Malibu Times Misses Print Edition, Website Silent Play

The Malibu Times newspaper did not publish a print edition this week. There is no announcement from the newspaper on its website as to what's going on.

No word if this is a problem with the printer, financial decisions, or if the newspaper is still in business.

The print edition normally comes out on Wednesday night at the supermarket, stores and at City Hall. But it did not show up there last Friday. And it didn't arrive in mailboxes this weekend either.

We're getting calls from readers this morning who are worried about the health of the newspaper.

The publisher, Hayley Matson, lives up the coast in Atascadero, near Paso Robles. She and her husband also publish another newspaper up there. She did write earlier this year that the Malibu newspaper was having difficult financial times. She asked for the public's patience.

We've asked in an email to see what's going on with Malibu's beloved newspaper.

The Malibu Times was founded in 1946 and it has served as the voice of Malibu ever since. Its failure would have enormous consequences for the city of Malibu, which publishes its legal advertising in the newspaper. Those are required to be printed in a local newspaper. Legal notices are also printed by companies doing foreclosures.

Although there is an image of the latest Malibu Times newspaper on its website, the accompanying articles have not been updated since the middle of February. The company's Twitter feed has been silent for two years. The Malibu Times Twitter feed looks like it has been scrubbed.

KBUU at one time had an agreement with the newspaper, which allowed it to print KBUU articles at no cost. That agreement ended when the Matsons bought the paper from longtime publishers Arnold and Katherine Portugal York. The Matsons stopped returning phone calls. The Yorks retired and moved to be near their son and his family in Sacramento.