Group of regional investors purchase three Washington weeklies
Sep 16, 2019
RAYMOND, Washington — Three weekly newspapers published in Woodinville, Washington, have been purchased by a group of regional investors. The sale includes The Woodinville Weekly, Northlake News and Valley.
President and owner Julie Boselly on July 29 turned the company’s keys over to Eric LaFontaine, chief executive officer of Eastside Media Corp with headquarters Bellevue, Washington.
Boselly’s mother established a strong local newspaper brand with deep community roots dating back to The Woodinville Weekly’s first edition in November 1976. The new owner plans to capitalize on this 43-year-old newspaper brand by maintaining the unique skill sets of existing staff.
Gauger Media Service, Inc., a media brokerage and appraisal company in Raymond, Washington, represented Boselly in the transaction.
LaFontaine’s company plans to maintain the newspapers’ print editions that now will be supported by a robust digital-first venue. The company’s plan includes expanding community news coverage and readership across all age demographics with its multi-platform newspapers.
LaFontaine’s journalism career includes publisher of the Othello (Washington) Outlook, a weekly newspaper owned by the Zaser-Longston families. And he held concurrent publisher positions at a five-day daily the Columbia Basin Herald in Moses Lake, Washington, and Hagadone Digital Washington. Most recently LaFontaine was a regional publisher with Sound Publishing, Inc.
The company’s executives include an impressive roster of news media pros including Mike Flynn who was president and publisher of the Puget Sound Business Journal and longtime executive with United Press International. Patrick Scanlon is Eastside Media Corp’s board chairman. Scanlon’s resume includes board member of the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Post-Gazette and vice president of USA Today Sports.