cleaver sane and sentences him to multiple life terms''
27. link. (September 29, 2011 , The Better Business Bureau of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, Inc.)