Joint Newspaper

Two Samoas Get

Their First

Newspaper interests in Ameri can and Western Samoa joined forces in May to bring out a

single weekly paper covering the

two territories, TtfllS is the first time that such a newspaper has been produced in the Samoas. By a coincidence it has come hard on the heels of a sugges tion for a Samoan political union (F/M, May, p. 22).

The joint paper merges the interests of the Samoa Bulletin, of Western Samoa, and the Samoa Times of American Samoa; and has the back ing of four of the six shareholders in the recently-defunct Samoana , 0 f Western Samoa.

The first issue of the new paper appeared on May 25 under the Samoa Times masthead. It has separate editors for Western and American Samoa, and offices in both territories.

It is published in Apia.

An editorial in the first issue said: “The proprietors feel that the jour nal’s development is indicative of better communication and closer links between the two Samoas, and the use of up-to-date printing methods is also a sign of the continuing improvement m method and mechanisation in the region . . .

"Understanding"

“The distribution of the Samoa Times promises to be good—the initial circulation is 5,500 —and it should promote greater understanding and sympathy in the whole com munity for the region’s development problems.”

The owners of the new paper are: • Messrs. A. Fruean and R. Ott, of Apia, former heads of the Western Samoan Government Printing Office, who bought the Samoa Bulletin last year (F/M, Sept., 1966, p. 141). The Bulletin was the oldest paper in the Samoas, having been founded in 1950. • Mrs. B. F. Kneubuhl, Sr., and Messrs. D. C. (Mike) Kneubuhl and W. R. Opelle, of Pago Pago, who founded the Samoa Times in October, 1964 (PIM, Dec,, 1964, p. 65). • Mr. and Mrs. A. Annandale and Mr. and Mrs. K. von Reiche, of Apia, who owned 50 per cent, of the £B,OOO capital in Samoa Newspapers Ltd., publishers of Samoana, which

appeared for the last time on Ma: 1. Samoa Newspapers Ltd. \ ordered into liquidation and is be wound up following a deadlock o Samoana's management between Annandale and von Reiche coup on the one hand and the other t shareholders, Mr. R. F. RanJ (managing director and editor) a his mother-in-law, Mrs. P. Forsgi (F/M, April, p. 9). The Annanda von Reiche shareholders will probal lose their entire investment Samoana.

After Samoana ceased publicath Mr. Rankin, Mrs. Forsgren and sot US investors began publishing a n< weekly, the Apia Advertiser, Ho ever, lack of printing equipment a other difficulties have kept the n< paper to a modest 10 or 12 sma size pages since its first issue.

The new-look Samoa Times, who pages are a good deal bigger, r; to 24 pages—twice the old numb —in its first issue.

The Apia Advertiser and the Sam< Times are now the only papers pu lished in the two Samoas compan with four less than 18 months ag In those days, in addition to 3 Samoa Times, American Samoa hi the weekly Samoa News. This foldf after its founder and editor, Hif Talking Chief “Joe” Sunia, was a] pointed Director of Tourism in h territory.

The idea of moving into Western Sai seems always to have been in the mi of the sponsors of the "Samoa Tim for when the first issue appeared in P Pago in October, 1964, its masthead eluded a map of both Western American Samoa. The new joint pa which appeared on May 25, has the sa masthead.