Yesterday, other officials and I met with state Economic and Community Development Commissioner Joan McDonald regarding our efforts to keep the New Britain Herald, Bristol Press and weekly newspapers from closing. This was the follow-up to the previous meeting we has with the Commissioner.
The newspapers are owned by the Journal Register Company (JRC), which has said that it will close the newspapers very shortly if they are not purchased. I worked to organize area legislators to bring attention to this situation and seek the assistance of the Commissioner in the hopes that one or more buyers would take ownership of the papers and keep them open.
After hearing the Commissioner's report on her work, I can say that I am pleased with her efforts and that of her department. They actively informed potential buyers of the fact that the newspapers were for sale and let them know about state assistance that is available to businesses that have a good plan to preserve jobs in the state.
Between efforts of the Department and the publicity, there are now potential buyers looking into purchasing the newspapers:
(Just a note of correction: It was the Commissioner who sent the letters to the prospective buyers.)
So we now have potential buyers. At this point, things are in the hands of the newspapers' current owner and their prospective owners.
The newspapers are owned by the Journal Register Company (JRC), which has said that it will close the newspapers very shortly if they are not purchased. I worked to organize area legislators to bring attention to this situation and seek the assistance of the Commissioner in the hopes that one or more buyers would take ownership of the papers and keep them open.
After hearing the Commissioner's report on her work, I can say that I am pleased with her efforts and that of her department. They actively informed potential buyers of the fact that the newspapers were for sale and let them know about state assistance that is available to businesses that have a good plan to preserve jobs in the state.
Between efforts of the Department and the publicity, there are now potential buyers looking into purchasing the newspapers:
...McDonald said she sent out 16 letters to perspective buyers in the newspaper industry. ... Since the Dec. 10 letter went out McDonald said her office has received one response from the letter, one from the news reports of the meeting, one referral from state Rep. Tim O’Brien, D-New Britain, and two referrals from Dirks, Van Essen and Murray, the brokerage firm from New Mexico retained by the Journal Register Co. to manage the sale of the papers. (CTNewJunkie)
Connecticut's economic development commissioner told local and state officials Monday that her office received responses from five media companies that may be interested in buying some or all the daily and weekly newspapers put up for sale by the Journal Register Publishing Co. (AP - printed in The Day)This is a Channel 61 story about this:
(Just a note of correction: It was the Commissioner who sent the letters to the prospective buyers.)
So we now have potential buyers. At this point, things are in the hands of the newspapers' current owner and their prospective owners.
