November 2001, News Briefs |
ACM adds weekly to holdings
MIDLOTHIAN — Midlothian Newspapers Inc., a new arm of American Consolidated Media, bought The Midlothian Mirror on Oct. 31.
Debbie Garvin had been the owner and publisher of the weekly.
Dallas-based ACM owns the dailies Brownwood Bulletin, Alice Echo News, Stephenville Empire-Tribune and Waxahachie Daily Light and weeklies The Highlander and Burnet Bulletin.
The Mirror has a redesign and new look along with a new managing editor Floyd Ingram, who has more than 17 years experience in newspapers. Debbie McCalla came on board as an ad rep and Jody Terranova was named business manager.
Tarrant County weekly sold
FORT WORTH — The Northwest Tarrant County Times Record changed hands Oct. 19 as Art and Joan Jones purchased it from Winters Enterprise Inc. Jones has a background in broadcasting and writing. Winters Enterprise Inc. owns the Winters Enterprise.
Family buys Kilgore daily
KILGORE — Bluebonnet Publishing LLC, a newly formed family partnership, bought the Kilgore News Herald from Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. on Nov. 1.
The newspaper is the Bluebonnet group’s first acquisition. Bill Woodall is president of Bluebonnet.
“We were interested because my wife and I grew up in this area and our family is in East Texas,” he said. “We like East Texas and have confidence in its long term prospects.”
Woodall’s father owned weekly newspapers in Grand Saline, Edgewood, Van and Quitman until 1986.
The News Herald is one of several small daily newspapers CNHI has sold this year after announcing that it would sell off its smaller properties that do not fit its long-term strategic objectives. In May CNHI sold the Del Rio News Herald to Southern Newspapers.
Dirks, Van Essen & Murray represented CNHI in the transaction.
Fort Worth biz paper changes ownership
FORT WORTH – Connor Media Group, LLC, purchased the Fort Worth Business Press from Lionheart Newspapers LLC on Oct. 12.
Richard L. Connor founded the company earlier this year. He will serve as editor and publisher. He started Lionheart four years ago but resigned to launch the new company.
Lionheart owns more than 60 newspapers, including DFW Community Newspapers that publishes the Plano Star Courier.
Connor recruited Bruce Raben, former Star Courier publisher, and Bill Thompson, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Connor was publisher of the Star-Telegram from 1986-97.
50-inch papers still on rise
DIMMITT — The Castro County News went to the new 50-inch web on Nov. 1 joining 221 other Texas newspapers that now publish on the smaller web. That figure represents half of the state’s 535 paid circulation newspapers.
SWT newspaper cuts publication schedule
SAN MARCOS — The University Star, the newspaper of Southwest Texas State University, cut back to three days a week due to slumping advertising revenue and budget constraints, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
In May, an internal audit showed the Star’s 2000 budget was the second lowest among Texas 12 largest state universities.
“There’s this incredible crunch, day in and day out. They’re just under tremendous pressure,” said Fred Blevens, journalism professor and advisor to the Society of Professional Journalists SWT chapter. “I’m not optimistic that their publication days are even going to stay at three.”