Sun Media has sold four Ontario weeklies to Maple Key Media, which says
"We are excited to bring these papers back under local ownership."
Positive news from Quebecor, for a change. Merry Christmas to staff at
the Haliburton Echo, Minden Times, Bancroft This Week and Barry's Bay
This Week.
TSF readers have been saying if Quebecor has little interest in community newspapers, it should sell the newspapers rather than close them.
More Sun Media sales to come? Stay tuned.
http://haliburtonhighlander.ca/2013/12/16/press-release-the-highlander-local-sun-media-papers-sold-to-maple-key-media
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Sun Media sells four Ontario weeklies
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Jeezus, I'm jealous. Certainly positive news for the employees of those papers. As for the rest of us? Well... fingers crossed there's a white knight publisher in our community, too.
ReplyDeleteInteresting my previous comment was never published. Oh right, it wasn't bashing Sun Media. For the record I quit the company six months ago - no package, no nothing. Just finally got sick and tired of Sun Media's crap. But don't make these new owners out to be the white knights here. The day after the announcement was made EVERY Editorial person in Haliburton and Minden quit - on the spot! So clearly the new owners couldn't have been that great. We'll see if this comment gets posted.
ReplyDeleteWho or what is Maple Key Media? It doesn't even have a website. God help the papers if it's a consortium of real estate agents, car dealers and Chamber of Commerce types. I hate to say it, but there are worse things than faceless corporations that don't care if you exist or what you write.
ReplyDeleteThe Maple Key Media people appear to be the same people behind the Haliburton Highlander publication: http://haliburtonhighlander.ca.
ReplyDeleteActually no.. The owner of the Haliburton Highlander Bram Lebo signed on to a partnership with Ray Stanton who purchased the four QMI properties .. Bram Lebo was named Director and that went tit's up yesterday when the first three newspapers Minden Times, Haliburton Echo and Highlander put out in the new year under the tutelage of ingenue Lebo and Highlander staff (The two Sun Media Editors that left on principle may be hired back) stunk to high heaven... Lebo wrote an editorial today saying that he was misled by the Maple Key Media owner regarding due dilige3nce with Sun QMI Quebecor... Lebo has never named his partner... not once in a month and in his blame ridden screed he would only call his former partner "a man" or The man" sooo pretty screwed up marriage... 3 weeks 5 days i think... TG
ReplyDeleteCould someone familar with the Haliburton situation provide an English translation to this?
DeleteWhy would anyone buy one of these weekly papers? Give Sun Media 3 months, watch what goofy things they will come up with. Lets see falling circulation, so that means a rate increase to make up for the lost revenue, then close one or several because the circulation is so low and falling. Someone at 333 will sit at their desk and scratch their head and wonder why they are faltering. Come on people wait a couple of months Sun Media will make it easier than ever start up a competitor
ReplyDeleteI agree. Sadly Sun Media has destroyed many long-standing newspapers and it's better to start a paper in their market than buy the one they have gutted and ruined. That is what I'm planning, and patiently waiting a couple months as you say.
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