Cranbrook and Kimberley daily newspapers go “Black”

The Cranbrook Townsman and the Kimberley Bulletin have been sold to Black Press which already owns the rival Kootenay News Advertiser and most of the other community newspapers throughout the East and West Kootenay.

The two newspapers sold about 13 months ago to Don Kendall, an former executive with close and long ties to Black Press. Kendall ran the two papers for just over a year and incorporated a redesign for both dailies.

The Townsman and Bulletin publishes Monday to Friday, five days a week and the Kootenay New Advertiser publishes twice a week, Monday and Friday. Though the press article stated that things would proceed as usual—one has to think that a merger and/or rationalizing of the two newspaper publishing schedules might be in consideration for the future.

The prime asset the Cranbrook Townsman brings to the equation is the fact that they have the printing press facilities which now prints all of Black Press' community newspapers throughout the Kootenays.  It wouldn't be surprising to see the KNA printing there in the future.

Black Press completed the purchase of the Glacier Media papers throughout the Kootenays just over a year ago and promptly shut down the venerable Nelson Daily News and expanded its Nelson Star publication.

Black Press now owns the Nelson Star, Trail Times, Grand Forks Gazette, Creston Advance, Cranbrook Townsman, Kimberley Bulletin, Invermere Echo, Golden Star, Fernie Free Press, Castlegar News, Revelstoke Times, the Arrow Lakes News in Nakusp and the Kootenay News Advertiser.