Draft:Livestock Weekly
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Founder(s) | Stanley R. Frank |
| Publisher | Robert Frank |
| Previous title | West Texas Livestock Weekly |
| Founded | February 10, 1949 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | San Angelo, Texas |
| City | San Angelo, Texas |
| Country | United States |
| ISSN | 0162-5057 |
| OCLC number | 3271370 |
| Website | www |
Livestock Weekly is a weekly newspaper published in San Angelo, Texas, that provides international coverage of the livestock industry, including range conditions, markets, and ranch life.[1] It was started by Stanley R. Frank in 1949.
History
[edit]Stanley R. Frank, a graduate of Barnhardt High School who after working as a ranch hand and later dropping out of college, started the newspaper in 1949. Before that, he worked for a few years as a columnist for the San Angelo Standard-Times, penning a popular column, "Form the Top of the Windmill." He later held several writing positions in Memphis, Los Angeles, and Midland, mostly covering the livestock business.
Buoyed by a 5,000 loan from two San Angelo ranchers, Frank wrote, edited, and published the first issue on February 10, 1949, then called West Texas Livestock Weekly.[1] Charlie Moss, a printer in San Angelo, produced the first issue in an edition of 5,000.[1] In its early days, the newspaper lost money, and its survival seemed bleak.[2] Frank, who had no previous experience as a publisher, described the first issue as "pretty pitiful" and that publishing it was "sheer agony, comparable to giving birth to a porcupine, sideways."[1][2] Dedicated employees mailed out thousands of complimentary copies with the hope that some recipients would be become subscribers.[2] By 1950, the newspaper was turning a profit after Frank hired editorial help.[1] In 1977, the publication changed its name to Livestock Weekly, after its coverage expanded to cover the United States.[1] Eventually, the publication earned a dedicated readership of farmers and ranchers and had reached a circulation of 16,000 in 1984.[1] The publication's success owes to Frank's background as a rancher and his identification with ethos of ranching, along with his ability to weave humor into this writing.[1]