WSJ exploring arts and culture section

John Koblin of the New York Observer writes Wednesday that The Wall Street Journal is considering adding an arts and culture section as early as next year.

Koblin writes, “Several Journal sources have confirmed to Off the Record that a weekly New York–only arts-and-culture section is in the planning stages up at The Journal’s new Sixth Avenue headquarters. It’s early yet, but in the very near future, a budget will be drafted for the product, an indication that the effort is a serious one. The new section could be introduced into the newspaper early next year, according to our sources.

“‘It’ll be arts-and-culture–oriented,’ said one staffer, describing the new plan. ‘The ad side thought they could sell ads on a local New York basis, given the Broadway scene and the arts scene overall.”

“According to two staffers, the project is still very much in the conceptual stage, but the paper plans to hire two editors for it, one from outside the paper and one from inside. Journal editors will be drafted to start the section out much sooner on the Web, and that hire will happen in the very near future, according to one Journal source.”

Rad more here.