The Beacon began serving the Ohio communities of Port Clinton, Marblehead, Oak Harbor, Catawba Island and Put-in-Bay in February of 1983. It since has broadened its delivery to Fremont, Elmore, Woodmore, Genoa, Norwalk, Monroeville, Clyde, Bellevue, Huron, Sandusky, and Vermillion. It was an entrepreneurial enterprise started by John Schaffner, who retired and turned the company over to Ali Hermes, Publisher, and President. The Beacon serves a vital niche in the community, since nearly all the geographical area covered by the weekly newspaper is surrounded by the waters of Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay. In the early 1980s, the eastern portion of Ottawa County was rapidly becoming one of the top tourism destinations in Ohio, if not the Great Lakes. Large numbers of individuals from the Cleveland, Columbus, Akron, and Cincinnati areas as well as other communities in Ohio, were attracted to the waterfront communities and have claimed the area as their second home. It now is the largest free community newspaper printed in Northwestern Ohio.
The resort nature of the marketplace, very close to Sandusky and the Cedar Point Amusement Park to the east, has caused The Beacon to stagger its circulation based on the seasons. In the summer, from May through September, The Beacon has a circulation of 12,000. In the “shoulder season” months of October and April, the circulation is 12,000. During the “off season” months of November through March, the circulation remains strong at 10,000.
The Beacon, published every Thursday, has become a staple of positive news and information for the market it covers. Their CVC Audits have verified the strong acceptance of the newspaper, which has also fostered a strong following on their free Web Site, www.thebeacon.net. Recent audits have shown that over 98% of the readers surveyed noted that they receive copies of The Beacon each Thursday. Nearly 95% of those who pick up The Beacon read through The Beacon. Our most recent audit also shows that The Beacon is read by over 2.25 people per household.
The Beacon is owned and operated by Schaffner Publications, Inc., an Ohio Corporation, which also operates the monthly North Coast Business Journal, which highlights businesses and the up-and- coming community individuals making a difference by improving the communities in which they reside and work in.
205 S.E. Catawba Road
Port Clinton, Ohio 43452
Telephone: (419) 732-2154
Fax: (419) 734-5382
Classifieds: (419) 732-1500
