Black Press

subsid	Northern News Services Ltd. Oahu Publications Inc. Sound Publishing Inc

Black Press Group Ltd. (BPG) is a Canadian commercial printer and newspaper publisher founded in 1975 by David Holmes Black.[2] Based in Surrey, British Columbia, it was previously owned by the publisher of Toronto Star (Torstar, 19.35%) and Black (80.65%).[3]

In March 2024, it was announced that Carpenter Media Group had completed its acquisition of the firm, in a deal that involved Canso Investment Counsel, Ltd.[4]

Overview

Also known as Black Press Media, the company publishes in the United States through two subsidiaries, Oahu Publications in Hawaii and Sound Publishing in Alaska and Washington. It also owns Northern News Services based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

After acquiring three newspapers on the Kitsap Peninsula, it formed Sound Publishing in 1987 and has since operated all of its titles in Washington and Alaska. In turn, after purchasing Honolulu Star-Bulletin,[5] the publisher passed the responsibility for maintaining its titles in Hawaii to Oahu Publications, a subsidiary formed in 2001 by BPG.

News Media Canada reported Black Press publishes 106 editions across Canada with a combined circulation of 1,295,243. The number of titles include 70 in British Columbia, 11 in Alberta, two in Northwest Territories and one in Yukon.[6][7]

History

Canadian business deals (1969–present)

In 1969, Alan Black and Clive Stangoe acquired the Williams Lake Tribune of Williams Lake, BC.[8] The weekly newspaper had previously been owned by Northwest Publications, where Alan Black worked as a manager. After the company dissolved, he acquired a majority stake in the company's smallest title alongside Stangoe,[9] who worked as the paper's publisher.[8] The two owned the paper under the name Cariboo Press Ltd.

In 1975, Alan Black and Stangoe sold the Williams Lake Tribune to Alan Black's son David Black[10] for $60,000.[11]

Newspapers in Canada

Alberta

Bashaw Star
Castor Advance
Central Alberta Life
Eckville Echo

Lacombe Express
Pipestone Flyer
Ponoka News
Red Deer Advocate

Rimbey Review
Stettler Independent
Sylvan Lake News

Farm Press Publications

Newspapers in United States

Hawaii

Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press, publishes the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, along with several community newspapers, magazines and other titles including the entertainment weekly Midweek.

The Garden Island
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Midweek
West Hawaii Today

Washington and Alaska

Sound Publishing Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press, is based in Everett, Washington, and is the largest community news publisher by circulation in the state of Washington.[63] The company's holdings include four daily newspapers,

Defunct newspapers

Honolulu Advertiser: purchased February 2010, merged four months later into Star-Advertiser[66]
Honolulu Star-Bulletin: purchased 2001, merged with Advertiser in 2010[66]
King County Journal of Kent, Washington: purchased November 2006, closed two months later[67]
Nelson Daily News of Nelson, British Columbia: purchased July 2010, closed two weeks later[68]
Prince Rupert Daily News of Prince Rupert, British Columbia: purchased July 2010, closed two weeks later[68]

Controversies

Nisga'a Treaty editorials

In 1998, company owner David Black instructed his British Columbia papers to publish a series of editorials opposing the Nisga'a Treaty, which was the first modern treaty in B.C. history, and not to publish editorials in favor of the treaty.

In January 1999, the NDP government filed a complaint to the B.C. Press Council against Black Press, arguing that its policy breached its duty to act in the public interest and violated the council's constitution. Black Press said that news coverage was not affected and editors were free to publish their opinions on their letters page.

The Press Council sided with Black Press based on finding that its newspapers "did in fact carry a diversity of opinion on the Nisga'a Treaty, including those of Premier Glen Clark, Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell, Reform Party President Bill Vander Zalm as well as those of ordinary British Columbians".[78]

Advertiser concerns

In August 2007, a story in the Victoria News sparked a complaint from an advertiser and led to the firing/resignation of three senior Black Press employees. Victoria News reporter Brennan Clarke quit the publication after a story he wrote about buying cheaper cars in the United States led to a complaint from Victoria car dealership Dave Wheaton Pontiac Buick GMC.

External links

Sound Publishing – Black Press subsidiary in Washington state

References

Contact Us Black Press, retrieved 2017-07-09^
About Us Black Press, retrieved 2017-07-09^
Ken MacQueen. Black's Magic Maclean's, May 21, 2009, retrieved 2023-02-07^

Washington business deals (1987–present)

In 1987, David Black sold a 21% equity stake in his company to Shaw Communications to fund the purchase of about 15 newspapers. He bought stake back in 1990.[17]

Black Press purchased the Whidbey Press Newspaper Group in 1987 from newspaperman Wallie Valentine Funk. The sale included the Whidbey News-Times, South Whidbey Record and Naval Air Station Whidbey Crosswind. In 1988, Black Press purchased the Port Orchard Independent, followed soon by the acquisition of the Bainbridge Island Review. In 1994, the subsidy was renamed to Sound Publishing. A year later the company acquired the Vashon Island Beachcomber. The Tacoma Daily Index was acquired next in 1997. A year later the company purchases Friday Harbor Journal and launches the Federal Way Mirror in response to Seattle Times Co. closing the Federal Way News.[34]

In 2006, Black Press purchased nine newspapers from the family-owned Horvitz Newspapers Inc. The sale included the 41,000-circulation daily King County Journal; two weeklies, the Mercer Island Reporter and Snoqualmie Valley Record; and seven bi-weeklies, the Auburn Reporter, Bellevue Reporter, Bothell/Kenmore Reporter, Covington/Maple Valley Reporter, Kent Reporter, Redmond Reporter and Renton Reporter.[35]

The King County Journal printed its last issue on Jan. 21, 2007. Forty full-time employees were laid off. Ten staffers were moved to weekly sister publications, and one was moved to marketing staff.[36]

In June 2008, Black Press purchased The Enumclaw Courier-Herald, along with a 4-year-old sibling publication that serves the Bonney Lake/Lake Tapps area. The paper's were previously owned by the estate of Ted Natt along with John Natt, David Natt and current publisher Bill Marcum.[37]

By July 2008, Black Press owned 15 community newspapers around the Seattle area, including 12 under the Reporter Newspapers brand, including the newly created Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter and the Sumner/Lake Tapps Reporter. Overall, the mostly free weeklies in King County reached about 300,000 households at the time.[38]

In October 2008, Black Press purchased the Marysville Globe, Arlington Times, the regional Express Shopper and monthly business publications the Wenatchee Business Journal and the Bellingham Business Journal from Sun News Inc.[39] The 3,400-circulation Wenatchee Business Journal was traded in August 2011 to CW Media, Inc. in exchange for the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune.[40] The Globe, The Times, and Bellingham Business Journal were are closed in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 recession in the United States.

In November 2011, Olympic View Publishing Company was purchased by Black Press from Brown M. Maloney. The sale included Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum.[41] That same month Black Press acquired Peninsula Daily News and Sequim This Week from Horvitz Newspapers.[42]

In January 2013, Voice Media Group sold Seattle Weekly to Black Press.[43] The alt-weekly ceased its print edition and became an online-only publication in February 2019.[44]

In February 2013, Black purchased The Everett Herald, a daily newspaper near Seattle. It had previously been owned for 35 years by the Washington Post Company.[45]

In October 2014, Black Press purchased six newspapers from Stephens Media, including The Daily World in Aberdeen, the Montesano Vidette, the North Coast News in Ocean Shores and the South Beach Bulletin in Westport.

type	Private
foundation	1975
location	15288 54A Avenue, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada‡R1R‡
key people	David Holmes Black (Chair)
area served	Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Yukon United States: Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington
industry	Newspapers
owners	David Holmes Black (100%, 1975–2002) David Holmes Black (80.65%, 2002–24) Torstar (19.35%, 2002–24) Carpenter Media Group (2024–present)

Overview

History

Canadian business deals (1969–present)

Newspapers in Canada

Alberta

Farm Press Publications

Newspapers in United States

Hawaii

Washington and Alaska

Defunct newspapers

Controversies

Nisga'a Treaty editorials

Advertiser concerns

See also

External links

References

Washington business deals (1987–present)

Hawaii business deals (2001–Present)

Akron Beacon Journal (2006–2018)

San Francisco Media Co. (2011–2020)

Farm Press Publications

British Columbia

Interior – North

Interior – South

Lower Mainland

Vancouver Island

Interior – North

Interior – South

Lower Mainland

Vancouver Island

Territories

Nunavut

Northwest Territories

Yukon

Nunavut

Northwest Territories

Yukon