Sun-Times Media’s parent company, Wrapports LLC, has sold its 32 suburban weeklies and six daily newspapers to Tribune Publishing Co.
The deal was announced Friday.
“This transaction allows Wrapports to focus on our international digital strategy and to financially strengthen the Chicago Sun-Times,” Wrapports Chairman Michael Ferro said in a written statement. “We will invest in the Sun Times Network and Cube Network while ensuring the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper remains journalistically independent and on financially sound footing for many years to come.”
The 143 editorial and sales employees currently working for the suburban newspapers will become Tribune employees, according to the news release. That group includes the 32 weekly Pioneer Press publications, as well as the Southtown Star, Naperville Sun, Elgin Courier-News, Aurora Beacon-News, Lake County News-Sun and the Post-Tribune in Northwest Indiana.
Longtime Chicago Tribune advertising executive Bob Fleck has been named publisher and general manager of the newly acquired suburban newspapers.
As part of the deal, the Chicago Tribune Media Group also announced a long-term agreement to continue printing and distributing the Chicago Sun-Times, which had opted out of its contract last year.
Terms of the acquisition, and the printing and distribution deal, were not disclosed.