By Josh Barnett, Chair, APSE Regions committee
Assistant managing editor, USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Republic sports department was recently rebranded as azcentral sports.
All sports content and delivery points under Republic Media – including the Republic print sports section, sports programming on KPNX-TV Channel 12, and the company’s web and mobile platforms – now carry the azcentral sports name.
The new brand reflects the many changes under way at the Republic and its partner NBC television affiliate, both owned by Gannett Co., which culminated with a move to a full-access subscription model that took effect in late September.
“Combining the talents of The Republic’s beat reporters and columnists with 12 News’ commentary and programming, we’ve created one team – azcentral sports,” Randy Lovely, Republic Media Senior Vice President, wrote in an A1 column to readers to announce the debut of the new brand. “With about 40 reporters, editors and other staff members producing top-notch print, digital and television content, azcentral sports is equipped to provide unmatched coverage of sports in Arizona.”
Mark Faller, sports editor of the Republic, is now the director of azcentral sports and supervises the print, TV and digital/mobile platforms.
“We know there will be an adjustment period, both for our staff and the public, to get used to the new brand,” Faller said. “In the long run, though, combining all of our efforts under the azcentral sports banner will help us succeed on each platform at a higher level.”
Faller has been sports editor of the Republic since 2003. Active in APSE since 1995, Faller was a sports editor at the Connecticut Post and Journal News in Westchester County, N.Y., before arriving in Phoenix.
In other moves at azcentral sports, Kayte Christensen, a six-year veteran of the WNBA, and a former radio and TV personality for the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings, was hired by the Arizona Republic in July to fill the newly created position of social engagement producer for azcentral sports.
Christensen is coordinating all of the social media content and engagement opportunities across all of azcentral sports’ platforms, including television on KPNX Channel 12. She works with reporters, columnists and broadcasters as they integrate social media responsibilities into their work flow, and appears on specialty sports broadcasts including the “Friday Night Fever” high school football highlights show.
A four-year letter winner at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Christensen has been a color commentator on ESPN women’s college basketball games.
Also, the Republic has hired Zach Buchanan as a general assignment reporter. Buchanan, a graduate of Northwestern University, had been working for The Daily News in Longview, Wash. He replaces Jose Garcia, who left the paper to work for the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
