Morris Will Keep 'Oak Ridger'

By: (AP) Morris Communications Corp., which publishes 36 newspapers in 13 states, has decided to keep The Oak Ridger newspaper.

The Augusta, Ga.-based media company has had the 9,000-circulation afternoon daily on the market for a year.

Will Morris, chairman and CEO, told Oak Ridger officials Thursday the newspaper market is too "soft" to pursue a sale.

Morris acquired The Oak Ridger in 1995 as part of a deal with Stauffer Communications. The paper, founded in 1948, is Morris' only Tennessee newspaper.

In addition to the 27 dailies and nine non-dailies in the Morris newspaper division, the company's holdings include magazines, radio stations, and book publishing and distribution operations.

Morris Communications: http://morris.com/standard/