Journal Register completes acquisition of newspaper chain (NJ paper buys Macomb, Oakland papers)

AP ^ | 8-14-04

[Dan from Michigan]

Journal Register completes acquisition of newspaper chain

The Associated Press
8/13/2004, 4:27 p.m. ET

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The Journal Register Co. said Friday that it has completed its $415 million acquisition of a Michigan newspaper chain.

Pontiac, Mich.-based 21st Century Newspapers Inc.'s holdings include four daily newspapers with a combined daily circulation of about 137,500 and a combined Sunday circulation of about 176,000.

The newspapers include The Daily Oakland Press in Pontiac, The Macomb Daily, The Daily Tribune in Royal Oak, and The Morning Sun in Mount Pleasant.

"We are very happy to complete this acquisition and welcome the award-winning 21st Century publications and their talented personnel into the Journal Register Company family," said Robert M. Jelenic, Journal Register's top executive.

With the acquisition, Trenton-based Journal Register now owns 27 daily newspapers with combined daily circulation of about 650,000 and a combined Sunday circulation of about 675,000. The company also owns 327 non-daily publications, with combined distribution of more than 5 million.

[Dan from Michigan]

For those that don't know, Oakland and Macomb Counties are suburban Detroit counties and the 2nd and 3rd most populous in Michigan, behind Wayne County.

The Oakland Press and the Macomb Daily are the two major papers here and are countywide papers. They aren't as big as the Free Press and Detroit News which also covers Oakland and Macomb County, but are important papers.

I don't know how bad the Journal Register is over in Jersey. I expect it's left wing, but I hope it's at least better than your typical Gannett and Knight Ridder rag.

[Shaddap IV]

The Macomb Daily is Detroit's "third" paper--it got good during the paper-scab strike in the 90s and never let go. The Detroit News has become the Free Press, and The Free Press is now a disgrace, useful not even as fishwrap (although my puppy likes it for its one true useful purpose).

[Dan from Michigan]

I think the News has become WORSE than the Free Press, sad to say. It's now "all Deb Price, all the time". Thomas Bray needs to be put back in charge there.

At least Dawson Bell does a good job at the free press.

[bilhosty]

"I don't know how bad the Journal Register is over in Jersey. I expect it's left wing, but I hope it's at least better than your typical Gannett and Knight Ridder rag."


Here is the link to their newspapers. It is hard to tell what there politics are they mainly look like minor newspapers except for the New Haven paper which has lots of circulation.
http://www.journalregister.com/newspapers_conn.html