Central Connecticut Communications Acquires The Bristol Press, The Herald of New Britain and The Sunday Herald PressBack to News

Yardley, PA, January 26, 2009 – The Journal Register Company has sold the assets of The Bristol Press, The Herald of New Britain and The Sunday Herald Press to Central Connecticut Communications. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The sale also includes the papers’ web sites and three nearby weeklies: the Wethersfield Post, the Newington Town Crier and the Rocky Hill Post.

Dirks, Van Essen & Murray, a newspaper merger-and-acquisition firm in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represented Journal Register Company in the transaction.

Central Connecticut Communications, a corporation formed to facilitate the sale, is owned by Michael E. Schroeder, most recently publisher of the short-lived free daily BostonNOW and a longtime newspaper and magazine industry executive.

Schroeder is president, publisher and CEO of the new group, and will manage all operations from the newspapers’ offices in New Britain and Bristol, Connecticut.

“We look forward to building upon the rich history of these properties as local business people,” said Schroeder. “We plan to work with current staff, readers and advertisers to produce papers, web sites and other media that successfully educate, inform and entertain the communities they serve.”

Journal Register President Scott Wright said the company worked hard to find a good home for the papers and the employees.

“We know that the papers will be in good hands under Michael Schroeder’s leadership,” Wright said. “He came into this situation very recently and demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the business, a willingness to learn about the community and a positive attitude toward the future of the properties.”

The Bristol Press and The Herald of New Britain have been published continuously for more than 130 years. They employ a combined staff of more than 90, publishing six days each with a combined Sunday paper.

If you have further questions contact Owen Van Essen or Phil Murray of Dirks, Van Essen & Murray at 505-820-2700.