By Juan Soto
Brian Rice has been appointed the new publisher of TimesLedger Newspapers.
The appointment comes weeks after news executives Les Goodstein and his wife Jennifer bought the Community Newspaper Group, the umbrella company that publishes TimesLedger, the Brooklyn Paper, Brooklyn Courier Life, Caribbean Life, the Bronx Times and several other publications, from News Corp.
The sale was finalized July 1.
“I feel honor to be part of Les and Jennifer Goodstein’s new endeavor,” said Rice, who started in the newspaper industry in 1992 as director of retail sales at The Village Voice.
“Failure is not an option,” he added.
The new publisher began his career at CNG two years ago after holding executive positions at AM New York, a free New York City daily newspaper, since its founding in 2002.
“I even found the office for the paper,” he recalled.
At TimesLedger, he is the sales manager/director and oversees eight sales representatives in Queens and the Bronx, positions he will continue to hold as publisher.
Rice lives in Bellmore, L.I., with his wife Karen and their children Meghan, 23, and Timmy, 20.
For him, working for the husband-and-wife team is a new chapter in his professional career.
“I look forward to many more challenges to come,” he said.
His main goal is to have TimesLedger grow and by becoming more community-involved himself “to continue the success of the No. 1 circulated and audited newspaper in Queens.”
He is passionate about ink.
“The people who are saying that newspapers are dying are not reading our CNG brand,” he said. “Our communities are passionate about reading what’s going on in their backyards, from high school sports to [U.S. Rep] Grace Meng to our QGuide. There is something for everyone.”
Rice’s priorities in life are “my family and this newspaper.” He said “it is time to be successful and have fun at work.”
The Goodsteins also own NYC CommunityMedia Group, the Manhattan-based company that is run by Jennifer Goodstein and publishes free neighborhood weeklies, including The Villager, Downtown Express and Gay City News.
“CNG is in existence because of the loyalty of its readers,” Rice said. “I am excited about CNG.”
Reach the newsroom by phone at 718-260-4545.
