The owner of the Akron Beacon Journal will become the new owner of the free daily San Francisco Examiner.
Black Press Group, based in Canada, is purchasing the Examiner from Clarity Media Group, a Denver-based holding company owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz. Black Press and Clarity Media are privately owned companies.
The deal is expected to close by Nov. 30. Terms were not disclosed.
“We are delighted to become involved with such a strong newspaper,” David Black, president and owner of Black Press, said in a statement. “Readership is second to none in San Francisco and on the peninsula.”
Clarity Media Group said it was planning to concentrate more in the Washington, D.C., market with the Washington Examiner and the Weekly Standard publications.
Clarity Media Group bought the San Francisco Examiner seven years ago and converted it to a compact daily tabloid that is distributed in select San Francisco neighborhoods Sunday through Friday.
The newspaper was changed to a free daily in 2003 under previous ownership. Clarity Media says the Examiner has the highest newspaper circulation in San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
The Examiner’s history goes back to 1865 and includes being owned by William Randolph Hearst.
“It became clear that owning a single newspaper asset on the West Coast was no longer consistent with our evolving business plan,” Clarity Media said in a statement. “Therefore, when the Black Press organization approached us about a sale, we determined they were the right fit for Examiner and this was the right time to initiate the transaction.”
Black Press bought the Akron Beacon Journal in 2006 following the sale of the Beacon Journal’s former corporate parent Knight Ridder to California-based newspaper chain McClatchy Co.
Black Press, based in Victoria, British Columbia, owns more than 100 newspapers and has a U.S. subsidiary, Sound Publishing in Poulsbo,Wash. Black Press also owns the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com
