By: E&P Staff Sun-Times Media Group (STMG) said Wednesday it is merging the Daily Southtown with the two south suburban Chicago Star twice-weeklies.
STMG said it is still not clear how he 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, which publishes editions in Tinley Park, Ill., and Crown Point, Ind., reported circulation of 36,835 on Sundays, and 36,212 on Thursdays.
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