MADISON, Wis. -- The Capital Times, Madison's 90-year-old newspaper announced Thursday it will stop printing a daily newspaper, reduce staff and focus on Internet operations.

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Editors at the paper announced Thursday that the paper will end its six-day a week publication and instead offer readers a tabloid-style insert in the Wisconsin State Journal twice weekly.

The Cap Times will print a news and opinion section on Wednesdays and an arts, entertainment and culture section on Thursdays.

"As everyone knows, these are challenging times for the traditional newspaper. And we are not unlike other markets around the country, and we decided that this was the time to take a new attack to get out there and get ahead of the curve, because this is where it's going," said Dave Zweifel, editor emeritus at The Capital Times.

Editors said staff cuts will occur along with this change. The paper's publisher wouldn't offer a specific number of job cuts, but indicated a "voluntary separation program" will be part of the changes. Editors at The Capital Times said that no more than 40 people at the company will lose their jobs, but a shift to the Internet could also mean a big change for Madison.

"When a second newspaper closes it's always a loss in terms of the conversation," said James Baughman, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism.

Baughman said the newspaper's afternoon spot was its downfall. The Capital Times circulation has dipped in recent years and is currently at roughly 17,000.

"The Cap Times fought like the dickens to sustain itself, but if the papers had been reversed, and the State Journal was the evening paper, it would be the State Journal's funeral dirge we'd be listening to right now," Baughman said.

But Baughman said that moving online could revive things.

"The circulation was shrinking, so I think that will cause some people to start perhaps looking at the Web site -- it might be a second life, a second act for what has been an important voice in this town," Baughman said.

But editors at the Cap Times said it's long from dead.

"We're still very much alive and we expect to be here for at least another 60 years," Zweifel said.

Editors said that layoffs are a last resort and they stressed that this isn't an economic move, despite losing a publishing contract with the Chicago Tribune in January. They said this is the best way to continue with its founder's vision.

The paper started in 1917 by William Evjue and was known then, and in current times, as a progressive paper. In 1948, The Capital Times partnered with the Wisconsin State Journal to create Madison Newspapers, Inc. The two papers shared advertising, production and circulation staff but with independent newsrooms and shared profits 50-50. That agreement remains in place.