Salisbury, Cumberland Newspapers Sold
     The Thomson Corp. announced June 8 the sale of The Daily Times, in Salisbury, the Times-News, in Cumberland, and their related publications to Gannett Co. and Community Newspaper Holdings Inc, respectively.
     The sale will give Gannett a strong presence on the Delmarva peninsula, extending from Wilmington’s The News Journal in the north to Salisbury in the south, including Thomson Chesapeake’s eight non-dailies in Maryland and Delaware and two on the Virginia Shore.
     John DiMambro, president and CEO of Thomson Chesapeake, said "We are committed first and foremost to the people who read our newspapers and the advertisers who rely on us to market their business. That commitment will remain while we are undergoing a change in ownership."
     Thomson purchased The Daily Times in 1967 from Brush-Moore Newspapers of Canton, Ohio. Thomson Chesapeake was formed in 1996 with the purchase of Atlantic Publications Inc.
     In addition to Thomson Chesapeake, Gannett will buy 20 Thomson dailies and related operations in Wisconsin, central and southwest Ohio, Utah and Louisiana. The total purchase price reportedly is $1.125 billion.
     The Times-News purchase by CNHI of Birmingham, AL, also includes non-dailies Garrett County Weekender, Potomac Highlands and Frostburg ExPress. It will represent the first CNHI ownership in the MDDC area.
     Ronald Monahan, Times-News publisher, said, "The Times-News’ commitment to innovation and customer service has positioned it as the pre-eminent marketing and communications business in the area, and I look forward to maintaining that position under CNHI ownership by continuing to anticipate and exceed advertisers’ and readers’ needs."
     CNHI is buying an additional 16 Thomson daily newspapers and related operations in Indiana, South Georgia and West Virginia. That will bring CNHI’s holdings to 109 daily newspapers with a combined circulation of about 1 million, and more than 250 non-dailies and specialty publications.
     The eight Thomson Chesapeake non-dailies in Maryland and Delaware included in the sale are the Somerset Herald, Worcester County Messenger, Maryland Times-Press, Ocean Pines Independent, Maryland and Delaware Beachcomber, Delaware Wave and Delaware Coast Press.
     Both the Gannett and CNHI agreements are expected to be finalized in the third quarter of 2000.

– From news reports