6 weeklies not included in Maine newspaper chain’s landmark sale
Maine media mogul Reade Brower stated Monday that he has offered his 5 each day newspapers, together with the Portland Press Herald, and 17 weeklies to a nationwide newspaper nonprofit.
Lacking from the sale have been six weeklies stretching alongside Maine’s northern coast.
These not included are The Ellsworth American, The Mount Desert Islander in Bar Harbor, The Courier-Gazette in Rockland, The Republican Journal in Belfast, The Camden Herald and The Free Press in Camden, stated Chris Crockett, writer of these newspapers.
Crockett stated he was not given a proof about why his group of papers was not included within the sale. He stated the sort of giant sale that was introduced earlier Monday has numerous transferring elements, and it isn’t clear if Brower will preserve the six weeklies or promote them sooner or later.
Brower didn’t reply to a request for remark concerning the newspapers.
“I believe it’s only a matter of when he feels the sale or altering possession is correct for these papers,” Crockett stated.
Brower purchased The Ellsworth American, which was based in 1851, in July 2018 together with its sister weekly paper, The Mount Desert Islander. Brower based The Free Press in 1985 and acquired The Courier-Gazette in 2012.
Crockett stated his group of papers has been self-sufficient with its personal printing operation in Ellsworth. Over the previous yr it has seen higher-than-anticipated progress in digital subscriptions and it’s sustaining its print circulation. He stated the outlook for the papers is optimistic.
Requested if he was disenchanted to not be included within the sale, Crockett stated, “I like Reade, so I’m joyful to proceed transferring ahead with him because the proprietor. I additionally suppose this was an incredible alternative for the Portland group.”
The opposite newspapers within the Masthead group have been offered to the nonprofit Nationwide Belief for Native Information in collaboration with the Maine Journalism Basis. The belief brings cash and contacts to create offers to maintain native newspapers beneath native possession. The inspiration was fashioned to assist elevate cash to purchase the Masthead group. Monetary phrases of the sale weren’t revealed.
