Black Press and Glacier Media swap six newspaper titles
After Black Press bought two publications from and sold four others to Glacier Media, five more B.C. newspapers now have competitors owned by the same company, raising speculation about mergers and closures.
Black Press bought two publications and sold four titles in separate transactions with Glacier Media. The Abbotsford/Mission Times and the Chilliwack Times will now be part of Black Press, while Glacier Media now owns the North Shore Outlook, the Westender, Bowen Island Undercurrent and South Delta Leader. The sales are set to be completed before the end of the year, according to an internal memo.
Black Press President and CEO Rick O’Connor said in the memo he was pleased with acquiring the new titles, which Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island President Randy Blair will oversee.
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But O’Connor took a different tone when referring to parting with the four titles. “Unfortunately, we have sold four titles which have been a big part of our Lower Mainland group over the past 12 years,” O’Connor said. “We wish all of our employees at these newspapers the best under Glacier’s leadership.”
A Stockhouse article speculated that these deals may result in mergers and closures as five of the six newspapers now have competitors that are owned by the same company.
Neither O’Connor nor Glacier Media responded to requests for comment from J-Source.
