13 Stars Media

What 13 Stars Media does

13 Stars Media is a privately held, California-based local media company that produces and publishes hometown newspapers, lifestyle magazines, and community guides. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Atascadero, the company operates a portfolio of 16 publications across three California counties: Los Angeles County (Malibu Magazine, Calabasas Style Magazine, Hidden Hills Magazine, The Malibu Times, What to do in Malibu), San Luis Obispo County (Atascadero News, Atascadero News Magazine, Paso Robles Press, Paso Robles Magazine, Central Coast Living, Morro Bay Life), and Santa Barbara County (Santa Ynez Valley Star). The company also runs the Open Door Directories sub-brand, which hosts vertical guides such as Destination Central Coast, Home Design Central Coast, Holiday Central Coast, and Food + Wine Central Coast.

The company's stated core technology is a print and digital media publishing platform, with no disclosed proprietary AI, data, or software components beyond the publication websites themselves. Content is produced by local writers for local readers, and the company positions itself around positive community storytelling and local influence rather than adversarial journalism. Distribution occurs through physical print publications distributed to local residents and dedicated consumer websites for each community publication.

13 Stars Media generates revenue primarily through print and digital advertising and recurring subscriptions on its community publications; specific pricing, rates, and revenue mix are not publicly disclosed. The company is small (1-10 employees), has no disclosed outside funding, and operates with a vertically segmented structure focused on individual California micro-markets. In 2020, it pivoted toward growth and expanded materially into West Los Angeles County and Santa Ynez in addition to its San Luis Obispo County base.

Name

13 Stars Media

Legal name

13 Stars Media

Website

https://13starsmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

13 Stars Media is a privately held California local media company that produces and publishes hometown newspapers, lifestyle magazines, and community guides across Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties, serving local readers and advertisers with locally written content since 2017.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Media Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

Keywords

• Local news publishing
• Community magazines
• Hometown journalism
• Regional newspapers
• Lifestyle magazines

Headquarters

HQ city

Atascadero

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Print Publications Revenue: Revenue generated from publishing local newspapers and magazines including The Malibu Times, Atascadero News, Paso Robles Press, and various lifestyle magazines across California communities

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

13 Stars Media produces and publishes a portfolio of hometown media consisting of local newspapers, lifestyle magazines, and community guides (e.g., travel, home design, holiday, food and wine) targeted at specific California communities in Los Angeles County (Malibu, Calabasas, Hidden Hills), San Luis Obispo County (Atascadero, Paso Robles, Morro Bay), and Santa Barbara County (Santa Ynez Valley). Content is written by local writers for local readers and distributed both in print and via dedicated online publication websites.

Product overview

13 Stars Media is a multi-platform hometown media company that produces and publishes local news, magazines, and community publications across California. The portfolio consists of newspapers (The Malibu Times, Santa Ynez Valley Star, Atascadero News, Paso Robles Press), lifestyle magazines (Malibu Magazine, Calabasas Style Magazine, Hidden Hills Magazine, Atascadero News Magazine, Paso Robles Magazine, Central Coast Living, Morro Bay Life), and specialized guides (What to do in Malibu, Destination Central Coast, Home Design Central Coast, Holiday Central Coast, Food + Wine Central Coast). The company operates across three main regions: Los Angeles County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County, with local writers creating content for local readers. Founded in 2017, the company pivoted in 2020 toward growth and expansion in West Los Angeles County, Santa Ynez, and San Luis Obispo County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Malibu Magazine: Magazine serving Malibu, Los Angeles County
• Calabasas Style Magazine
• Hidden Hills Magazine
• The Malibu Times
• What to do in Malibu
• Atascadero News Magazine
• Paso Robles Magazine
• Central Coast Living
• Destination Central Coast
• Home Design Central Coast
• Holiday Central Coast
• Food + Wine Central Coast
• Santa Ynez Valley Star
• Atascadero News
• Paso Robles Press
• Morro Bay Life

Products and services

• Malibu Magazine A lifestyle magazine covering Malibu community news, events, and features for local readers in Los Angeles County.
• Calabasas Style Magazine A style and lifestyle magazine serving the Calabasas community in Los Angeles County.
• Hidden Hills Magazine A community magazine serving Hidden Hills residents with local news and features in Los Angeles County.
• The Malibu Times A local newspaper delivering hometown news and information to the Malibu community.
• What to do in Malibu An events and activities guide for visitors and residents of Malibu.
• Atascadero News Magazine A community magazine covering Atascadero news, lifestyle, and local features in San Luis Obispo County.
• Paso Robles Magazine A lifestyle magazine serving Paso Robles with local news and community content in San Luis Obispo County.
• Central Coast Living A regional lifestyle magazine covering the Central Coast of California.
• Destination Central Coast A travel and tourism guide showcasing attractions across the Central Coast region.
• Home Design Central Coast A home design and improvement resource guide for Central Coast homeowners.
• Holiday Central Coast A seasonal holiday guide featuring events and activities across the Central Coast.
• Food + Wine Central Coast A culinary guide covering restaurants, wineries, and food experiences on the Central Coast.
• Santa Ynez Valley Star A local newspaper serving the Santa Ynez Valley community in Santa Barbara County.
• Atascadero News A local newspaper delivering news and community information to Atascadero.
• Paso Robles Press A local newspaper serving Paso Robles with hometown news coverage.
• Morro Bay Life A community magazine covering Morro Bay news, lifestyle, and local features in San Luis Obispo County.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Times Media Group: Times Media Group is a community newspaper publisher operating a portfolio of local papers and digital publications across Arizona markets (e.g., East Valley Tribune, Ahwatukee Foothills News). Comparable to 13 Stars Media as both run multi-publication, community-focused local news operations with print + digital distribution in regional US markets.
• Locale Magazine: Locale Magazine publishes a network of neighborhood-focused lifestyle magazines across Southern California communities. Comparable to 13 Stars Media as both target California sub-markets with local lifestyle magazines and guides emphasizing community character.
• Embarcadero Media: Embarcadero Media publishes a portfolio of community newspapers and magazines in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Palo Alto Weekly, Mountain View Voice, and the Los Altos Town Crier. Highly comparable to 13 Stars Media as both operate multi-platform local media businesses combining print newspapers with community lifestyle magazines in defined California geographies.
• Edible Communities: Edible Communities operates a network of 90+ hyperlocal food and drink magazines across North America, each focused on regional culinary culture. Comparable to 13 Stars Media's Food + Wine Central Coast publication and its broader local lifestyle magazine portfolio.
• Dan's Papers: Dan's Papers is a long-running community media brand covering the Hamptons with a newspaper, magazine, and digital properties focused on local news, events, and lifestyle. Comparable to 13 Stars Media as both produce hyperlocal newspapers and lifestyle content targeted at affluent, geographically concentrated communities.
• Beverly Press / Park LaBrea News: Beverly Press publishes community newspapers and lifestyle publications serving Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and surrounding Los Angeles neighborhoods. Comparable to 13 Stars Media as both produce local newspapers and lifestyle publications targeting affluent Southern California communities.
• Where Magazine (Morris Media Network): Where Magazine is a network of city-specific travel and lifestyle visitor guides published in major North American destinations. Comparable to 13 Stars Media's 'What to do in Malibu' and 'Destination Central Coast' guide products.

Broad incumbents

• Modern Luxury: Modern Luxury is the largest US luxury regional media company, publishing city and regional lifestyle magazines (Angeleno, Riviera, Modern Luxury Hawaii) in major markets. Comparable to 13 Stars Media as both operate portfolio of regional lifestyle publications serving affluent readers, though Modern Luxury operates at significantly greater scale.
• Los Angeles Magazine (Emmis Communications): Los Angeles Magazine is a major regional city magazine covering LA news, culture, dining, and lifestyle. Comparable to 13 Stars Media's Malibu Magazine and Calabasas Style Magazine in that both serve affluent Los Angeles readers with curated local lifestyle content, though LA Magazine operates at much greater scale and brand recognition.

Regional players

• Village Media: Village Media operates a network of 30+ local community news websites in Ontario, Canada. Comparable to 13 Stars Media in that both run multi-publication local/community media businesses targeting defined geographic markets, though Village Media is digital-only and Canadian.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/13starsmedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/13StarsMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/13stars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 13 Stars Media