West Virginia news group buys Provo Daily Herald

The Provo Daily Herald, one of only six daily newspapers in Utah, has been sold to Ogden Newspapers of Utah LLC. Not to be confused with the daily Standard-Examiner in Ogden, the buying entity is a new division of Ogden Newspapers Inc. of Wheeling, West Virginia.

The Provo Daily Herald, one of only six daily newspapers in Utah, has been sold to Ogden Newspapers of Utah LLC. Not to be confused with the daily Standard-Examiner in Ogden, the buying entity is a new division of Ogden Newspapers Inc. of Wheeling, West Virginia. The Standard-Examiner is owned by Sandusky Newspapers Inc. of Ohio.

Acquired by Lee Enterprises of St. Louis from Pulitzer Newspapers in 2005, The Daily Herald has a paid circulation of about 20,000 on weekdays and 27,000 on Sundays. The purchase of the newspaper also includes the company’s digital operations, including heraldextra.com which Herald officials say reaches 70,000 unique visitors per month.

Financial terms of the deal, set to close Aug. 29, were not disclosed. 

“Provo is a great market and a wonderful community,” said Kevin Mowbray, president and CEO of Lee Enterprises. “We’re confident The Daily Herald will continue to serve its readers with strong local news and information under the new ownership.”

Ogden Newspapers publishes 40 daily newspapers, along with several magazines, weekly newspapers and shoppers in 14 states.

“We believe that newspapers like The Daily Herald in Provo and its related digital platforms provide tremendous value, both in print and online, with trustworthy news reporting and effective advertising,” said Robert Nutting, CEO of Ogden Newspapers Inc. Nutting noted the sale is designed to maintain news and focus on local communities as opposed to regionalization.

“Ogden newspapers are committed to strong, local journalism,” said Robert Williams, publisher of The Daily Herald. “Being a part of the community, I think we’ll continue to see that as enhanced and build on the strong foundation Lee has set.”

Daily Herald officials have also announced that the newspaper will be moving its operation from its longtime location on Freedom Blvd. to the third floor of the Wells Fargo building in downtown Provo. The newspaper ceased printing its own products several years ago and liquidated its production equipment, making the move to smaller quarters possible. The Daily Herald is currently printed at the production facilities of Media One, the production and advertising arm of the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune.