Stephens Media Purchases Iowa Newspapers

Stephens Media Group has purchased several Iowa publications from the Omaha World Herald.  These include the Boone News Republican,  Dallas County News (in Adel, IA),  Nevada Journal, Ames Advertiser,  Ames About People & Advertiser, Tri-County Times (in Nevada, IA), and the Algona Upper Des Moines.

Bonham Publications Merge

The Bonham Journal, a weekly community publication, and the Fannin County Special, a shopper, merged in October 2010.  The new merged publication is staying under the name of the Fannin County Special, which now has a distribution of 14,200.  The publication has also converted to a broadsheet format.

Press Newspaper Group of Southampton Discontinues to Publications

The Press Newspaper Group of Southampton (NY) announced this week that it will discontinue two of its print publications on December 3, 2010.  The North Shore Sun, covering Brookhaven, and the Press of Manorville and Moriches will cease publishing.  The group will be launching new online editions for both publications.

Owasso Reporter Changed Distribution Days

The Owasso Reporter, a semi-weekly community newspaper covering Owasso, Oklahoma, changed its distribution days from Tuesday & Thursday to Wednesday & Friday in July 2010.  The Reporter has a paid circulation of approximately 5,000.

Robinson Communications Implements Changes

Robinson Communications (Burien, WA) is restructuring their distribution methods in the Seattle area and as a result will be lowering their circulation numbers and changing their distribution costs, along with changing their services. In June 2010, they switched all their publications from carrier delivery to mail delivery.

The Federal Way News no longer has a print edition.  The publication is now available online only.

Effective January 1st, 2011, Robinson Communications will no longer accept large inserts from major retailers because of restrictions placed on them by their local post office.  The West Seattle Herald, The Highline Times, and The Ballard News Tribune will be impacted with this decision. 

Sun Times Media Closing Eleven Weeklies

Sun Times Media has announced that it will be closing 11 of its free weekly publications effective the end of December 2010 in a statement released by CEO Jeremy Halbreich per Crains. The eleven publications effected are the Geneva Sun, Bolingbrook Sun, Homer Glen Sun, Lisle Sun, Glen Ellyn Sun, Plainfield Sun, Downers Grove Sun, Fox Valley Villages Sun, Lincoln Way Sun and Wheaton Sun.

Gatehouse Media Temporarily Suspending Publication of 49 Papers

Gatehouse Media will be suspending publication of 49 of their vendors during the last week of December. These publications will resume publishing the first week in January. Per Gatehouse Media, the publications are:

Abington Mariner

Allston/Brighton Tab

Amesbury News

Ashland Tab

Beacon Villager

Bourne Courier

Bridgewater Independent

Cambridge Tab

Canton Journal

Cape Ann Beacon

Clinton Courier/Lancaster Times

Duxbury Reporter

Falmouth Bulletin

Framingham Tab

Georgetown Record

Halifax Plympton Reporter

Hansconian

Harwich Oracle

Holbrook Sun

Holliston Tab

Hopkinton Crier
Hudson Sun

Lincoln Journal

Littleton Independent

Marlboro Enterprise

Maynard Beacon Villager

Newburyport Current

North Andover Citizen

North Shore Sunday

Norton Mirror

Pembroke Mariner & Reporter

Randolph Herald

Reading Advocate

Rockland Standard

Salem Gazette

Sandwich Broadsider

Shrewsbury Chronicle

Stoneham Sun

Stoughton Journal

Tewksbury Advocate

The Bolton Common

The Harvard Post

The Lakeville Call

The Raynham Call

The Villager

Wakefield Observer

Westborough News

Wilmington Advertiser

Woburn Advocate

Please contact your Gatehouse Media representative for more details.

Brown Publishing Splits Publication in Two

Brown Publishing split the Centerville-Bellbrook Times publication into two new publications in August 2010.  The weekly publication is now two Thursday publications: the Centerville-Washington Township Times and the Sugarville-Bellbrook Times.

Dallas Morning News To Convert to Modular Ad Sizes

The Dallas Morning News will convert all of its display advertising to Modular Format effective January 1st, 2011.  All advertising submitted to the Morning News after that point must conform to the modular dimensions.  Please contact your representative for more details on the sizes.

Buyers Guide Group to Merge Two Publications

The Journal Community Publishing Group has announced that two of its Buyers Guide Group publications will merge into a new publication on Friday, November 5th, 2010.  The Marshfield Buyers Guide and the Wisconsin Rapids Buyers Guide will merge to become the Wood County Buyers Guide, covering both communities and surrounding areas with approximately 35,000 circulation each Friday.

Pantagraph Publications Closes Three Weeklies

Pantagraph Publishing closed three of its weekly publications on October 27, 2010.  The Heyworth Star,  Farmer City Journal and LeRoy Journal were all discontinued.   Other weekly publications owned by Pantagraph Publishing (which is the parent of the Bloomington Pantagraph) will remain publishing.  Pantagraph Publishing is a subsidiary of Lee Enterprises.

Newsprint Price Increases 22% in 2010

Newsprint prices have increased 22% in 2010 per a recent article by Philip M. Stone in Follow the Media. This should continue to create an interesting set of negotiations in print advertising, as the newspapers historically have always passed those costs directly on to the advertiser.  Yet, in today's era, where many advertisers are starting to seriously question the ROI of print advertising, lowering the cost of print advertising is all that is accepted. 

Rhinelander Daily News to Cease Daily, Introduce Semi-Weekly Distribution Publication and Shopper

The Rhinelander Daily News ceased publishing daily effective November 1st, 2010, instead changing to distribution three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday).   The Daily News will also be changing the name of the publication, now to be known as the Northwoods River News.

In conjunction with the changes, the Daily News will start publishing a Super Shopper that will be freely distributed on Saturdays, primarily via mail. This publication will have circulation approximating 25,000. 

Polish American World Closes

The Polish American World, a weekly publication targeting the Polish American publication, ceased publishing on Monday October 22nd per the New York Times.  The Polish American World has been in business since 1959, continuously under the ownership of Thomas Poster. The publication saw its subscriber list dwindle over the years, and the last edition was around 1,000 issues.