PR Interview: How to Get Your Business in Pacific Coast Business Times

Contact information
Henry Dubroff
Editor & Publisher
Pacific Coast Business Times
14 E. Carrillo St., Suite A
Santa Barbara, CA, 93101
Phone: (805) 560-6950
Fax: (805) 560-8399
hdubroff(at)pacbiztimes(dot)com

Background
Henry Dubroff graduated from Lafayette College and has a master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He was Business Editor of The Denver Post from 1988 until 1995. He also served as president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and is publisher of their 'The Business Journalist.' From 1995 until 1999, he edited The Denver Business Journal.

After retiring from The Denver Business Journal, Dubroff began publishing the Pacific Coast Business Times in March 2000. Inspired by a Monet exhibit, he came up with a sailboat for the newspaper icon. So far, the design proved true -- the weekly has been sailing successfully for seven years.

Circulation and readership
The Pacific Coast Business Times has approximately 12,000 readers each week primarily in the California counties of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo.

Among their readership: top-level management (owners, presidents, principals, CEOs, general managers), 10%; operating management (VPs, directors, managers, CFOs, COOs), 16%; titled professionals (doctors, lawyers), 5%; and sales and marketing professionals, 16%.

Audience stats: 80% readers work for companies with fewer than 50 employees; 73% readers are male; 79% readers are between 35 and 64 years old; 71% readers have a household income of $100,000+; 3 out of 4 readers have a household net worth of $750,000+; 50% have completed post graduate studies; and 37% have college degrees.

Examples of current editorial coverage
Sections include: Business trends; Enterprise (success stories and management advice); Money & Markets; a Top 25 weekly list on an industry of interest to readers; Leads and Prospects: business-related events and court filings; Street Smarts gossip column; and Non-Profit Notes, Tech and Small Business Briefs (news items).

Special Reports: The paper currently publishes 20 of these each year. Titles include Dealmakers of the Year, Who’s Who in Business Leadership and Tech View. In addition, they publish two monthly special reports, Technology (trends) and Corridor (East Ventura County/Central Coast developments).

Book of Lists: This is the newspaper’s guide offering customer, competitor and service provider statistics. It features more than 50 lists and is considered to be an important business tool used by decision-makers.

Special Sections: They feature 19 pull-out special sections each year. The following five sections are accompanied by events: Family Business Awards, Top Women in Business, 101 One Hundred, Spirit of Small Business and 40 Under 40.

The website
You may search the newspaper’s past articles here:
http://www.pacbiztimes.com/index.cfm?go2=search

Their editorial calendar is at:
http://www.pacbiztimes.com/PDFs/2007/2007EditorialCalendar.pdf

See their special reports schedule here: http://www.pacbiztimes.com/PDFs/2007/2007SpecialReports.pdf

Browse The Book of Lists here:
http://www.bizjournals.com/bookoflists/

How to pitch Dubroff and his reporting team
Dubroff looks for “something that is highly relevant to our circulation area.” He suggests that you send leads and news tips to their Managing Editor at extension 226, or email newsroom(at)pacbiztimes(dot)com.

Dubroff cautions PR people not to confuse a top 25 list with a special report. “The lists are clearly labeled as such on our editorial calendar. We really don’t run feature stories based on our top 25 lists.”

Contribute to Pacific Coast Business Times
They welcome your contributions in the form of letters to the editor or submitted columns.

Meet Dubroff and other editors
Dubroff is usually available for meetings in the Santa Barbara and Ventura area. Best days to schedule lunches with him are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. He will occasionally travel to Los Angeles for meetings, too.