By: E&P Staff Sun-Times Media Group (STMG) said Wednesday it is merging the Daily Southtown with the Star, a twice-weekly that also circulates in Chicago?s south suburbs.
STMG said it is still not clear how the combination will be worked out. An STMG spokesperson said the combined paper will be a daily with zoned sections covering south suburban communities.
In the announcement, STMG said the combined publication will launch in mid-November. The merger is expected to save $3 million annually for the struggling publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times and about 100 Chicago-area dailies and non-dailies.
STMG warned in May when it presented a business plan to investor that it could close as many as 25 publications before the year was out.
"Combining the two newspapers takes advantage of the strengths that the Southtown and Star have in the south suburban Chicago markets," STMG CEO Cyrus F. Freidheim said in a statement. "What's more, increased zoning opportunities will enhance our new paper's attractiveness to advertisers, while reducing costs of newsprint, circulation sales and headcount."
The current circulations of the Southtown and the Star are not available reported because the papers are both under censure by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for reporting inflated numbers.
The most recent audited circulations for the papers are for he six months ended Sept. 2005, ABC said. The Southtown reported a daily circulation of 41,963 copies and Sunday circ of 46,187.
The Star reported circulation of 36,835 on Sundays, and 36,212 on Thursdays.
Correction: This story has been corrected. It originally reported erroneously that the Crown Point (Ind.) Star will also be part of the merger of the Daily Southtown and the Star, a twice-weekly based in Tinley Park, Ill., that circulates in the south Chicago suburbs. The Crown Point paper will not be affected by this merger, an STMG spokesperson said Thursday.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here