A new free Rockaway weekly newspaper hopes to find its niche
The Rockaway Times, spearheaded by former Wave editor Kevin Boyle, is slated to put out its first issue later this week. Boyle promises the paper will provide vital news, fun reads and be a booster for the peninsula. But can it co-exist with The Wave?
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, June 23, 2014, 11:42 AM
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Kevin Boyle, former editor of The Wave and longtime Rockaway resident, is starting a new weeklypaper called The Rockaway Times. The first issue is slated to come out later this week.
Rockaway’s renaissance man is wading into some choppy waters.
Kevin Boyle, who has worked as a newspaper editor, author, teacher and bar owner, is the force behind a new free newspaper in Rockaway set to debut next week.
He promises the weekly Rockaway Times will tackle serious issues, including the ongoing coverage of Hurricane Sandy recovery, while providing breezy, amusing takes on life from surfers, community leaders and bartenders.
“We want to entertain people, too,” said the 55-year-old Boyle.
It also puts Boyle in head-to-head competition with his former colleagues at The Wave, the popular weekly newspaper that has been around for more than 100 years, outliving any and all competitors as residents made it a must-read.
“There’s still plenty to say in Rockaway and a lot of fun to have in Rockaway,” said Boyle, who said the area would benefit from having two local newspapers.
The battle is also for advertisers. Rockaway’s already slim commercial base was hit hard by Sandy. Many stores never reopened.
“It’s the third challenger to The Wave in my 25 years,” said long-time Community Board 14 District Manager Jonathan Gaska. “It’s always good to have a different voice about local issues but The Wave will be tough to compete with.”
Boyle said the Rockaway Times will benefit from its partnership with the Forum Newsgroup, which publishes weekly papers in central and south Queens.
“It's a great time to be involved in Rockaway,” said Forum publisher Pat Adams. “The Rockaway Times will not only report on the community, it will be an integral part of the community and its impending growth surge.”
Boyle moved to Rockaway from Brooklyn 24 years ago.
“I moved for the parking,” he joked. “Then I realized, there’s an ocean here too.”
He worked twice for The Wave, most recently taking over as editor after the devastating October 2012 storm. His voice and column, Boyleing Points, became a vital advocate for the ravaged peninsula.
Boyle left the Wave in May after negotiations to purchase a part of the paper fell through.
“We like Kevin, he did a good job for us when he was here,” said Sandy Bernstein, general manager of The Wave. “He wanted to strike out on his own and everyone has the right to do that.”
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