Southland Publishing Sells to Arizona's Times Media Group

Pasadena-based Southland Publishing, Inc., has sold its eight southern California publications to an Arizona company, Times Media Group, effective July 31, 2019.

The TMG purchase includes all five newsweeklies: Los Angeles Downtown News, Pasadena Weekly, The Argonaut, Ventura County Reporter, and San Diego CityBeat.

Additionally, TMG has purchased Southland's three monthly magazines: Arroyo Monthly, Playa Vista Direct, and Ventana Monthly. Southland's associated digital properties are also included in the transaction.

Southland Publishing has five office locations located in downtown Los Angeles, Ventura County, Santa Monica, Pasadena, and San Diego. Southland Publishing is owned by Michael N. Flannery, who founded the company in 1997 with the purchase of the Ventura County Reporter. Flannery also owns an affiliated company in Sylmar, Calif., Valley Business Printers, Inc., which was not sold. Southland President Bruce

Bolkin will continue working with Flannery after the sale. Southland Vice President of Operations David Comden, who joined the company in 1998, has retired.

Times Media Group is based in Tempe, Ariz., and is a digital and print media company that operates in the Phoenix and Tucson metro markets. It serves a wide variety of demographic audiences and communities with more than 1.1 million printed copies and millions of online readers each month.

Steve Strickbine owns Times Media Group and founded the company in 1997. His first venture was Valley Times, an eight-page publication with a circulation of 5,000 that served the North Scottsdale community. Today, TMG publishes a collection of 15 publications and websites in Arizona. It also owns and operates AZ Integrated Media, a distribution and custom publishing company. Included among its Arizona titles: East Valley Tribune, Scottsdale Progress, Gilbert Sun News, The Glendale Star, Peoria Times, West Valley View, Ahwatukee Foothills News, Lovin' Life After 50, College Times, and Airpark News.

Lon Williams of Media America Brokers in Atlanta represented Southland Publishing, Inc., in the sale.