Eagle Newspapers, Central New York’s award-winning community weeklies, were purchased Oct. 1, 2009 by Community Media Group LLC. The transaction includes the sale of Eagle’s eight weeklies in the Syracuse market, and the seven Spotlight weeklies in the Albany market, as well as numerous niche publications and web sites.
The publications had previously been owned by Eagle Media LP. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Community Media Group LLC is a new company made up of three principals: David B. Tyler Jr. of Syracuse, John A. McIntyre Jr. of Ballston Lake, and Daniel E. Alexander of Elizabethtown. Alexander also is owner of Denton Publications, based in Elizabethtown, and principal owner of New Market Press, based in Vermont.
Tyler will continue in the role of publisher of the weeklies in the Syracuse market, a position he has held for the past eight months. McIntyre will remain in the role of publisher of the Albany group, which he has managed since it was purchased by Eagle Media LP in 1998.
“These newspapers have a strong foundation in the communities they serve, and we believe this new ownership arrangement will allow us to enhance the quality of the editorial product and create efficiencies that weren’t available to us previously,” Tyler said. “Dan Alexander has a long history of running community newspaper companies and his expertise as well as the technological and printing resources Denton Publications bring to the table makes this a win-win.”
“It is very clear that the previous owners had a strong affinity for these newspapers and the employees,” Tyler said. “When it became apparent that they were prepared to sell, they sought out an arrangement that put the publications and the employees in the best position to succeed. I can’t speak highly enough about the way Eagle Media LP handled this transaction.”
Denton Publications has served as the commercial printer for all Eagle newspapers since April and had been printing the Spotlight Newspapers since 2007. With the change in ownership, Eagle Newspapers will achieve additional production and purchasing efficiencies. Eagle’s readers and advertisers will reap the benefits generated from the synergies between the new partnership.
“In the current economic landscape, it makes tremendous sense to develop close relationships between organizations like Eagle, Spotlight, and Denton,” Tyler said. “Eagle will maintain editorial and advertising independence here in Syracuse while improving our technological infrastructure through Denton. It’s simply the best thing to do for the communities we serve.”
Community Media Group LLC will continue to use the trade names Eagle Newspapers and Spotlight Newspapers and readers can expect the same commitment to community journalism they have become accustomed to over the years.
“This should be a pretty seamless transition for our readers, advertisers and employees,” Tyler said. “We have a number of excellent journalists in our fold, and this transaction should allow for continued improvement of our community based newspapers.”
Gary Greene, managing director of Cribb, Greene Associates in Charlottesville, Va., represented Eagle Media LP in the sale.
Syracuse-area publications owned and operated by Community Media Group LLC:
Weekly newspapers
Baldwinsville Messenger
Cazenovia Republican
Eagle Bulletin (serving Fayetteville, Manlius, DeWitt, Jamesville)
Eagle Observer (serving Camillus, Marcellus, Elbridge)
Madison Eagle (serving Madison County)
Skaneateles Press
Syracuse City Eagle
Star-Review (serving Liverpool, North Syracuse, Cicero, Salina, Clay)
Niche Publications
Syracuse Parent & CNY Family
Prime
Clay Insider
Urban CNY
Mother Knows Best
Central New York Employment Guide
Web properties
cnylink.com
syracuseparent.net
clayinsider.com
urbancny.com
cnyemploymentguide.com
