Gannett Co. (GCI) said it would cease print publication of the
Tucson Citizen on Saturday after the publisher failed to find a
buyer for the Arizona evening newspaper.
The industry has faced one of the most challenging operating
environments in decades, as advertising slumps amid the recession
and a move to online, which has forced some papers to reduce their
delivery services or scrap the print model entirely in favor of an
online-only presence.
Gannett said in January the newspaper was up for sale and that
it would close the publication by March 21 if a seller couldn't be
found. Several potential buyers stepped up, but a deal ultimately
wasn't reached.
"Dramatic changes in our industry combined with the difficult
economy - particularly in this region - mean it is no longer viable
to produce two daily printed newspapers in Tucson," said Bob
Dickely, president of the U.S. Community Publishing division of
Gannett.
The region is also served by a larger morning daily newspaper,
the Arizona Daily Star, which has a joint operating agreement with
the Tucson Citizen.
Founded in 1859, the Citizen, published Monday through Saturday
afternoon, as been part of Gannett since 1976. The newspaper has an
average daily circulation of just under 20,000.
Gannett said the Citizen's Web site will continue to operate.
Last week, the newspaper's editor Jennifer Boice said the paper
would continue publishing on a day-to-day basis while negotiations
over its potential sale continued.
Dickely said the company's partnership with Lee Enterprises Inc.
(LEE) would continue with a printed version of the Tucson Citizen
editorial in the Arizona Daily Star weekly.
Gannett's shares were down 2.5% to $4.30 in recent trading. The
stock has been steadily declining since 2004 and has lost 79% of
its value from September.
-By John Kell, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5285;
john.kell@dowjones.com