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]
After acquiring three newspapers on the Kitsap Peninsula,[5] 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,[6] the publisher passed the responsibility for maintaining its titles in Hawaii to Oahu Publications, a subsidiary formed in 2001 by BPG.
In 1969, Alan Black and Clive Stangoe acquired the Williams Lake Tribune of Williams Lake, British.[9] 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,[10] who worked as the paper's publisher.[9] 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[11] for $60,000.[12] Black operated the Tribune exclusively for four years until purchasing the husband-and-wife owned Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal in nearby Ashcroft in 1979. Black continued to purchase other newspapers over time and soon formed newspaper clusters around Victoria and Vancouver.[13]
There was never a big plan to get big. It's just that another opportunity would come over the hill. Usually an independent would phone, wanting to retire or sell out, asking if we were interested in buying them.[13]
—David Black
In June 1980, Black acquired the Lakes District News Houston Today. At some point prior he had also acquired the Smithers Interior News.[14]
In 1984, Black purchased a majority stake in three newspapers and two web printing plants on Vancouver Island. The sale included Goldstream Gazette, Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle and Parksville-Qualicum News-Advertiser. The papers were merged into a new company which would also manage Sidney Review, which had been acquired earlier. The sale brought the total number of newspapers owned by Black up to 12.[15]
In 1987, Black acquired the Salmon Arm Observer group on newspapers, which included the Chase-Shuswap Weekly, Eagle Valley News and Salmon Arm Observer.[16]
In 1997, Black acquired 33 publications in western Canada from Trinity International Holdings PLC of Britain for $58 million.[18] The sale included the Red Deer Advocate.[19] By this time Black Press Ltd. had been established as Cariboo Press's parent company.
On September 19, 2002, Torstar Corporation announced that it was investing $20 million to acquire a 19.35% share in Black Press. At that time Black Press published 88 newspapers and had 11 printing plants. Annual revenues at the time were $240 million.[20]
In 2006, Black Press acquired UsedEverywhere.com, a Canadian online classified website.[21] The website re-branded to Used.ca in 2015.[22]
On June 27, 2007, Black Press announced a $405 million takeover offer for Osprey Media, putting it in competition with Quebecor Media for Osprey's assets. Quebecor put in a higher bid and won ownership of Osprey. As of 2008[update] it owned about 150 newspapers.[23]
In July 2010, Black Press acquired the Red Deer Express from Great West Newspapers, LP.[24] The company acquired two other Central Alberta publications, the Sylvan Lake News and Eckville Echo, in June 2011. The two weekly newspapers were owned by Barry and Darlene Hibbert.[25]
In July 2011, Black Press purchased of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman and the Kimberley Daily Bulletin by Don Kendall. At the time the two dallies published Monday to Friday, had a combined circulation of 5,000.[26]
In 2013, Black Press and Glacier Media Inc. exchanged four community newspapers in British Columbia. That led to the closure of Abbotsford Times. In 2014, Black Press negotiated deals with Glacier Media Inc. to take effect in March 2015 that would exchange a dozen British Columbia newspapers that consolidated ownership of competing community papers on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Black Press obtained Harbor City Star, Nanaimo Daily News, Cowichan Citizen, Parksville Oceanside Star, Tofino/Ucluelet Westerly News, Comox Valley Echo, Campbell River Courier, Surrey Now and Langley Advance.[27]
In August 2014, Black Press acquired Yukon News from owner Stephen Robertson.[28]
In April 2023, Black Press entered a partnership with Village Media to license its custom content management system called Villager. The migration of Black Press sites will be completed in 2024.[30]
On January 15, 2024, Black Press entered CCAA bankruptcy protection and announced a sales agreement. Founder David Black resigned as president shortly after the announcements.[31][32] On January 16, Black Press filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the United States.[33] At the time of the bankruptcy, Black Press has 144 publications, including 35 in Washington under its Sound Publishing subsidiary.[34]
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.[18]
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.[35]
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.[36]
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.[37]
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.[38]
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.[39]
In November 2011, Olympic View Publishing Company was purchased by Black Press from Brown M. Maloney. The sale included Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum.[43] That same month Black Press acquired Peninsula Daily News and Sequim This Week from Horvitz Newspapers.[44]
In January 2013, Voice Media Group sold Seattle Weekly to Black Press.[45] The alt-weekly ceased its print edition and became an online-only publication in February 2019.[46]
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.[48]
Hawaii business deals (2001-Present)
Black Press purchased the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 2001.[13] The newspaper had previously been owned by Liberty Newspapers LP, of Florida. The company planned to close the Star-Bulletin two years prior, but a federal antitrust lawsuit was filed and a judge ordered the paper be sold instead. Black Press emerged as the new owner for $10,000.[18] Also in 2001, Black Press acquired RFD Publications, which owned the 280,000 circulation MidWeek.[49]
In 2011, David Black was one of several newspaper industry veterans who joined as investors in the San Francisco Newspaper Company to buy the former Hearst flagship The San Francisco Examiner from Clarity Media Group.[56]
Media outlets initially reported the paper was purchased by Black's company Black Press,[57] but Black only participated as a private investor and held shares in the Examiner separately from Black Press.[56] The other owners included Todd Vogt and Pat Brown. Vogt was named president and CEO while Brown was named chief financial officer of the newly created San Francisco Media Co.[58]
In May 2014, Vogt announced plans to sell his shares of the company to Black Press' Hawaiian-subsidy Oahu Publications Inc., or to buy Black out of the company by the end of the month.[61]
"Unless I can find local partners, I'm not gonna do the deal," Vogt told staff. "I've got 25 days to do a deal or sell out."
Vogt did sell to Oahu, which subsequently became San Francisco Media Co.'s parent company. Dennis Francis, president of Oahu Publications, became the company's new president, and in August 2014, Glenn Zuehls was named publisher.[62]
In October 2014, Zuehls announced Bay Guardian, saying "the obstacles for a profitable Bay Guardian are too great to overcome."[63]
In 2020, San Francisco Media Co., including the Examiner and SF Weekly, was sold to Clint Reilly Communications.[64]
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.
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.[65] The company's holdings include four daily newspapers, The Herald, the Peninsula Daily News, The Daily World and the Tacoma Daily Index government listings publication. Sound Publishing acquired three newspapers in Alaska in 2018.[66] Community newspapers owned by Sound Publishing are:[67]
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".[75]
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. Black Press claimed the article was not balanced, and said that reporters and editors should not purposely jeopardize advertising revenue with their stories, because that revenue pays their salaries. The company also fired the Victoria News long-time editor, Keith Norbury, in part because of the complaint, and Black Press's Vancouver Island Newsgroup regional editor, Brian Lepine, resigned in protest.[76][77]
The Canadian Association of Journalists publicly questioned the credibility and independence of the Victoria News, wondering how many stories Black Press kills behind the scenes because of advertising concerns.[78]
Hearst Communications, Inc. is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan in New York City.
The Seattle Weekly is an alternative biweekly distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as The Weekly. Its first issue was published on March 31, 1976. The newspaper published its final print edition on February 27, 2019 and transitioned to web-only content on March 1, 2019.
The Honolulu Advertiser was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaiʻi.
KHNL is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of NBC and Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KGMB. The two stations share studios on Waiakamilo Road in downtown Honolulu; KHNL's transmitter is located in Akupu, Hawaii. KHNL is also rebroadcast on the island of Hawaiʻi, Maui, and Kauaʻi.
David Holmes Black, is a Canadian media proprietor who founded and is the majority owner of Black Press Group Ltd. He serves as the company's chairman, and previously served as its chief executive officer and president.
SF Weekly is an online music publication and formerly alternative weekly newspaper founded in the 1970s in San Francisco, California. It was distributed every Thursday, and was published by the San Francisco Print Media Company. The paper has won national journalism awards, and sponsored the SF Weekly Music Awards.
The Hawaii Island Journal was a free newspaper founded in 1999 and published on the Big Island of Hawaii three Saturdays a month. Originally based in the Kona town of Captain Cook and later headquartered in Hilo, the Journal focused on political, environmental, and cultural news. The print paper shut in 2008 and as of 2014, the website has not been updated since 2011.
The Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970 was an Act of the United States Congress, signed by President Richard Nixon, authorizing the formation of joint operating agreements among competing newspaper operations within the same media market area. It exempted newspapers from certain provisions of antitrust laws. Its drafters argued that this would allow the survival of multiple daily newspapers in a given urban market where circulation was declining. This exemption stemmed from the observation that the alternative is usually for at least one of the newspapers, generally the one published in the evening, to cease operations altogether.
Longs Drugs is an American chain owned by parent company CVS Health with approximately 70 drugstores throughout the state of Hawaii and formerly in the Continental US.
American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States with each market's edition named for that market, and also publishes Hemmings Motor News and Inside Lacrosse. The company is owned by Advance Publications. The company receives revenue from display advertising and classified advertising in its weekly newspaper and online advertising on its website and from a subscription business model.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald is a daily newspaper based in Hilo, Hawaii. It is owned and published by Oahu Publications, a subsidiary of Black Press.
The Seattle Times Company is a privately owned publisher of daily and weekly newspapers in the U.S. state of Washington. Founded in Seattle, Washington in 1896, the company is in its fourth generation of control by the Blethen family as of 2022.
KPRP is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, which serves the Honolulu metropolitan area. It is currently owned by SummitMedia, LLC, pending a donation to the Raleigh-Wake Chapter of the National Alumni Association of Shaw University.
The media in the San Francisco Bay Area has historically focused on San Francisco but also includes two other major media centers, Oakland and San Jose. The Federal Communications Commission, Nielsen Media Research, and other similar media organizations treat the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Area as one entire media market. The region hosts to one of the oldest radio stations in the United States still in existence, KCBS (AM) (740 kHz), founded by engineer Charles Herrold in 1909. As the home of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area is also a technologically advanced and innovative region, with many companies involved with Internet media or influential websites.
The state of Hawaii has the following popular media:
The San Francisco Examiner is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and has been published since 1863.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser is the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, formed in 2010 with the merger of The Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin after the acquisition of the former by Black Press, which already owned the latter.
The San Francisco Independent was the largest non-daily newspaper in the United States. It helped to popularize the free newspaper as a business model at the beginning of the 21st century, and also rescued one of the city's two major daily newspaper, the afternoon / evening San Francisco Examiner. The efforts of the Fang Family through its purchase to keep it from being shut down a century and a half later by the descendent Hearst Communications media empire, after they bought the longtime morning competitor, the San Francisco Chronicle with its De Young family ownership in 2000 from the remaining family ownership members.
North Kitsap Herald is a newspaper based in the city of Poulsbo in the U.S. state of Washington. It publishes in print every Friday. Its website merged with other Sound Publishing newspaper websites in Kitsap County in 2017 to form Kitsap Daily News.
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