Santa Ana-based Cervantes Publishing Co. has acquired on undisclosed terms Velazquez Publishing Inc., publisher of two free-distribution Spanish-language weekly newspapers.
Miniondas and FarandulaUSA are distributed through news racks and limited home delivery in Orange County. The papers compete with the Orange County Register’s Spanish-language weekly, Excélsior, and other locally based Spanish-language media.
Miniondas focuses on local, statewide, national and international news. FarandulaUSA focuses on entertainment news.
Miniondas and FarandulaUSA were established 38 years ago in Santa Ana. Cervantes said the newspapers will expand coverage to include issues concerning Hispanics such as homeownership, education, and health.
The newspapers are distributed throughout Orange County and have a combined circulation of about 20,000, said Sandra Cervantes, owner of Cervantes Publishing. Plans call for doubling the press run by early next year, part of an aggressive push to reach younger readers.
Cervantes Publishing has plans to expand throughout Southern California within a year and statewide eventually.
An internship program will tap students from Chapman University; California State University, Fullerton; and University of California, Irvine. Interns are planned for the editorial, marketing, sales and graphic design departments.
Cervantes Publishing was formed for the acquisition as a subsidiary of Cervantes International, based in Irvine. Other entities under the Cervantes umbrella include real estate businesses and a scholarship foundation.
“I am very excited about taking both Miniondas and FarandulaUSA newspapers to the next level,” Sandra Cervantes said. “I’m committed to providing information to the community that is relevant and informative.”
