Cancellations of Chattanooga events cause The Pulse to suspend print edition

People watch as Black Stone Cherry perform on the Bud Light Stage during the second night of the Riverbend Festival on Thursday, May 30, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Lionel Richie headlined the night. / Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter
People watch as Black Stone Cherry perform on the Bud Light Stage during the second night of the Riverbend Festival on Thursday, May 30, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Lionel Richie headlined the night. / Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter

The Pulse, a weekly entertainment publication that covers music, arts, entertainment and culture in the Chattanooga area, is suspending its print editions.

With most arts and entertainment events idled by the growing novel coronavirus, most of what The Pulse normally covers has been idled for the next several weeks.

Kira Brewer Headlee, general manager for Brewer Media, announced Monday "with a heavy heart" the company decided to suspend the entertainment publication during the virus outbreak while events are canceled or delayed in response to the corona.

The alternative weekly newspaper has been owned since August 2008 by Brewer Media, the Chattanooga-based broadcast company that owns and operates five local radio stations.

"Given the current situation and CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines, it is difficult for us to sustain a publication that relies on the entertainment and dining industries," Headlee said. "The future of The Pulse will be determined as we continue to assess the situation and determine the best way to get entertainment and dining information to the public."

The company plans a digital only version this week and then will evaluate future options.

The Pulse, which has a printed circulation of 9,000 and reaches 15,000 digital readers each month, has been published since 2003 and is distributed in the metropolitan Chattanooga region, including Bradley County and North Georgia, every Thursday, as well as online at www.chattanoogapulse.com.

"After many discussions with our senior management team and ownership it was decided a necessary move at this time," Headlee said. "It was a decision not entered into lightly. Brewer Media acquired The Pulse a little over 11 years ago and over the years it has evolved into the popular publication it is today."

In response to the cutbacks in area events and shows, the entertainment weekly published each Thursday by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, ChattanoogaNow, plans a smaller version of the weekly tablet insert this week. Editor Alison Gerber said entertainment stories will appear next week in the Region section of the newspaper.

ChattanoogaNow will resume once events are rescheduled and resumed in coming weeks, she said.

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