Central state newspapers being bought up

Canadian-based Santa Maria News Media Inc continues to buy up mid-state newspapers with a report that they have purchased the Hanford Sentinel recently adding to their recent acquisition of the Santa Maria Times, Bakersfield Californian and Porterville Recorder.

Purchase of the Hanford daily paper from Lee Enterprises also includes the Kingsburg and Selma weeklies. Th acquisitions have been reported by multiple news outlets but there is no firm reports on the new buyers.Santa Barbara’s Noozhawk reported the CEO of the corporation is Roland Mc Bride.

The Santa Maria Times purchase also includes the Lompoc Record and the Santa Ynez Valley News.

A sister company includes seven papers in the north Valley. An affiliate manages all media operations for Vista California News Media, Inc., and Central Valley News-Sentinel, Inc. Included in the regional group is the Appeal Democrat, a seven-day daily newspaper located in Northern California, the Lodi News-Sentinel, a five-day daily newspaper located in the Central Valley, Prospect Magazine, Life & Leisure Magazine (glossy monthly magazines), along with weekly shoppers and digital operations, which provide regional news coverage in Sutter, Yuba, and San Joaquin counties, including county seat communities of Marysville and Yuba City, along with the community of Lodi and the surrounding area.

Also responsible for three weekly publications, a shopper, and their digital operations located in Colusa, Willows and Corning.