Los Angeles Register newspaper, which opened in April, ends publication

The Los Angeles Register has announced that it will cease publication immediately.

The Los Angeles Times reported (http://lat.ms/1ugbb8F) that Orange County Register co-owner Aaron Kushner sent a memo with the news to employees of the newspaper on Monday night.

The memo, signed by Kushner and Freedom Communications co-owner Eric Spitz, said: "Pundits and local competitors who have closely followed our entry into Los Angeles will be quick to criticize our decision to launch a new newspaper and they will say that we failed."

"We believe, the true definition of failure is not taking bold steps toward growth."

The company will focus on markets in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the memo said. Freedom owns the Long Beach Register, which it opened last year, and the Riverside Press-Enterprise, which it bought in November for more than $27 million.

The memo said there will be "staff changes" but did not give specifics or mention layoffs.

In January, Freedom laid off 71 employees. In June, it imposed two-week furloughs companywide.

Kushner and Spitz said the Los Angeles Register's website will stay open and publish material from other Freedom publications.

The newspaper opened in April.

___

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com