WARRENSBURG — Carpenter Media Group and Phillips Media Group announced Friday, Aug. 30 they have reached an agreement for CMG to acquire the Warrensburg Star-Journal and Sedalia Democrat, along with PMG’s other 14 papers spread across Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois.
Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, N.M., represented Phillips Media Group in the transaction. Terms were not disclosed.
Also acquired in the sale are the Quincy (Ill.) Herald-Whig, Baxter (Ark.) Bulletin, Harrison (Ark.) Daily Times, Newton County (Ark.) Times, Big Nickel, Bolivar (Mo.) Herald-Free Press, Buffalo (Mo.) Reflex, Cedar County (Mo.) Republican, Christian County (Mo.) Headliner News, Kirksville (Mo.) Daily Express, The Marshfield (Mo.) Mail, NEMO Trader, The West Plains (Mo.) Daily Quill and the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier Post.
The deal also includes Nowata Printing Co., which currently prints the Star-Journal and Democrat in Springfield, Missouri.
“It has been a pleasure to own and operate these great publications,” said Rupert Phillips, PMG’s president and CEO. “Their future will be in good hands with Carpenter Media Group, a company focused on continuing the tradition of providing a quality newspaper for their local communities.”
CMG is organized and driven to serve and develop communities through excellent local journalism, guiding the marketing and advertising of its small and medium-sized business customers and developing its team members to grow personally and professionally.
“We feel fortunate to succeed Rupert Phillips and his team in these communities with these newspapers that are so important to each one” said Todd Carpenter, chairman of CMG. “To work with a group like this is a pleasure and privilege because of the quality of the company, the people and the good foundations they put down.”
Prior to chairing CMG, Carpenter was a longtime CEO and director of Boone Newsmedia, Inc., which, including CMG’s holdings along with its own, managed 85 newspaper titles, various magazines, websites and other businesses in 12 states. After separating CMG holdings last year from BNI and recent acquisitions, CMG now owns and manages over 250 titles in the U.S. and Canada.
The Star-Journal was sold to Phillips Media Group in October 2020. It had previously been owned by News-Press & Gazette Company, which purchased the publication from Avis Tucker in 2007. The paper had been in the hands of the Tucker family since Avis and her husband, William Tucker, bought the paper in 1947.
The Democrat was sold to Phillips Media Group in June 2017. It had previously been owned by Civitas Media LLC since May 2012.
For more information on Carpenter Media Group visit carpentermediagroup.com.
For more information on Phillips Media Group visit phillipsmedia.com.
For more information on Dirks, Van Essen and April visit dirksvanessen.com.
