By: E&P Staff First, Thirteenth Street Media rescued the East Valley Tribune in Mesa, Ariz., from folding with an offer to buy the daily. On Tuesday, the Boulder, Colo.-based publishing company said it will make an offer for the assets of all of Freedom Communications newspapers in the Phoenix area.
Tribune Publisher and Freedom Pacific Region Vice President Julie Moreno announced the expanded offer in a meeting with employees Tuesday.
Thirteenth Street, owned by Randy Miller, originally offered to buy only the Tribune. But Freedom says a new letter of intent also includes the assets of the Sun City Daily News-Sun, Ahwatukee Foothills News and Arizona Interactive in Chandler, which publishes a shopper and has a commercial printing operation. Assets of the Daily-News Sun include the Glendale/Peoria Today and Surprise Today newspapers.
In late November, Thirteenth Street Media signed a letter of intent to buy assets of the Tribune, including two presses but not the Tribune's main building in downtown Mesa, and continue publication.
The expanded deal also includes the printing press, offices and other physical assets of the Daily News-Sun and the other publications, Freedom said.
Freedom, which filed for bankruptcy protection last month, had announced plans to fold the Tribune on Dec. 31, but to continue publication of the other papers. All the papers will continue to publish while final details of the transaction are negotiated and it goes before a bankruptcy judge for approval, Freedom said.
Moreno told employees the two parties are attempting to file a deal with the court before the end of the month.
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