E.W. Scripps, the media conglomerate that owns the Knoxville News-Sentinel (and the Memphis Commercial Appeal, among many other newspapers), has purchased Knoxville’s alternative weekly, Metro Pulse.
Here is the full text of the note to News-Sentinal employees from publisher Bruce Hartmann:
“I am pleased to announce that the Scripps BC Development Company (the same division of Scripps that bought the Shopper-News and started Skirt! magazine) is now acquiring Metro Pulse and Knoxville Magazine. This is effective July 1, 2007.
“Metro Pulse will keep their editorial and advertising independence. At some point in the future, we will be printing our new weekly product.
“Brian Conley will remain as the Publisher of Metro Pulse but will only be involved in the editorial direction of the paper. Lisa Duncan will work with Paul Abraham and me to help manage the transition as we move forward.
“Metro Pulse is a great product with an established readership and advertiser base. We are glad to welcome them into the Scripps fold. Our relationship with Metro Pulse will be similar to the one we have with the Shopper-News and Blount Today. We will still compete with them for eyeballs and dollars, but we will add their brand to the growing list of products in the News Sentinel Media Group.”
Hmmm. Scripps now owns Knoxville’s shopper, its city magazine, its woman’s magazine, its alternative weekly, a county-wide newspaper, and its daily newspaper. Yep, sounds like “competition” for dollars will really start to boom now in Knoxville. (That is, if by “competition,” you mean every print entity in town competes to see how much money it can make for Scripps.) Sigh.