Sample News Group, publisher of over 75 titles in four states, has acquired the Bee Newspaper Group publications from the Measer family based in Williamsville, New York. The deal includes the local Bee Newspapers in Amherst, Clarence, Ken-Ton, Lancaster, Depew, Cheektowaga, West Seneca, Orchard Park and East Aurora with a combined weekly circulation of over 47,000.
The announcement was made Tuesday jointly by George “Scoop” Sample, owner of Sample News Group, and Trey Measer, president and publisher of Bee Newspapers Inc.
“It is truly an honor to add these excellent publications to our Sample News Group family,” Sample said. “The Measer family has been an excellent provider of news in the Buffalo area for almost a century and a half. We look forward to continuing to serve these thriving communities in Western New York.”
“With our dedicated team, loyal readership and established market presence, there are numerous opportunities to further grow and expand the business,” the Measer family said. “SNG will become a custodian of this esteemed legacy, carrying the torch of the Measer family's commitment to quality journalism and community engagement. The foundations have been laid, and the potential for continued success is within reach.”
The family chose Sample News Group to lead the group into the next generation due to the company’s similar values and successes. Trey Measer’s slogan to staff is “local, local, local,” one that Sample News Group also believes in. “Their mission is much like ours, local, local news focused on the reader,” Trey Measer said. “It was a perfect fit for our staff, Sample staff and our readers, ultimately, that Sample News Group will push the community news as they have done in all their other newspapers. We are both driven by that mission of community news. The big word there is ‘community.’”
Brian Nalepa, president of Sample News Group, will oversee operations. “Our commitment is to serve these areas with the high-quality journalism and community engagement the Measer family has fostered over the years,” said Nalepa. “This region has a lot of great things going on and we can’t wait to be part of it. There is a great group of dedicated employees at The Bee we look forward to welcoming to our team.”
Heather Zerillo, group publisher of Sample News Group’s Batavia and Livingston properties, will be integrating the Bee Group into her work group.
Sample News Group currently operates seven media properties in New York State — The Palladium Times (Oswego), The Valley News (Fulton), The Oswego Shopper, The Oswego County News, The Livingston County News, The Daily News (Batavia) and the Pennysaver (Owego).
Sample News Group officially takes ownership of the newspapers on Dec. 2.
About Sample News Group:
Sample News Group is a privately held publishing company based in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, with 18 daily newspapers and more than 38 weeklies and specialty magazines. The company owns and operates 30 local websites and six centralized production facilities, in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit samplenewsgroup.com.
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