Victoria media baron David Black added to his empire this week, scooping up several competing papers in B.C. and Alberta.
Black Press agreed to purchase the Trail Daily Times, Creston Valley Advance, Fernie Free Press, Grand Forks Gazette, Nelson Daily News, Prince Rupert Daily News and Williams Lake-based Cariboo Advisor from Glacier Media for an undisclosed sum, said Black Press chief operating officer Rick O'Connor.
"We're very bullish on community newspapers in British Columbia," said O'Connor. "We think the newspaper industry is in very good shape at the community newspaper level. This allows us a greater presence in the Kootenays, which is an area we really like."
Black Press also acquired the Red Deer Express from Great West Newspapers, which is half-owned by Glacier, and sold the Canmore, Alta.-based Rocky Mountain Outlook to Great West.
"It was a title that Glacier and Great West really wanted that we had, so to make a deal, sometimes you have to give up something you prefer not to give up," said O'Connor.
The move means Black Press will own the main competitors of several of its existing holdings, including the Trail-Rossland News, Nelson Star, Prince Rupert-based The Northern View, Williams Lake Tribune and Red Deer Advocate.
O'Connor would not say whether the company plans to merge or shut down any of the duplicate papers.
"I don't want to comment any further on what our operating plans will be," he said. "For the most part, we have to go in and meet with the staff, and look at what we are going to do going forward."
Former Black Press executive Don Kendall also agreed to purchase the Cranbrook Daily Townsman and the Kimberley Daily Bulletin from Glacier.
"He was part of the deal," said O'Connor. "We have a paper in Cranbrook, and decided we didn't want to buy the other paper at this time. So it was a good opportunity for Don."
Glacier chairman Sam Grippo said the B.C. papers his company sold were financially unsuccessful.
"Essentially, they weren't profitable," he said. "I believe that was the case [that they were all losing money]."
Black Press owns more than 100 publications in B.C., Alberta, Washington state, Ohio and Hawaii, including the Victoria News. Glacier Media owns several business publications and newspapers in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Rhode Island. It is traded on the TSX, with a market capitalization of more than $200 million.
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