Mountain Media, a Lewisburg, West Virginia-based community newspaper company, has purchased the assets of Montgomery Publishing, which includes the News Messenger, Radford News Journal and four other community newspapers in Southwest Virginia.
Mountain Media publishes community weekly newspapers, their affiliated publications and multimedia products in the two Virginias. Owner Michael Showell started his newspaper career as a child delivering newspapers for several different publications. He rose up through the ranks of circulation department’s at large dailies in California and Texas until he returned to his hometown in Lewisburg and purchased his first community weekly in 1993.
Showell said he is a strong believer in community newspapers and their role in strengthening the communities they serve.
“Community newspapers are an evolving part of the diverse media landscape. They offer objective local news coverage that is a really critical service unparalleled by any other medium,” Showell said. “I am proud and humble to be involved in that service.”
Montgomery Publishingincludes the Salem Times Register and Vinton Messenger in Roanoke County, the News Messenger and Radford News Journal in Montgomery County, the New Castle Record in Craig County and Fincastle Herald in Botetourt County.
The purchase of Montgomery Publishing is the second purchase outside of West Virginia for Mountain Media, who purchased The Enterprise in Stuart in late 2015.
“We want to bring together the two Virginias as we work to broaden our reach and foster business relations between all Mountain Media companies,” Showell said. “The publications within the Montgomery Publishing franchise have proven vital contributors to their communities and we look forward to working with them, learning from them and becoming a part of their community.”
When asked about future acquisition plans, Showell explained that his first and foremost focus is to fully develop the publications he already owns. But he would be open to any strategically beneficial opportunities that presented themselves.
Mountain Media publishes the Mountain Messenger in Greenbrier County, The Pocahontas Timesin Pocahontas County, Clay County Free Press, The Shinnston News and Harrison County Journal and The Parsons Advocate in Tucker County, West Virginia and The Enterprise in Patrick County, Virginia.
To find out more about Mountain Media, LLC, visit www.mountainmedianews.com.
