Iowa-based Lee Enterprises, parent of The Times of Northwest Indiana, announced Jan. 28 it had purchased the print and digital assets of the Kenosha News and the Lake Geneva Regional News, from United Communications Corp. of Kenosha, Wis.
“These two markets fit very nicely into our already strong footprint in Wisconsin,” Kevin Mowbray, president and CEO of Lee said in a statement. “Their proximity to existing Lee properties creates opportunity for synergies while greatly strengthening our audiences in southeast Wisconsin.”
The sale was expected to close Jan.31.
The Kenosha News publishes seven days a week and has an average daily print circulation of about 20,000, Lee said in a statement. The Lake Geneva Regional News publishes weekly.
Bob Heisse, former executive editor of The Times of Northwest Indiana, was named executive editor of the Kenosha News in March 2018.
The Kenosha News, then the Kenosha Evening News, was purchased in 1961 by United Communications Corp. founders Howard and Elizabeth Brown.
“The Brown Family is very grateful for the hard work and dedication of all Kenosha News and Lake Geneva Regional News employees, both past and present,” said Lucy Brown, president and CEO of United Communications Corp. “Making the decision to sell is extraordinarily difficult, but we welcome Lee Enterprises and know the future looks bright under their leadership.”
Lee Enterprises operates news websites and daily and weekly newspapers across 20 states. Lee's newspapers have average circulation of 700,000 daily and 1.1 million on Sundays.
A study released by Pew Research Center in June 2018, which examined U.S. newspaper circulation numbers from 2017, showed combined print and digital circulation was 31 million for weekday and 34 million for Sunday, down 11 percent and 10 percent, respectively, from 2016.
Declines were highest in print circulation, according to Pew Research Center. Weekday print circulation dropped 11 percent and Sunday circulation fell 10 percent.
