Media Monsters in our Midsts

Bad News:

Torstar Corp.'s Metroland community-newspaper unit continued its spread across Ontario today with the acquisition of Runge Publishing Inc., which has 18 publications, mostly in the Ottawa Valley.
Financial terms of the purchase were not disclosed, but privately held Runge claims that on a weekly basis, 159,000 households receive its papers. The Runge stable embraces the Kanata Kourier-Standard, Stittsville Weekender, Stittsville News, Arnprior Chronicle-Guide, Arnprior Weekender, West Carleton Review Weekender, Renfrew Mercury, Renfrew Weekender, Almonte Gazette, Carleton Place Canadian, Mississippi Weekender, Barrhaven Weekender, Ottawa South Weekender, Nepean Weekender, Manotick Review, Kemptville Advance, Kemptville Weekender and Iroquois Chieftain.
The transaction "is a continuation of Metroland's strategy of expanding its community newspaper business," stated Torstar (TSX:TS:NV.B), which owns the Toronto Star, the largest-circulation daily in Canada, as well as romance-novel publisher Harlequin Enterprises and about 75 community papers within Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing. Metroland, expanding from its Golden Horseshoe base, last month bought the Huntsville Forester and the Almaguin Forester in cottage country, and in May took over the Bracebridge Examiner, Gravenhurst Banner, Muskokan and other publications in the Muskoka region.
Other Torstar assets include the Hamilton Spectator, the Record in Kitchener-Waterloo, the Guelph Mercury, an interest in several giveaway transit tabloids and B.C. community papers, the ShopTV channel and the Transit Television Network displayed on several U.S. commuter systems.

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