Alta Newspaper Group

Most of the newspapers that currently make up Alta and Continental were purchased from The Thomson Corporation between 1999 and 2001 by Horizon, a family of companies owned by David Radler and Conrad Black, independently from Radler's and Black's roles as COO and CEO, respectively, of Hollinger Inc. During the 2000s, both men were convicted of defrauding Hollinger and served time in prison; Black sold his interest in Horizon in 2006; and Radler organized his Canadian holdings into two companies, including a limited partnership for his two Alberta dailies and associated weeklies.

The chain, originally called Southern Alberta Newspapers and renamed Alta Group Newspapers, consisted of the former Thomson dailies Lethbridge Herald and Medicine Hat News, and a group of weeklies covering suburban and rural communities in the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat area. The oldest of the weeklies was The Taber Times, which dated to 1907 and had built the chain in the 1970s before being bought out by Hollinger and then Thomson.

In the mid-2000s, Alta purchased three weeklies in southwestern Saskatchewan, and in 2006 it acquired The Record of Sherbrooke, Quebec, from Glacier Media, which took an ownership interest in Alta. Radler noted that The Record was a nostalgic purchase: it was the first newspaper that he and Black owned, back in 1969.

The company has not made any major acquisitions since 2006, although it has bought out biweekly newspapers that competed with its dailies in Lethbridge and Sherbrooke.

As a private company, Alta Newspaper Group is not required to publish an annual report, and Radler has been "tight-lipped" about its ownership structure, telling reporters that he is "a shareholder" in the company but declining to specify how much he owns.{{cite news|title=Radler Quietly Building Local Media Empire |newspaper=National Post |location=Toronto |date=July 14, 2007 |accessdate=March 12, 2012 |url=http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=6dd485c2-de38-4eb9-92ce-a3a2d510bc2a |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090747/http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=6dd485c2-de38-4eb9-92ce-a3a2d510bc2a |archivedate=March 4, 2016 }}{{cite news|last=MacDonald|first=D.|title=Radler Returns to His Roots with Purchase of Sherbrooke Record|url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=f71d7445-9620-44dd-b51a-c7d150c00346|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118224148/http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=f71d7445-9620-44dd-b51a-c7d150c00346|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 18, 2013|newspaper=The Gazette|location=Montreal|date=October 24, 2006|accessdate=March 12, 2012}} Alta was formed, however, out of a subsidiary of Horizon Publications Inc.,{{cite web|url=http://horizonpublicationsinc.com/newspapers/|title=Newspapers|work=HorizonPublicationsInc.com|accessdate=March 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050528024908/http://horizonpublicationsinc.com/newspapers|archive-date=May 28, 2005|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} a company acknowledged to have been owned and operated primarily by Radler.{{cite news|url=http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2011/09/07/Conrad-Black-files-suit-against-former-COO/UPI-72501315420763/|newspaper=UPI.com|author=United Press International|title=Conrad Black Files Suit Against Former COO|date=September 7, 2011|accessdate=March 16, 2012}}

In 2006, as part of the deal that added The Record to Alta's holdings, Vancouver-based publisher Glacier Media took a 50% share in Alta. It later increased its ownership share to 59%. Glacier is also part-owner of two other newspaper companies connected with Radler, Continental Newspapers and RISN Operations.{{cite web|title=Glacier Media Inc. Annual Information Form|url=http://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=1&issuerNo=00005993&fileName=/csfsprod/data116/filings/01723478/00000001/C%3A%5CFilings%5CDJS%5CGlacierMedia%5CAnnualYE10%5C2010AIF_Glacier.pdf|format=PDF|work=SEDAR.com|date=March 31, 2011|accessdate=March 13, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116215050/http://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=1&issuerNo=00005993&fileName=%2Fcsfsprod%2Fdata116%2Ffilings%2F01723478%2F00000001%2FC%3A%5CFilings%5CDJS%5CGlacierMedia%5CAnnualYE10%5C2010AIF_Glacier.pdf|archive-date=January 16, 2017|url-status=dead}} Sam Grippo, Glacier's chairman of the board, was a group publisher at Hollinger during Radler's time as chief operating officer.{{cite news|title=Vancouver-Based Glacier Media Posts $28.3-Million Profit|first=Charlie|last=Smith|date=March 23, 2009|accessdate=March 16, 2012|url=https://www.straight.com/article-209169/vancouverbased-glacier-media-posts-283million-profit|newspaper=Straight.com}}

{{see also|Continental Newspapers}}

Although the company is headquartered in British Columbia, none of its properties are located there. Alta publishes newspapers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec. Its sister company Continental Newspapers publishes dailies in British Columbia and Ontario.

Two dailies and six weekly newspapers in the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat area were part of the original Southern Alberta Newspapers chain owned by Horizon Operations.{{cite web|url=http://cnrp.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/show.jsp?action=showRelease&actionFor=612403&searchText=false&showText=all|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119004215/http://cnrp.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/show.jsp?action=showRelease&actionFor=612403&searchText=false&showText=all|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 19, 2013|title=Glacier Closes Acquisition of ANGLP|author=Press Release|date=September 15, 2006|accessdate=March 12, 2012|work=Glacier Ventures International Corp}} The Lethbridge Journal was added in 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.newspaperscanada.ca/news/industry/lethbridge-journal-has-new-owner |title=Lethbridge Journal Has a New Owner |author=Press Release |work=Canadian Newspaper Association |date=May 4, 2011 |accessdate=March 12, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032533/http://www.newspaperscanada.ca/news/industry/lethbridge-journal-has-new-owner |archivedate=May 2, 2014 }} Together, the following papers cover the cities of Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, the Municipal District of Taber, Cypress County, the County of Forty Mile No. 8 and Lethbridge County:

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• Bow Island Commentator (Tuesdays)
• Lethbridge Herald (daily)
• Medicine Hat News (daily)
• Prairie Post (Fridays)

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• The Sunny South News (Tuesdays)
• The Taber Times (Wednesdays)
• The Vauxhall Advance (Thursdays)
• The Western Canadian Pipeline (magazine)

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Alta publishes four weeklies in southwestern Saskatchewan; all but the Prairie Post were added in 2006:

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• Maple Creek News (Thursdays)
• Maple Creek Times (Tuesdays)

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• The Shaunavon Standard (Tuesdays)
• Prairie Post East (Fridays)

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Alta acquired the smaller (of only two) English-language newspapers in Quebec, and its associated weekly product, in 2006. It added a competing semimonthly paper in 2009:{{cite news|title=David Radler, of Conrad Black Infamy, Adds Quebec Paper to Holdings|date=September 1, 2009|url=http://www.editorandpublisher.com/Headlines/Article/David-Radler-of-Conrad-Black-Infamy-Adds-Quebec-Paper-to-Holdings|newspaper=Editor & Publisher|accessdate=March 14, 2012}}

• Brome County News (weekly)
• The Record (Sherbrooke) (daily)
• The Townships Outlet (biweekly Tuesdays)

Most of the websites associated with Alta and Continental properties are credited to TriCube Media, a division of Alta Newspaper Group based in Medicine Hat, Alberta. TriCube Media bills itself as "a full service branding and business development company". In addition to the newspapers, its clients include governments, nonprofits, blogs and private businesses. Services it provides include web design, web hosting graphic design, online advertising and promotions.{{cite web|url=http://www.tricubemedia.com/about/|title=TriCube Media: About|accessdate=March 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212172016/http://www.tricubemedia.com/about/|archive-date=2012-02-12|url-status=dead}}

Alta through its subsidiaries have acquired a number of newspapers throughout California:{{Cite web |last=McGough |first=Michael |date=December 9, 2022 |title=6 newspapers serving Sacramento-area suburbs sold to new owners. Who bought them? |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article269777502.html |access-date=September 7, 2024 |website=The Sacramento Bee}}{{Cite web |last=Wick |first=Julia |last2= |last3= |last4= |date=2019-06-04 |title=Newsletter: Who are the mystery investors buying some of California’s last family-owned newspapers? |url=https://www.latimes.com/newsletters/la-me-ln-essential-california-20190604-story.html |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}

• Gold Mountain California News Media Inc. (2022) Auburn Journal, Big Bear Grizzly, Folsom Telegraph, Hi-Desert Star, (Lake Arrowhead) Mountain News, Lincoln News Messenger, Loomis News, Placer Herald, Roseville Press-Tribune, (Twentynine Palms) Desert Trail and Desert Mobile Home News.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |last3= |date=2022-09-22 |title=Gold Mountain California News Media Inc. acquiring 11 titles |url=https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/gold-mountain-california-news-media-inc-acquiring-11-titles,239883 |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Editor and Publisher |language=en}}
• Gold Hill California Media Inc. (2021) Grass Valley Union{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-06-02 |title=The Union sold to Gold Hill California Media |url=https://www.theunion.com/news/the-union-sold-to-gold-hill-california-media/article_2128acca-2c3e-5dcd-ae15-d2610e92facc.html |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=The Union |language=en}}
• Santa Maria California News Media Inc. (2020) Santa Maria Times, Hanford Sentinel, Lompoc Record, Santa Ynez Valley News{{Cite web |last=Ezzone |first=Zac |date=March 18, 2020 |title=Canadian executives purchase Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record |url=https://www.santamariasun.com/news/canadian-executives-purchase-santa-maria-times-lompoc-record-14791654 |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Santa Maria Sun |language=en}}
• Sound News Media Inc. (2019) Bakersfield Californian, Tehachapi News{{cite news |date=3 June 2019 |title=Bakersfield Californian sold, ending 122 years of family ownership |url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/bakersfield-californian-sold-ending-years-of-family-ownership/article_df82b2c2-85a3-11e9-b27a-dbccf867e202.html |access-date=2 August 2019 |publisher=The Bakersfield Californian}}
• Antelope Valley Press Inc. (2017) Antelope Valley Press{{Cite web |date=2017-07-05 |title=AV Press sold to new owner |url=https://theavtimes.com/2017/07/05/av-press-sold-to-new-owner/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=The Antelope Valley Times |language=en-US}}
• Central Valley News-Sentinel Inc. (2015) Lodi News-Sentinel{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-05-28 |title=Weybrets sell Lodi News-Sentinel to Central Valley News-Sentinel Inc. |url=https://www.lodinews.com/news/article_69368ce6-0565-11e5-8985-d3926d306911.html |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Lodi News-Sentinel |language=en}}
• Imperial Valley News Media, Inc. (2015) Imperial Valley Press{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-03-05 |title=I.V. Press under new ownership; parts ways with Schurz |url=https://www.ivpressonline.com/open/i-v-press-under-new-ownership-parts-ways-with-schurz/article_a308d03a-27c1-5137-acbc-149621dbfe5f.html |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Imperial Valley Press |language=en}}
• Vista California News Media, Inc. (2013) Marysville Appeal-Democrat, Tri-County Newspapers{{Cite web |date=May 31, 2013 |title=Vista California News Media, Inc. buys Marysville (CA) Appeal-Democrat |url=https://dirksvanessen.com/press_release/vista-california-news-media-inc-buys-marysville-ca-appeal-democrat/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Dirks, Van Essen & April |language=en-US}}
• RISN Operations (2013) Porterville Recorder,{{cite news |date=April 30, 2013 |title=Yuma Sun Under New Ownership |url=http://www.yumasun.com/articles/yuma-87169-newspapers-rhode.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630182611/http://www.yumasun.com/articles/yuma-87169-newspapers-rhode.html |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |access-date=June 14, 2018 |work=Yuma Sun}} (2019) Sonora Union Democrat.{{Cite web |last=Hansen |first=B.J. |date=2019-07-24 |title=Union Democrat Newspaper Being Sold |url=https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/811160/union-democrat-newspaper-being-sold.html |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=myMotherLode.com |language=en-US}}
• Horizon California Publications, Inc. (2000) Inyo Register,{{Cite web |last=Cherney |first=Elena |date=January 30, 2004 |title=Behind Paper Sales, Lord Black Played A Double Role |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB107749703735336245 |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 7, 2024 |website=Wall Street Journal}} (2001) Mammoth Times

{{Reflist}}

{{Alta-Continental}}

{{Glacier Media}}

{{Canadian journalism}}

Category:Newspaper companies of Canada

Category:Companies based in Vancouver