Gannett Buys Rival Green Bay Paper, Plus 22 Others

[Rose Siding]

The Green Bay News-Chronicle (Click for QuikCap), which has been duking it out with the competing Gannett paper for years, has finally given up the fight. Today, Gannett Co. Inc. announced that it was acquiring that paper in addition to 22 other newspapers and shoppers and 11 specialty publications owned by Brown County Publishing of Denmark, Wis. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ellen Leifeld, a vice president in Gannett's Midwest Newspaper group, said in a statement that there are no immediate plans to change operations. "We want to spend some time to better understand the publications, get to know the employees, and develop a plan to carry on the tradition that Frank started 51 years ago when he and his wife, Agnes, bought their first weekly newspapers in Denmark, Wisconsin."

Frank Wood, chairman of board at Brown County Publishing, said in a statement, "Letting go after so long is not easy. I have been immersed in work I love all my adult life, and I feel privileged to have done so. Now I feel it is time for a change."

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000584878

[FullCountNotRecount]

1. Your Headline s/b "Bush friend Gannett buying papers in Swing States

to help election propaganda." Just an idea.

[PDittie]

2. You'll be down to one newspaper

before you can say, 'Packers preseason.'

Gannett is the king of consolidation (and cost-cutting).