Akron Beacon Journal owner David Black took a tour of the Canton Repository Friday, fueling speculation that he is serious about purchasing the newspaper and possibly other Copley newspapers including the Masssillon Independent and the New Philadelphia Times-Reporter.
His visit to Canton was reported today in a story on the Beacon Journal business front..
Black did not return a BJ reporter’s phone call seeking comment, but stated earlier he would be watching developments with interest in the possibility of buying the Repository.
Beacon Journal publisher Ed Moss joined Black in a tour of the facility and confirmed a study of a purchase is continuing. ``We are going through the process to take a look to see if it makes sense. We'll know that over time,'' Moss said.
The newspapers, owned by Copley Press Inc. of LaJolla, Calif., were put up for sale in November along with the Suburbanite, a weekly in Summit County.
Copley is also selling its four Illinois daily newspapers, in Springfield, Peoria, Lincoln and Galesburg. Moss said Black is only interested in the Ohio newspapers, but has not yet toured any of the other Copley operations for sale in Ohio.
Copley Press previously said it is selling newspapers due to the decline of revenue in the industry and a debt resulting from the taxes on the estate of Helen K. Copley, who died in 2004.
Click on the headline to read the BJ story by Marilyn Miller.
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