The Miami Times purchases Biscayne Times

deal happened in a matter of hours.

Garth Reeves III, the owner and publisher of The Miami Times, had been chatting with his family’s lawyer, who happened to mention Biscayne Times was up for sale. A few phone calls later and boom — South Florida’s oldest Black-owned newspaper had just expanded.

“It was pretty seamless,”

Reeves recalled over the phone.

The Miami Times announced Wednesday its acquisition of the monthly magazine that bills itself as servicing “the Biscayne Corridor from downtown Miami to Aventura, including all the island communities.” A longtime reader of Biscayne Times, Reeves says the marriage seeks to increase both outlets’ audiences without sacrificing either publication’s unique style.

“We shared that commitThe ment to reporting local news and really sticking to our niche,” Reeves, who has led The Miami Times since 2017, added. “I saw a lot of opportunity for synergy.”

Reeves maintained that not much will change at Biscayne Times. Instead, the publication’s best aspects — its local news coverage and photos — will be highlighted, he says.

“All of the things that readers have come to love about the Biscayne Times will still be there,” Reeves said.

There will, however, be one obvious difference in Biscayne Times: its website. Likening the previous version to something out of the 1990s, Reeves said taking it down was one of the first moves that he made after purchasing the publication. An updated version will be launched in the first week of October.

“Having a richer digital experience from the Biscayne Times is really going to benefit those residents along the

Biscayne corridor,” Reeves explained.

Emily Cardenas, The Miami Times’ current executive editor, will helm the combined editorial and production staffs. This will allow for the sharing of content between publications, which Reeves described as “essential to the survival of both papers.”

“There is some overlap in our distribution areas and there’s going to be news that will be relevant to both communities,” Reeves said.