Business & Tech

Baltimore Sun Buys Annapolis, Westminster Papers Among Others

The Baltimore Sun Media Group announced Thursday that it has purchased newspapers based in Anne Arundel and Carroll counties.

Newspapers in Anne Arundel and Carroll counties – including The Capital and the Maryland Gazette in Annapolis and the Carroll County Times in Westminster – now have new owners.

The Baltimore Sun Media Groupannounced today that it purchased The Capital, the Carroll County Times and the Maryland publications and websites affiliated with those news organizations from Landmark Media Enterprises.

Financial terms of the sale, which took effect this morning, were not disclosed.

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According to a Baltimore Sun story, along with the flagship Annapolis newspaper and its CapitalGazette.com website, the publications in Anne Arundel County included in the sale are: the Maryland Gazette, Crofton-West County Gazette, Bowie Blade News, Capital Style Magazine and the Anne Arundel County Guidebook.

In Carroll County, the media group purchased the CarrollCountyTimes.com, Community Times, Carroll Living, Central Maryland Homes, three Advocate newspapers, three Purchasing Power papers and the Mason-Dixon Marketplace and Shopper.

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“The editorial voice in these publications will remain independent from The Baltimore Sun,” publisher Timothy E. Ryan wrote in a staff memo.

Frank Batten Jr., Landmark Publishing chairman and CEO, told Carroll County Times staffers that the Sun media group had been asking to purchase the Times and the Capital for several years, but because the Tribune Company was in bankruptcy, Landmark Publishing officials said no.

The BSMG’s finances are now stable, and the time for the sale was right, Batten said in the Times story.

The Capital’s building at 2000 Capital Drive in Annapolis is not included in the sale, the newspaper reports. The new owners plan to look for other space in the Annapolis area.

Ryan said in a written statement to Capital Gazette staffers that he values the local coverage the Capital Gazette papers provide. 

“We want the newspapers and websites to remain the source for news and opinions on local politics, communities, sports and the arts,” Ryan said. “We are buying The Capital and its sister publications to enable crucial local reporting to grow and thrive. We respect and intend to maintain the excellent local news coverage and editorial voice (the company) has provided for so many years.’’


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