December 2005

Texas loses 2 dailies, gains 3 weeklies in 2005

Related story: Circulation declines at 53% of newspapers

In 2005, the Texas newspaper industry had one of its best years for newspaper retention thus far in the 2000s — only one daily closed and another changed to triweekly and one semiweekly went weekly.

No weekly newspapers shut down this year, although two weeklies in Bullard merged into one newspaper under new ownership.

Texas also gained three legal, paid circulation newspapers, all weeklies — the Lone Star Iconoclast in Crawford, West Kerr Current and Hill Country View in Boerne.

2005 also was a brisk year for newspaper sales with 17 ownership changes.

More newspapers launched Web sites in 2005 bringing the total with an online presence to 283. Newspapers also continued to switch to a narrower Web printing width with 62 percent now on a non-standard advertising size.

The cover price of newspapers also seems to be slowly increasing with 90 papers now charging 75 cents but 305 still at 50 cents.

In 2005, TPA lost two past presidents, Rigby Owen, who died in February, and Glenn Sedam, who died in May.

Here’s a glance at the newspaper transactions and news highlights of 2005:

January

· The Dalhart Daily Texan changed its publication schedule and name to become the state’s third tri-weekly, publishing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

February

· Susan Hutson and James Moody sold The Star Group to Ike Massey. The DFW area group includes the semiweekly Burleson Star and weeklies Alvarado Star, Crowley Star, Joshua Star, Keene Star and South Tarrant Star in Everman.

March

· Marjorie Fietsam and her son Jimmy and daughter-in-law Mary Fietsam sold the Floresville Chronicle-Journal to Tom and Diana Broussart after 42 years of family ownership.

April

· The Edinburg Daily Review ceased publishing as a daily and scaled back a free semiweekly.

· Evan Moore and Dianna Hunt Moore purchased the Bosque County News from Robby James.

· Karran Westerman became the new owner and publisher of the Zapata County News, purchasing it from Mark Henry.

· The semiweekly Allen American reduced its publication schedule to weekly with the April 24 edition.

· The startup Hall County Herald absorbed and purchased the Memphis Democrat and continued publishing under the Herald name. Christopher Blackburn is the publisher.

· Pat Wright completed the sale of the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald to John and Susan Reeves.

May

· Glenn Jay Sedam Sr., former publisher of the Bay City Daily Tribune and president of Texas Press Association in 1974-75, died May 2. Sedam was publisher from May 1, 1958, to Dec. 1, 1981.

· The Richards family sold its interest in the Aransas Pass Progress and Ingleside Index to Granite Publications.

· Jim Moser and Glenn Rea purchased the Jackson County Herald-Tribune from the Herald-Tribune Publishing Co.

June

· Thomas and Melissa Swedoski purchased the Buna Beacon from Gordon Fales.

· Jerry and Glenna Wright and editor

John Starbuck purchased The Merkel Mail from Cloy and Melanie Richards.

· The Eagle Press in Fritch sold from Derrol and Debra Wells to Fritch Texas Eagle Corporation, L.L.C.

· Dara Dudley purchased the Grandview Tribune from Donna Marten and Jack Magness.

July

· Amy and Cathy Fearing sold the Eagle Lake Headlight to Bruce and Lynda Beal.

· Temple-Inland sold The Free Press in Diboll to Granite Publishing Partners.

August

· McMillian and Baker Publishing purchased the Kerens Tribune from Gail Christie.

· American Consolidated Media purchased the Rio Grande Herald and Edinburg Review from Pearl Mathis.

· Masked Rider Publications Inc. purchased the Big Lake Wildcat from David and Ramona Werst.

September

· Joe W. Tindel sold the Frankston Citizen to Blake and Kim Foster.

· The Herald-Coaster changed its name to the Fort Bend Herald and Texas Coaster.

· American Community Newspapers purchased the McKinney Courier-Gazette.

· Bluebonnet Publishing, LLC. bought the Bullard Banner and Bullard Weekly News and combined them as the Bullard Banner News.

October

· About 10 Southeast and East Texas newspapers were hit hard by Hurricane Rita and ceased publication for a week or more, including dailies The Beaumont Enterprise, Orange Leader and Port Arthur News.

· The Tawakoni News changed its name to the Quinlan-Tawakoni News.

November

· Next West Newspapers Inc. purchased the assets of The Highlander in Marble Falls and the Burnet Bulletin from American Consolidated Media Inc.

December

· The Brownwood Bulletin became a morning daily changing its afternoon schedule.