Texas Woman’s to eliminate mass comm program

DENTON — Texas Woman's University plans to eliminate the mass-communication studies program, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The 79-year-old program is losing money. Only 53 undergraduates, mostly upperclassmen, are enrolled this year at the 7,300-student campus, university officials told the newspaper.

Administrators met with students to discuss plans to phase out the program. The proposal will be presented to the university’s Board of Regents, Texas Woman’s spokesman Roy Kron said.

The program operated at a loss of $106,186 for the 2003 fiscal year, according to Brenda Floyd, Texas Woman’s vice president of finance and administration.

The Lasso will be published for at least one more year and could later be operated by another department, Kron said.

Beginning this summer, the university plans to offer four more semesters of courses so that as many students as possible can complete their degrees, Kron said.

Alvord gets new owner

ALVORD — The Alvord Gazette on March 1 changed ownership to Plains Media Group and Robert Lomas returned to Texas as publisher.

Wayne and Pat Dennis had owned the Gazette since 1999.

Michelle Heer will be editor and Traci Hawthorne will be advertising director.

The newspaper has 974 circulation.

Whites add weekly to bring group to 3

ROCHESTER — Jay and Cynthia White purchased the Twin Cities News from Patsy and Lavern Rogers.

The purchase brings to three the number of newspapers that the Whites own. They bought The Munday Courier in July 1998 and the Stonewall County Courier in Aspermont in 1999.

The Rogers had published the News for 20 years.

The newspaper has 589 circulation.

Star-Telegram buys 8 free metroplex papers

FORT WORTH — The Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Feb. 18 bought eight free-circulation newspapers.

The Alliance Regional Group, headed by Dr. Nathan Graves of Westlake, sold the seven weeklies and a bimonthly north of Fort Worth. The papers will continue to be published as separate entities.

The purchase includes The Southlake Journal, The Trophy Club Times, The Roanoke Register, The Argyle American, The Haslet Harbinger, The Westlake First News, The Justin Journal and The Ponder Pilot.

Tara Hutchins edits the Southlake Journal and James Masters edits the remaining papers. The venture was launched in fall 1999 by Dave Brown, a former aviation reporter for the Star-Telegram.

Rickenbacher Media represented the sellers and initiated the transaction.

Two-time Sweepstakes winner ceases publication

BENBROOK — The Benbrook Star, which claimed back-to-back Sweepstakes honors from TPA’s Better Newspaper Contest in 2001 and 2002, ceased publication on Feb. 25.

The newspaper was founded in 2000 as a weekly in Tarrant County and was part of the Star Group, which publishes the semiweekly Burleson Star and weeklies Joshua Star, Keene Star, Alvarado Star, Crowley Star and South Tarrant Star in Everman.

The Benbrook Star cited 469 circulation on its October 2003 Statement of Ownership.

The newspaper won the Division 8 TPA Sweepstakes Award in the 2001 contest and the Division 10 Sweepstakes Award in 2002.

A Star Group official cited economic reasons and location for closing the newspaper.

Palmers expand into Southwest Arkansas

MOUNT PLEASANT — The Palmer family, owners of the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune, added another weekly to its ownership.

The family purchased the 3,800 circulation weekly Little River News in Ashdown, Ark. from Jim Williamson and Gerald Stripling, who had owned it the last 26 years. Williamson served as president of Little River Communications and is editor while Stripling is advertising manager. Both will continue in their present positions.

The News operates in its own building and has a News King press, but the newspaper printing will be moved to Mount Pleasant under the new ownership.

Rickenbacher Media initiated the transaction while representing the sellers.

The Palmers also own the weekly Clarksville Times.