Spotlight Newspapers, the Capital District’s award-winning community weeklies, was purchased Oct. 1, by Community Media Group LLC. The transaction includes the sale of The Spotlight’s weeklies in 12 communities in the Albany market and the eight Eagle Newspapers weeklies in the Syracuse 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: John A. McIntyre Jr. of Ballston Lake, David B. Tyler Jr. of Syracuse 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.
McIntyre will continue in the role of publisher of the weeklies in the Albany market, which he has managed since it was purchased by Eagle Media LP in 1998. Tyler will remain in the role of publisher of the Syracuse group, a position he has held for the past eight months.
These newspapers are important staples in the communities we 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, McIntyre 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,` McIntyre 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 Spotlight Newspapers since 2007. With the change in ownership, Eagle Newspapers will achieve additional production and purchasing efficiencies. The bottom line is readers and advertisers will reap the benefits generated by the synergies of the new partnership.
`In the current economic landscape, it makes tremendous sense to develop close relationships between organizations like Eagle, Spotlight and Denton,` McIntyre said. `Spotlight will maintain editorial and advertising independence here in the Capital District 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 Spotlight Newspapers and Eagle Newspapers and readers can expect the same commitment to community journalism they have become accustomed to over the years.
`This should be an easy transition for our readers, advertisers and employees,` McIntyre said. `Our staff includes some of the best community journalists in New York state. This new arrangement will only enhance what we can do.`
Capital District publications owned and operated by Community Media Group LLC include the weekly newspapers The Spotlight (Bethlehem, Guilderland, New Scotland and Voorheesville), Colonie Spotlight, Loudonville Spotlight, Niskayuna Spotlight, Rotterdam Spotlight, Scotia-Glenville Spotlight and The Spotlight ` Saratoga County (Clifton Park-Halfmoon, Burnt Hills, Malta, Milton and Saratoga Springs); monthly publications Capital District Parent Pages and Capital District Senior Spotlight; and Web properties www.spotlightnews.com, www.cdparentpages.com and www.capitaldistrictyardsale.com.“