Black Press

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox company Black Press Group Ltd. (BPG) is a Canadian commercial printer and newspaper publisher founded in 1975 by David Holmes Black.<ref name= "About Us">Template:Cite web</ref> Based in Surrey, British Columbia, it was previously owned by the publisher of Toronto Star (Torstar, 19.35%) and Black (80.65%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2024, it was announced that Carpenter Media Group had completed its acquisition of the firm, in a deal that involved Canso Investment Counsel, Ltd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Overview

Also known as Black Press Media, the company publishes in the United States through two subsidiaries, Oahu Publications in Hawaii and Sound Publishing in Alaska and Washington. It also owns Northern News Services based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

After acquiring three newspapers on the Kitsap Peninsula,<ref name=":0" /> it formed Sound Publishing in 1987 and has since operated all of its titles in Washington and Alaska. In turn, after purchasing Honolulu Star-Bulletin,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the publisher passed the responsibility for maintaining its titles in Hawaii to Oahu Publications, a subsidiary formed in 2001 by BPG.

Template:Asof News Media Canada reported Black Press publishes 106 editions across Canada with a combined circulation of 1,295,243. The number of titles include 70 in British Columbia, 11 in Alberta, two in Northwest Territories and one in Yukon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Canadian business deals (1969–present)

In 1969, Alan Black and Clive Stangoe acquired the Williams Lake Tribune of Williams Lake, BC.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref> The weekly newspaper had previously been owned by Northwest Publications, where Alan Black worked as a manager. After the company dissolved, he acquired a majority stake in the company's smallest title alongside Stangoe,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> who worked as the paper's publisher.<ref name=":6" /> The two owned the paper under the name Cariboo Press Ltd.

In 1975, Alan Black and Stangoe sold the Williams Lake Tribune to Alan Black's son David Black<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> for $60,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Black operated the Tribune exclusively for four years until purchasing the husband-and-wife owned Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal in nearby Ashcroft in 1979. Black continued to purchase other newspapers over time and soon formed newspaper clusters around Victoria and Vancouver.<ref name="Betting">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:BlockquoteIn June 1980, Black acquired the Lakes District News Houston Today. At some point prior he had also acquired the Smithers Interior News.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1984, Black purchased a majority stake in three newspapers and two web printing plants on Vancouver Island. The sale included Goldstream Gazette, Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle and Parksville-Qualicum News-Advertiser. The papers were merged into a new company which would also manage Sidney Review, which had been acquired earlier. The sale brought the total number of newspapers owned by Black up to 12.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1987, Black acquired the Salmon Arm Observer group on newspapers, which included the Chase-Shuswap Weekly, Eagle Valley News and Salmon Arm Observer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1992, Black acquired the 100 Mile House Free Press.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1997, Black acquired 33 publications in western Canada from Trinity International Holdings PLC of Britain for $58 million.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> The sale included the Red Deer Advocate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By this time Black Press Ltd. had been established as Cariboo Press's parent company.

On September 19, 2002, Torstar Corporation announced that it was investing $20 million to acquire a 19.35% share in Black Press. At that time Black Press published 88 newspapers and had 11 printing plants. Annual revenues at the time were $240 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2006, Black Press acquired UsedEverywhere.com, a Canadian online classified website.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The website re-branded to Used.ca in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 27, 2007, Black Press announced a $405 million takeover offer for Osprey Media, putting it in competition with Quebecor Media for Osprey's assets. Quebecor put in a higher bid and won ownership of Osprey. Template:As of it owned about 150 newspapers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In July 2010, Black Press acquired the Red Deer Express from Great West Newspapers, LP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company acquired two other Central Alberta publications, the Sylvan Lake News and Eckville Echo, in June 2011. The two weekly newspapers were owned by Barry and Darlene Hibbert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 2011, Black Press purchased of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman and the Kimberley Daily Bulletin by Don Kendall. At the time the two dallies published Monday to Friday, had a combined circulation of 5,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2013, Black Press and Glacier Media Inc. exchanged four community newspapers in British Columbia. That led to the closure of Abbotsford Times. In 2014, Black Press negotiated deals with Glacier Media Inc. to take effect in March 2015 that would exchange a dozen British Columbia newspapers that consolidated ownership of competing community papers on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Black Press obtained Harbor City Star, Nanaimo Daily News, Cowichan Citizen, Parksville Oceanside Star, Tofino/Ucluelet Westerly News, Comox Valley Echo, Campbell River Courier, Surrey Now and Langley Advance.<ref name="globe14">Template:Cite news</ref>

In August 2014, Black Press acquired Yukon News from owner Stephen Robertson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2021, Black Press purchased Northern News Services Limited of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, which publishes five newspapers in the Northwest Territories and two in Nunavut.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2023, Black Press entered a partnership with Village Media to license its custom content management system called Villager. The migration of Black Press sites will be completed in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On January 15, 2024, Black Press entered CCAA bankruptcy protection and announced a sales agreement. Founder David Black resigned as president shortly after the announcements.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On January 16, Black Press filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the time of the bankruptcy, Black Press has 144 publications, including 35 in Washington under its Sound Publishing subsidiary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Washington business deals (1987–present)

In 1987, David Black sold a 21% equity stake in his company to Shaw Communications to fund the purchase of about 15 newspapers. He bought stake back in 1990.<ref name=":3" />

Black Press purchased the Whidbey Press Newspaper Group in 1987 from newspaperman Wallie Valentine Funk. The sale included the Whidbey News-Times, South Whidbey Record and Naval Air Station Whidbey Crosswind. In 1988, Black Press purchased the Port Orchard Independent, followed soon by the acquisition of the Bainbridge Island Review. In 1994, the subsidy was renamed to Sound Publishing. A year later the company acquired the Vashon Island Beachcomber. The Tacoma Daily Index was acquired next in 1997. A year later the company purchases Friday Harbor Journal and launches the Federal Way Mirror in response to Seattle Times Co. closing the Federal Way News.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2006, Black Press purchased nine newspapers from the family-owned Horvitz Newspapers Inc. The sale included the 41,000-circulation daily King County Journal; two weeklies, the Mercer Island Reporter and Snoqualmie Valley Record; and seven bi-weeklies, the Auburn Reporter, Bellevue Reporter, Bothell/Kenmore Reporter, Covington/Maple Valley Reporter, Kent Reporter, Redmond Reporter and Renton Reporter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The King County Journal printed its last issue on Jan. 21, 2007. Forty full-time employees were laid off. Ten staffers were moved to weekly sister publications, and one was moved to marketing staff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2008, Black Press purchased The Enumclaw Courier-Herald, along with a 4-year-old sibling publication that serves the Bonney Lake/Lake Tapps area. The paper's were previously owned by the estate of Ted Natt along with John Natt, David Natt and current publisher Bill Marcum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

By July 2008, Black Press owned 15 community newspapers around the Seattle area, including 12 under the Reporter Newspapers brand, including the newly created Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter and the Sumner/Lake Tapps Reporter. Overall, the mostly free weeklies in King County reached about 300,000 households at the time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2008, Black Press purchased the Marysville Globe, Arlington Times, the regional Express Shopper and monthly business publications the Wenatchee Business Journal and the Bellingham Business Journal from Sun News Inc.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 3,400-circulation Wenatchee Business Journal was traded in August 2011 to CW Media, Inc. in exchange for the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Globe, The Times, and Bellingham Business Journal were are closed in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 recession in the United States.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

In November 2011, Olympic View Publishing Company was purchased by Black Press from Brown M. Maloney. The sale included Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That same month Black Press acquired Peninsula Daily News and Sequim This Week from Horvitz Newspapers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January 2013, Voice Media Group sold Seattle Weekly to Black Press.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The alt-weekly ceased its print edition and became an online-only publication in February 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2013, Black purchased The Everett Herald, a daily newspaper near Seattle. It had previously been owned for 35 years by the Washington Post Company.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2014, Black Press purchased six newspapers from Stephens Media, including The Daily World in Aberdeen, the Montesano Vidette, the North Coast News in Ocean Shores and the South Beach Bulletin in Westport.<ref name=":2" />

Hawaii business deals (2001–Present)

Black Press purchased the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 2001.<ref name="Betting" /> The newspaper had previously been owned by Liberty Newspapers LP, of Florida. The company planned to close the Star-Bulletin two years prior, but a federal antitrust lawsuit was filed and a judge ordered the paper be sold instead. Black Press emerged as the new owner for $10,000.<ref name=":3" /> Also in 2001, Black Press acquired RFD Publications, which owned the 280,000 circulation MidWeek.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Honolulu Advertiser<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was acquired in 2010 and merged with the Star-Bulletin to create the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In October 2014, Black Press purchased six newspapers from Stephens Media. The sale included West Hawaii Today and Hawaii Tribune-Herald, as well as a 50% interest in Hawaii.com.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Akron Beacon Journal (2006–2018)

In 2006, Black Press acquired the Akron Beacon Journal, the former Knight Ridder flagship in Northeast Ohio, for $165 million.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref>

Black Press sold the paper in April 2018 to GateHouse Media and acquired the Juneau Empire, Peninsula Clarion and Homer News in Alaska from GateHouse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

San Francisco Media Co. (2011–2020)

In 2011, David Black was one of several newspaper industry veterans who joined as investors in the San Francisco Newspaper Company to buy the former Hearst flagship The San Francisco Examiner from Clarity Media Group.<ref name="Staff">Template:Cite web</ref>

Media outlets initially reported the paper was purchased by Black's company Black Press,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but Black only participated as a private investor and held shares in the Examiner separately from Black Press.<ref name="Staff"/> The other owners included Todd Vogt and Pat Brown. Vogt was named president and CEO while Brown was named chief financial officer of the newly created San Francisco Media Co.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The company acquired the San Francisco Bay Guardian from Bruce Brugmann in April 2012<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and SF Weekly from Voice Media Group in January 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May 2014, Vogt announced plans to sell his shares of the company to Black Press' Hawaiian-subsidy Oahu Publications Inc., or to buy Black out of the company by the end of the month.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

"Unless I can find local partners, I'm not gonna do the deal," Vogt told staff. "I've got 25 days to do a deal or sell out."

Vogt did sell to Oahu, which subsequently became San Francisco Media Co.'s parent company. Dennis Francis, president of Oahu Publications, became the company's new president, and in August 2014, Glenn Zuehls was named publisher.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2014, Zuehls announced Bay Guardian, saying "the obstacles for a profitable Bay Guardian are too great to overcome."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2020, San Francisco Media Co., including the Examiner and SF Weekly, was sold to Clint Reilly Communications.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Newspapers in Canada

Alberta

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break

  • Bashaw Star
  • Castor Advance
  • Central Alberta Life
  • Eckville Echo

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  • Rimbey Review
  • Stettler Independent
  • Sylvan Lake News

Template:Col-end

Farm Press Publications

  • Farmer Stockman Ad-visor (Alberta South)
  • Farmer Stockman Ag-visor (Alberta North)
  • Saskatchewan Farm Life
  • Manitoba Farm Life

British Columbia

Interior – North

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  • 100 Mile House Free Press
  • Bella Coola Coast Mountain News
  • Burns Lake District News
  • Fort Nelson News
  • Fort St. James Caledonia Courier

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  • Haida Gwaii Observer
  • Houston Today
  • Kitimat Northern Sentinel
  • Prince Rupert Northern View
  • Quesnel Cariboo Observer

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  • Smithers Interior News
  • Terrace Standard
  • Vanderhoof Omenica Express
  • Stuart/Nechako Advertiser
  • Williams Lake Tribune

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Interior – South

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  • Kelowna Capital News
  • Keremeos Review
  • Kimberley Bulletin
  • Kootenay News Advertiser
  • Lakeshore Shuswap Market News
  • Nakusp Arrow Lakes News
  • Nelson Star
  • Peachland View
  • Penticton Western News
  • Princeton Similkameen Spotlight
  • Revelstoke Times Review

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  • Rocky Mountain Goat (Valemount)
  • Rossland News
  • Salmon Arm Observer
  • Sicamous Eagle Valley News
  • Summerland Review
  • Times Chronicle (Oliver & Osoyoos)
  • Trail Daily Times
  • Vernon Morning Star
  • West Kelowna News
  • West Kootenay Advertiser
  • Winfield Lake Country Calendar

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Lower Mainland

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Vancouver Island

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  • Ladysmith Chronicle
  • Lake Cowichan Gazette
  • Monday Magazine
  • Nanaimo News Bulletin
  • North Island Gazette
  • Oak Bay News
  • Parksville Qualicum News

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  • Peninsula News Review
  • Saanich News
  • Sooke News Mirror
  • Tofino/Ucluelet Westerly News
  • Victoria News

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Territories

Nunavut

Northwest Territories

Yukon

Newspapers in United States

Hawaii

Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press, publishes the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, along with several community newspapers, magazines and other titles including the entertainment weekly Midweek.

Washington and Alaska

Template:Anchor Sound Publishing Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press, is based in Everett, Washington, and is the largest community news publisher by circulation in the state of Washington.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company's holdings include four daily newspapers, The Herald, the Peninsula Daily News, The Daily World and the Tacoma Daily Index government listings publication. Sound Publishing acquired three newspapers in Alaska in 2018.<ref name="Juneau">Template:Cite news</ref> Community newspapers owned by Sound Publishing are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break King County

Template:Col-break Grays Harbor County

Island County

Jefferson & Clallam Counties

Kitsap County

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Okanogan County

  • Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune

San Juan County

Snohomish County

Alaska

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Defunct newspapers

Controversies

Nisga'a Treaty editorials

In 1998, company owner David Black instructed his British Columbia papers to publish a series of editorials opposing the Nisga'a Treaty, which was the first modern treaty in B.C. history, and not to publish editorials in favor of the treaty.

In January 1999, the NDP government filed a complaint to the B.C. Press Council against Black Press, arguing that its policy breached its duty to act in the public interest and violated the council's constitution. Black Press said that news coverage was not affected and editors were free to publish their opinions on their letters page.

The Press Council sided with Black Press based on finding that its newspapers "did in fact carry a diversity of opinion on the Nisga'a Treaty, including those of Premier Glen Clark, Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell, Reform Party President Bill Vander Zalm as well as those of ordinary British Columbians".<ref name=straight10>Template:Cite news</ref>

Advertiser concerns

In August 2007, a story in the Victoria News sparked a complaint from an advertiser and led to the firing/resignation of three senior Black Press employees. Victoria News reporter Brennan Clarke quit the publication after a story he wrote about buying cheaper cars in the United States led to a complaint from Victoria car dealership Dave Wheaton Pontiac Buick GMC. Black Press claimed the article was not balanced, and said that reporters and editors should not purposely jeopardize advertising revenue with their stories, because that revenue pays their salaries. The company also fired the Victoria News long-time editor, Keith Norbury, in part because of the complaint, and Black Press's Vancouver Island Newsgroup regional editor, Brian Lepine, resigned in protest.<ref>Public Eye Online – Black on Black</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Canadian Association of Journalists publicly questioned the credibility and independence of the Victoria News, wondering how many stories Black Press kills behind the scenes because of advertising concerns.<ref>Public Eye Online – A question of credibility</ref>

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Black Press Template:Canadian journalism

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