Paxton Media Group acquires Louisiana State Newspapers

Louisiana State Newspapers has a long history of serving its communities, and we look forward to building on that tradition.”

Jamie Paxton, president and CEO, Paxton Media Group

LAFAYETTE, La. — Paxton Media Group has acquired the publishing and printing operations of Louisiana State Newspapers, bringing together two longstanding, family-owned newspaper companies. The transaction includes 14 community publications and a printing facility serving the Acadiana region of Louisiana.

Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represented Louisiana State Newspapers in the transaction. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

The publications included in the acquisition are the Abbeville Meridional, Abbeville; Kaplan Herald, Kaplan; Eunice News, Eunice; Church Point News, Church Point; Ville Platte Gazette, Ville Platte; Basile Weekly, Basile; Kinder Courier, Kinder; Oakdale Journal, Oakdale; Morgan City Review, Morgan City; Franklin Banner-Tribune, Franklin; Bayou Pioneer, Pierre Part; Rayne Acadian-Tribune, Rayne; Crowley Post-Signal, Crowley; and The Teche News, serving St. Martin Parish.

Louisiana State Newspapers, formally LSN Publishing Company, LLC, traces its roots to 1963, when Braxton “B.I.” Moody III acquired the Rayne Acadian-Tribune and Church Point News.  The privately held company incorporated as Louisiana State Newspapers in 1973 and, over more than six decades, grew to become Louisiana’s largest newspaper chain by publication count owning 33 newspapers at one point.

Louisiana State Printing, LLC was established in 2001 as the production division of Louisiana State Newspapers. Located in Eunice, the facility prints the company’s 14 publications as well as more than a dozen publications for other publishers throughout the region.

The acquisition expands PMG’s existing presence in Louisiana, where it owns the Daily Star in Hammond, and continues a long tradition of family ownership for the publications. The newspapers will continue serving their communities with local news, information and advertising across print and digital platforms.

“For generations, LSN has been built on a simple belief: local communities deserve strong, dependable journalism that reflects the people, businesses, schools, and institutions that make them unique. As we begin this new chapter with Paxton Media Group, we are confident our publications will remain rooted in the communities they serve while benefiting from the resources and long-term commitment of a family-owned media company,” said Darrell Guillory, president and chief operating officer of LSN Publishing Company.

“This transaction reflects our responsibility to protect the future of the local newspapers and employees that have been central to LSN’s mission. Paxton Media Group understands the enduring value of community journalism and has a demonstrated commitment to local news organizations. We believe this is the right steward to carry forward the work, relationships, and public-service role of our Louisiana publications,” said Kevin Moody, chairman and CEO of LSN Publishing Company.

“We are pleased to welcome these publications and their employees to Paxton Media Group. Louisiana State Newspapers has a long history of serving its communities, and we look forward to building on that tradition. We believe local newspapers play an important role in the communities they serve, and we are committed to supporting these publications, their employees and their continued success for years to come” said Jamie Paxton, president and CEO of Paxton Media Group.

“Adding Louisiana State Newspapers to our newspaper in Hammond gives us a significant footprint in Louisiana. I look forward to building on the success moving forward,” said David Holgate, group president of Paxton Media Group.

Paxton Media Group, based in Paducah, Kentucky, is a family-owned media company founded in 1896. Led by fifth-generation family member Jamie Paxton, PMG publishes more than 120 community newspapers across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The company also operates WPSD-TV, an NBC-affiliated television station in Paducah.