PNI buys 3 weeklies in Utah

Pulitzer Newspapers Inc. went on a buying spree in Utah, announcing Friday that it had purchased three weekly newspapers, a "shopper" newspaper and a real estate magazine.

PNI, which already owned The Daily Herald in Provo and eight weekly newspapers in Utah County, said it had acquired The Springville Herald, with a paid circulation of 2,800; The Eureka Reporter, circulation 300; and The Pyramid, of Mount Pleasant, Sanpete County, circulation 2,200. The shopper is The Pyramid Shopper in Mount Pleasant, with a circulation of 7,500.

Earlier Friday, PNI said it had purchased HomeChoice Magazine, a monthly free-distribution real estate magazine, from Phyllis Rice of Longview, Wash. HomeChoice distributes 20,000 copies throughout Utah County and south Salt Lake County. HomeChoice will move its offices from Scappoose, Ore., to Orem.

PNI declined to disclose the financial terms of the transactions.

PNI bought The Springville Herald and The Eureka Reporter from Martin Conover, who conducted their operations under the name of Art City Publishing Co. The Pyramid and The Pyramid Shopper were purchased from Pyramid Publishing Corp., which is wholly owned by Conover.

"I have seen many changes occur in Springville over the years and have enjoyed chronicling them and being a voice in the community," Conover said. "I look forward to writing a new chapter as part of PNI."

Al Manzi, publisher of The Daily Herald, said the weeklies will continue to cover local news in their communities, but advertisers and subscribers will be able to get combination deals involving the weeklies and The Daily Herald.

The newly acquired newspapers have about a dozen full- and part-time employees. Manzi said they will be retained, except for Pat and Martin Conover, the former owners.

Most HomeChoice employees were in Oregon. The one salesperson in Utah County will be retained and up to five sales and production people will be added, Manzi said.

Kirk Parkinson, vice president and publisher of PNI's Utah County weeklies, said the moves enhance the company's ability to "provide an array of publications that directly meet the needs of both readers and advertisers throughout our circulation area. While these papers are in small communities, the towns are growing and have a great future."

PNI also owns The Pleasant Grove Review, The Lone Peak Review, The American Fork Citizen, The Lehi Free Press, The Lindon Review, The Orem-Geneva Times, The Spanish Fork Press and The Pony Express, which covers Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain and Cedar Fort.

The Springville Herald was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Conover family since 1936. The Pyramid is 111 years old and is the largest circulation paper in Sanpete County. The Conovers have operated it since 1947.

PNI is a unit of Pulitzer Inc., the successor to the company originally founded by Joseph Pulitzer in St. Louis in 1878.