About Us
ABOUT STAR NEWS GROUP
1877-today
In addition to starnewsgroup.com, Star News Group publishes two weekly paid newspapers—The Coast Star, published every Thursday, and The Ocean Star, published each Friday. Both papers are available by mailed subscription and are also sold on the newsstand. The single-copy price for The Coast Star is 75 cents and the single-copy price for The Ocean Star is 50 cents.
The history of The Coast Star is one of consistency. The newspaper has been located at its current location, 13 Broad Street, Manasquan, since 1909, and has served the southern Monmouth County area since 1877. The paper currently sells more than 13,000 copies each week, which translates into 39,000 readers every week.
The Ocean Star, located at 421 River Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, was launched in 1998 and serves the northern Ocean County area. In its ninth year of operation, the paper boasts a paid circulation in excess of 5,900, reaching 17,000 readers every week.
starnewsgroup.com, launched in March, 2007, combined the previous web sites for each of these publications into one local news source for The Coast Star and The Ocean Star readers. The extensive news coverage found each week on the pages of these two newspapers, is now also found online at starnewsgroup.com in full for subscribers and in part for non-subscribers. Additional web features enhance each week's news, including a photo and video gallery, a restaurant guide, an interactive forum, and much, much more. starnewsnroup.com is truly the companion piece for readers of The Coast Star and The Ocean Star. To subscribe to the full online version, please visit Subscribe Now!
HISTORY
Hoskins
Only three families have had control of The Coast Star since the turn of the century. According to “History of Manasquan” published in 1950 in celebration of Manasquan's Diamond Jubilee, the predecessor of The Coast Star began on June 14, 1877 as The Seaside, published tri-weekly by Edward Stultz. In 1883, the name was changed to The Manasquan Seaside. The paper continued under this name for 10 years. Mr. Wilmer E. Hoskins worked at the paper for two years before taking the position of editor and manager of the Spring Lake Mirror. Mr. Stultz later became the editor of The Spring Lake Gazette and Mr. Hoskins owned and published The Coast Democrat. In 1909, he turned the paper over to his son, Tracy M. Hoskins.
Three years later, the name was again changed to The Coast Star. Mr. Hoskins owned and managed the paper until his death in 1959 when his sister, Gertrude S. Hoskins, became editor and publisher.
Birckhead
In 1961, Gertrude Hoskins sold the newspaper to Thomas S. Birckhead, Jr., a lifelong Manasquan resident and an accomplished newsman.
Mr. Birckhead built the paper into one of the finest weekly newspapers in New Jersey. Under Mr. Birckhead's control, the paper saw great growth in circulation and page count as the seashore towns of southern Monmouth County developed from summer resorts to vibrant year-round communities.
Mr. Birckhead served as editor and publisher of The Coast Star for 28 years.
Manser
In 1989, Mr. Birckhead sold The Coast Star to the current Editor and Publisher, James M. Manser.
Mr. Manser, also a lifelong area resident, brought a newspaper circulation, sales and marketing background to the newspaper.
By enhancing the well-established news commitment of the newspaper, and combining it with a renewed push in the areas of circulation, sales and marketing, The Coast Star expanded dramatically in the 1990s and 2000s in terms of circulation, news content, advertising and page count. In October, 2006, total paid circulation reached over 13,000.
In 1998, Mr. Manser launched The Ocean Star, a Friday publication covering the Northern Ocean County towns of Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant, Bay Head, Mantoloking and Lavallette. In its ninth year, The Ocean Star's circulation reached over 5,500.
In March, 2007, Mr. Manser combined the web sites for each newspaper into starnewsgroup.com, a local online source for the extensive news coverage provided by The Coast Star and The Ocean Star. The starnewsgroup.com site receives an average of 12,000 visitors each week, with weekly page views in excess of 30,000.
NEWSROOM STAFF
The key to the success of Star News Group has been the continued committment to delivering a well-rounded news product to our readers. The newsroom staff grew significantly in the 1990s. The talents of the staff have been recognized with more than two dozen New Jersey Press Association awards, including two top awards for the best sports section of all large weekly newspapers in the state, several top awards for its front page layout and design and numerous editorial content awards.
Douglas M. Paviluk was named Managing Editor of The Coast Star in September 1999. Doug joined Star News Group in April 1998 and was on board with the company for the launch of The Ocean Star that May. He served as Managing Editor of The Ocean Star until his move to The Coast Star.
Doug has been in the newspaper field for over 10 years, and has worked for both daily and weekly newspapers in the area.
Doug is a graduate of Monmouth University with a Communications degree.
The Ocean Star is led by Managing Editor Andrea Agardy. Andrea was promoted to the position of Managing Editor at The Ocean Star in August 2003, after working as a reporter and then assistant editor at The Coast Star.
Andrea studied journalism at Livingston College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. After graduation, her training with Star News Group included covering several shore towns, as well as assisting in the design and editing of the newspaper.
Two newsrooms full of talented reporters round out the newsroom staff of Star News Group.
CONTACT
Visit our Contact page for a complete staff listing for Star News Group, as well as contact emails, telephone and fax numbers.
