- The Times Leader
Infobox Newspaper
name = The Times Leader
type = Dailynewspaper
format =Broadsheet
foundation =1879
ceased publication =
price =
owners = Richard L. Connor;HM Capital Partners , Frank Henry and Charles Parente, and other local investors
publisher = Richard L. Connor
editor =
language = English
circulation =
headquarters = 15 N. Main Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711United States
ISSN = 0199-0519
website = [http://www.timesleader.com timesleader.com]"The Times Leader" is a privately owned newspaper in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania .Founded in
1879 , it was locally owned until being purchased byCapital Cities in 1978. The TL, a morning broadsheet, is currently in a circulation battle with another Wilkes-Barre daily newspaper, theCitizens' Voice .The TL, in the heart of coal country, was subject to a very bitter strike that began Oct. 6,
1978 . Over 200 union employees walked off the job in defiance of what they viewed as union-busting tactics by the TLs new corporate owner, Capital Cities. The four striking newspaper unions began to publish the Citizens' Voice as a strike paper.Eventually the four unions were decertified. The Voice continued publication. This in turn prompted competition and created the unusual environment where
Wilkes-Barre , with its population of a little more than 43,000, now has two competing dailies. The Times Leader was steadily returned to its position of prominence as the leading daily in Luzerne County both in editorial quality and paid circulation.After the strike began, Capital Cities persuaded a young, dynamic editor,Richard L. Connor, to become publisher. During his eight years running the newspaper Connor and his staff dominated the state's newspapers with awards for writing,reporting, and photography.The paper also became among the most prominent corporate citizens.The Times Leader became known around the country as a growth platform for young journalists and newspaper executives.Connor moved on to restore the Fort Worth Star Telegram to strength as the Texas economy faltered in the mid-80's.His successor as publisher,Dale A. Duncan,became publisher of the Pontiac,MI., Oakland Press and then publisher of the Indianapolis Star. Duncan was followed by Mark Contreas who worked in several executive capacities with the Pulitzer Company before become head of the newspaper division for Scripps.
Capital Cities and the Times Leader were purchased by
The Walt Disney Company in 1996. Disney in turn sold the TL to Knight Ridder in 1997.The newspaper continued to prosper under Knight Ridder ownership. It started publishing a half-dozen zoned weekly sections for different parts of metro Wilkes-Barre, affectionately called the "Baby Leaders." It also actively battled the Hazleton Standard-Speaker in southern Luzerne County with a heavily-staffed bureau and daily zoned metro section.
The McClatchy Company acquired 32Knight Ridder newspapers, including the Times Leader, in March 2006. However, McClatchy quickly announced that it would resell a number of papers, including the Times Leader.On June 26, 2006, McClatchy announced its sale of the Times Leader to Connor and investors including [http://www.hmcapital.com/ HM Capital] , a Texas equity fund that seeks "investment opportunities in middle-market, cash generative businesses that have strong competitive positions with significant value creation opportunities." A handful of unidentified local business owners also acquired ownership stakes.
Since acquiring the Times Leader Connor once again created a newspaper that has continued to grow and avoid many of the ills prevalent in today's print media sector.The paper's community leadership is dominant in the market.Last year to celebrate its 100 year anniversary the Times Leader donated $100,000 to local charities.The newspaper staff was recognized for its editorial quality with numerous awards this year both in the state Associated Press competition and at the Keystone Awards.
The Wilkes-Barre Publishing Company, parent to the Times Leader, purchased a Spanish-language newspaper, El Mensajero, in late 2007.It is the dominant Spanish-language newspaper in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Times Leader grew its paid circulation by 1,500 daily subscribers and 1,300 Sunday subscribers for the first four months of 2008, again outpacing the industry. Current circulation is about 45,000 daily and 55,000 Sunday.
External links
* [http://www.timesleader.com/ "Times Leader" Web site]
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