Creative Loafing acquires Chicago and Washington DC weekly papers

Tampa-based Creative Loafing Inc. on Tuesday acquired two of the country's leading alternative weekly newspapers, Chicago Reader and Washington City Paper. Besides Tampa, Creative Loafing Inc.also owns alternative weeklies in Atlanta, Sarasota and Charlotte.

The Chicago and Washington, D.C. papers were both owned by founders of Chicago Reader. Also included in the acquisition is the "Straight Dope" syndicated column. Chicago Reader, founded in 1971, is one of the oldest alternative newspapers in the country and now has an average weekly circulation of 135,000 papers. The Washington City Paper, founded in 1982, has an average circulation of 80,000.

"We are extremely proud to be associated with these great media companies," said Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason, whose family founded the first Creative Loafing newspaper in Atlanta in 1972. The company expanded into Charlotte in 1987, Tampa in 1988 and Sarasota in 1999.

Tom Zucco, Times staff writer