Canadian publisher visits BJ

A story by Gloria Irwin spread across the Business Section front of the Beacon Journal today said a Canadian publisher interested in purchasing the newspaper toured the BJ.

Suitor shows interest in BJ
Canadian news group tours newsroom;
Canton Repository publisher decides not to buy

By Gloria Irwin
Beacon Journal business writer
Copley Ohio Newspapers, publisher of the Canton Repository, has decided against pursuing a purchase of the Akron Beacon Journal.

But a Canadian publisher that also owns a newspaper in Honolulu may be interested in buying the newspaper, which is on the block along with 11 others owned by Knight Ridder Inc.

Representatives from Black Press Ltd., a newspaper chain concentrated in British Columbia, toured the Beacon Journal newsroom Monday.

Among the group of eight was owner David Black, who declined to answer questions.

Black and representatives of Toronto-based Onex Corp., a private investment firm, visited the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News last week.

The Philadelphia papers and the Beacon Journal are among a dozen that McClatchy Co. is selling off as part of its purchase of Knight Ridder Inc., the Beacon Journal's current owner.

Also Monday, David Greenfield, president of the Copley Ohio Newspapers division, said, ``The Copley Press is not actively pursuing a purchase of the Beacon Journal at this time.''

Yucaipa Cos., a private equity firm, presumably will tour the Beacon Journal. The California company, controlled by billionaire Ron Burkle, is allied with the Newspaper Guild, which represents some employees at some of the Knight Ridder newspapers.

A Yucaipa spokesman did not return a phone call seeking comment about scheduled visits.

To read the full story, click on the headline above.

[Blogger Note: We found a favorable profile on Black in the Robson Valley Times in British Columbia titled “Media Ownership in BC: Who is David Black?” Black owns 60 newspapers in British Columbia and more than 100 if you include Alberta, Washington State and Hawaii where he is on the board of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.. Many, of course, are small dailies.

Click here to read the profile. Careful. It is in three pages and you must lick on the page listing at the top of the article to go to each page.]