Denver Newspaper Agency Officials Outline Changes

Posted on January 24, 2001

The newly organized Denver Newspaper Agency became officially operational with executives outlining changes and benefits resulting from the combined business operations of The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News.

``We expect this to be a productive combination,'' said Kirk MacDonald, president and chief executive officer of the Denver Newspaper Agency. ``Our overriding goal is to make this transition as smooth and as seamless as possible for everyone concerned. The result is the preservation of two distinct newspaper voices in the region for years to come.''

The joint operating agreement approved on Jan. 5, 2001 by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno allows MediaNews Group, Inc., owner of The Post, and The E.W. Scripps Company, owner of the News, to combine the two newspapers' business operations. That includes advertising, marketing, circulation sales, production, distribution, finance, information technology and human resources -- while continuing to produce separate newspapers and maintain independent, competitive editorial operations. Under the agreement, the two newspapers' business operations will be managed by the Denver Newspaper Agency, which is 50 percent owned by each company. The Agency will have no influence over the day-to-day editorial content of either paper.

``We're preserving two institutions and two editorial voices in Colorado. The JOA puts Colorado's community ahead of pure business interests,'' said Dean Singleton, vice chairman, president and chief executive officer of MediaNews Group and chairman of the four-person Denver Newspaper Agency management committee.

Singleton, MacDonald, Kenneth W. Lowe, president and chief executive officer of The E.W. Scripps Company, and Jeff Hively, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Denver Newspaper Agency, outlined the Agency's plans and proposed changes at a news conference.

Singleton and Lowe said both The E.W. Scripps Company and MediaNews are committed to providing the resources necessary to preserve two, competitive and independent editorial voices. MacDonald and Hively said the major change for readers of The Post and News will occur on weekends, early 2001. Beginning April 7, The Post subscribers will receive the weekend edition of the Rocky Mountain News, called the Weekend Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post, on Saturdays, and News subscribers will receive The Sunday Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News starting April 8. Both newspapers will continue to publish their regular morning editions Monday through Friday.

The circulation areas of the two newspapers will remain essentially the same. As of April 8, the preliminary combined average daily circulation is expected to exceed 770,000. The Sunday Post and News unduplicated average Sunday circulation is 940,000. Daily combined Post and News average peak-day (Wednesday and Friday) circulation is 855,000. These circulation figures are publisher's estimates.

The Denver Newspaper Agency's headquarters will be in the current offices of the Rocky Mountain News at 400 West Colfax Ave. The Post's editorial staff will remain in its present location at 1560 Broadway, as will some members of The Post's business staff. The two newspapers will continue to be printed separately at their current production facilities.