Foundation, a CMS provider that has served as the digital backbone of venerated alt-weekly publications for nearly 30 years, advised its customers today that it is joining forces with Newspack and will help streamline the move to our platform.
We will migrate Foundation customers for free, and they can join Newspack at no additional cost. Foundation, owned by DesertNet, L.L.C., with offices in Tucson, Arizona, will transfer ownership of its listing and events service to Newspack and shutter the remaining elements of its content management system by September. Its CEO, Wil Gerken, and two other engineers will join the Newspack team as part of the transition.
The Foundation and Newspack teams have been working closely over the past few months to ensure a seamless migration of the sites while the deal was being finalized. About 40 publishers use the platform.
While customers are under no obligation to make the move, the deal is intended to allow for a smooth transition, both technically and financially.
In moving to Newspack, publishers gain access to a sophisticated suite of publishing and revenue tools that serve nearly 300 publications, as well as the free business coaching we offer through Newspack’s Revenue Development Program. Newspack will also acquire Foundation’s event listings and location-based guides to film times, user-submitted content, licensed third-party content, and be able to tap into new revenue opportunities within the events space.
Formed during the early days of the internet, Foundation specialized in supporting the digital ambitions of a once-thriving alternative press in major metro areas across the nation. The rise of digital personals, classifieds dating apps, once staples of the free weekly press, created financial challenges that forced some of the best-known titles out of business. But many remain a vital source of cultural commentary and watchdog journalism.
Foundation customers include publications such as Miami New Times and Phoenix New Times. Other former Foundation publishers, such as the Chicago Reader, have already moved to Newspack.
