Tribune-Review buys several local papers
SCOTTDALE – Tribune-Review Publishing, the parent company of the several local newspapers, including the Daily Courier based in Connellsville and the Greensburg Tribune-Review has reached an agreement to purchase the Laurel Group Newspapers, according to the Scottdale publishing firm’s owner. Joseph T. “Bud” Soforic confirmed Tuesday that negotiations with Tribune officials have led to the sell of the six weekly newspapers, held by Laurel Group and will be published by the new owner beginning April 2.
“We feel that the Tribune-Review is a very capable business in southwestern Pennsylvania and have the resources to continue to publish the newspapers long-term,” said Soforic of the decision. “We were very interested in becoming a member of the Tribune-Review family.”
The six weekly newspapers include the Mount Pleasant Journal, Ligonier Echo, Independent-Observer, Times-Sun, Advisor and the Jeannette Spirit.
The Mount Pleasant Journal, the flagship paper, was first published in 1873, according to the The Laurel Group Web site. The Mount Pleasant paper and the Ligonier Echo were acquired in 1963 by the Mount Pleasant Publishing Corp., which would later become The Laurel Group.
In 1965, the Independent-Observer, a Scottdale area newspaper was purchased by the corporation followed by the Times-Sun that serves the West Newton area readership.
The Advisor was launched in 1978 for readers in the Youngwood-New Stanton area and the Jeannette Spirit in 1983 for those in the Jeannette area, according to the Laurel Group Web site.
Soforic declined to discuss the purchase price.
Locally, in addition to the Greensburg Tribune-Review and Daily Courier, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, TribPM, Valley News Dispatch, the Valley Independent, Blairsville Dispatch and Leader-Times in addition to the Gateway Newspapers are Tribune-Review Publishing affiliates. The Daily Courier, Valley Independent of Monessen and the Leader-Times of Kittanning, were purchased in 1997 from Thomson Newspapers.
The Laurel Group Press – the commercial printing business of the corporation – was not part of the deal, said Soforic.
Ralph Martin, Tribune-Review Publishing Co. president and chief executive officer, told the Associated Press that the sale would not affect the 24 current employees.
Soforic said that he planned to oversee the transition, but did not anticipate any problems connected to the changeover.
“All the newspapers will continue to be published and the employees on the news end will stay as Tribune-Review employees with the others continuing with the commercial printing business,” he said.