Longtime Santa Clarita Valley journalist and public relations specialist Tim Whyte was named Tuesday as editor of The Signal, marking his reappearance at the 99-year-old newspaper after more than a decade.
Whyte’s return as editor, a position he held from 1994-2004, was announced by Publisher Richard Budman, the second major structural change at The Signal in less than a week following Budman’s return on June 7.
Whyte succeeds Jason Schaff as The Signal’s day-to-day leader of newsroom operations. Schaff will transition to lead The Signal’s re-introduction of a Sunday newspaper, a project Budman labeled as a top priority when he and his wife, Chris, announced their purchase of the newspaper earlier in the month.
Perry Smith will continue as the newspaper’s deputy managing editor.
“I’m absolutely excited,” Whyte said. “This is a great opportunity to cultivate connections between The Signal and the community, to help The Signal continue to develop compelling print and online content that connects with local residents, and to work with Richard again. He and I are of like mind when it comes to what the relationship should be between a community news organization and the community it serves. It’s a valuable relationship. The community should feel like this is their newspaper.”
During Budman’s previous stint as publisher from 2004-07, Whyte served as the newspaper’s general manager, a position that placed him as the organization’s second-in-command. He began work at The Signal as a news reporter in 1989 before earning a promotion to city editor and, eventually, the top newsroom position in 1994.
Whyte has lived in the Santa Clarita Valley since his childhood years and is a Saugus High School graduate.
“I am very happy to appoint Tim as my editor,” Budman said. “He is an excellent editor, knows Santa Clarita and loves The Signal as I do.”
After leaving The Signal in 2007, Whyte launched his own public relations and media consulting firm and expanded his teaching responsibilities as a part-time journalism faculty member at Cal State-Northridge.
Whyte can be reached at 661-287-5591 and via email at [email protected].
