MediaNews, Donrey Papers Make Deal
DENVER (AP) _ MediaNews Group Inc. will take control of 10 Donrey Media Group daily newspapers in California under a deal announced Tuesday.
William Dean Singleton’s MediaNews said its Garden State Newspapers subsidiary will merge 10 of its California newspapers with the Donrey newspapers.
The deal would expand MediaNews’ presence in Northern California and in the greater Los Angeles market, where it already owns the Los Angeles Daily News and Press-Telegram of Long Beach. Those newspapers are not included in the merger.
Garden State Newspapers will own two-thirds of the new group and Donrey will own one-third. MediaNews will manage the group, which will publish 20 daily newspapers with a daily circulation of about 531,000 and a Sunday circulation of about 493,000.
The deal is expected to close Feb. 1. The financial terms were not disclosed.
The Donrey daily newspapers include the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin of Ontario, the Vallejo Times-Herald, the Chico Enterprise-Record, The Hemet News, The Daily Democrat of Woodland, The Lompoc Record, the Ukiah Daily Journal, the Daily News of Red Bluff, the Oroville Mercury Register and the Redlands Daily Facts.
Also included are Donrey’s non-daily Advocate-News of Fort Bragg and The Valley Times of Moreno Valley.
The Garden State Newspapers include the San Gabriel Valley Tribune of West Covina, The Whittier Daily News, the Star-News of Pasadena, The Oakland Tribune, The Daily Review of Hayward, the Tri-Valley Herald of Pleasanton, The Argus of Fremont, The Alameda Times-Star, The San Mateo County Times, and the Times-Standard of Eureka, plus 23 non-daily newspapers.
Donrey, headquartered in Fort Smith, Ark., is owned by Stephens Group Inc. of Little Rock, Ark.
``Donrey is owned by an investor who understands the marketing and operational opportunities in forming this California partnership,″ Singleton said. ``While all of these newspapers are good newspapers on a stand-alone basis, operating together they will provide important new synergies.″
MediaNews also owns The Denver Post and about 40 other daily newspapers in 13 states.
Donrey continues to own 14 other newspapers in eight states, including the Las Vegas Review Journal. Last July, Donrey sold 28 newspapers to Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. of Birmingham, Ala.
