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{{short description|Media company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded 1893}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Confusing|date=May 2020}}
{{Update|date=May 2020}}
}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = '''Booth Newspapers'''
| name = MLive Media Group
| logo =
| former_name = Booth Newspapers
| logo = MLive Media Group logo.jpg
⚫
| logo_size = 100
| type = [[Division (business)|Division]]
| type = [[Division (business)|Division]]
| genre =
| genre =
| foundation =
| founded = {{Start date and age|1893}}
| founder = [[George Gough Booth]] & his 2 brothers
| founder = [[George Gough Booth]] and his 2 brothers
| key_people = [[Timothy D. Gruber]] (president)
| location_city = [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]]
| location_city = [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]]
| location_country = United States
| location_country = United States
| location =
| location =
| locations =
| locations =
| area_served = [[Michigan]]
| area_served = [[Michigan]]
⚫
| key_people =
| industry = Publishing
| industry = Publishing
| products = Newspapers
| products = {{Plainlist|
* MLive.com
⚫
| services =
* ''[[The Ann Arbor News]]''
⚫
| revenue =
* ''[[The Bay City Times]]''
⚫
| operating_income =
* ''[[The Flint Journal]]''
⚫
| net_income =
* ''[[The Grand Rapids Press]]''
⚫
| assets =
* ''[[Jackson Citizen Patriot]]''
⚫
| equity =
* ''[[Kalamazoo Gazette]]''
⚫
| owner =
* ''[[Muskegon Chronicle]]''
⚫
| num_employees =
* ''[[The Saginaw News]]''
* ''[[Advance Newspapers]]''
}}
⚫
| services =
⚫
| revenue =
⚫
| operating_income =
⚫
| net_income =
⚫
| assets =
⚫
| equity =
⚫
| owner =
⚫
| num_employees =
| parent = [[Advance Publications]]
| parent = [[Advance Publications]]
⚫
| divisions =
⚫
| divisions = ''[[The Ann Arbor News]]''<br />''[[The Bay City Times]]''<br />''[[The Flint Journal]]''<br />''[[The Grand Rapids Press]]''<br />''[[Jackson Citizen Patriot]]''<br />''[[Kalamazoo Gazette]]''<br />''[[Muskegon Chronicle]]''<br />''[[The Saginaw News]]''<br />''[[Advance Newspapers]]''
| subsid =
| subsid =
| homepage = [http://www.mlivemediagroup.com/ MLive Media Group]
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.mlivemediagroup.com/}}
| footnotes =
| footnotes =
⚫
| intl =
}}
}}
'''Booth Newspapers''' or '''Booth Michigan''', based in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]], owned eight newspapers in the state of [[Michigan]]. Founded by [[George Gough Booth]] with his two brothers, Booth Newspapers was sold to [[Advance Publications]] (a [[Samuel Irving Newhouse, Sr.|Samuel I. Newhouse]] property), which purchased it in 1976 for $305 million, a record at the time.
'''MLive Media Group''', originally known as '''Booth Newspapers''', or '''Booth Michigan''', is a media group that produces [[newspaper]]s in the state of [[Michigan]]. Founded by [[George Gough Booth]] with his two brothers, Booth Newspapers was sold to [[Advance Publications]], a [[Samuel Irving Newhouse, Sr.|Samuel I. Newhouse]] property, in 1976.


⚫
MLive Media Group newspaper publications include ''[[The Ann Arbor News]]'',''[[The Bay City Times]]'', ''[[The Flint Journal]]'', ''[[The Grand Rapids Press]]'', ''[[Jackson Citizen Patriot]]'', ''[[Kalamazoo Gazette]]'', ''[[Muskegon Chronicle]]'', ''[[The Saginaw News]]'', and ''[[Advance Newspapers]]''. The company also maintains newsrooms in Lansing and Detroit. All of Advance Publications' Michigan content is published on Mlive.com.
⚫
Booth Newspapers owned ''[[The Ann Arbor News]]'' which ceased printing in July 2009 and was re-established as [[AnnArbor.com]] with a Thursday and Sunday newspaper and website independent of the other Booth properties. In 2013 [[AnnArbor.com]] joined MLive Media Group, which was established in 2012 as the Michigan brand for [[Advance Publications]]. At that time, AnnArbor.com’s web presence was integrated with the other Michigan properties under the Mlive.com URL and the [[AnnArbor.com]] newspaper returned to its historical identity as ''[[The Ann Arbor News]]''.


⚫
==History==
Other Mlive Media Group newspaper publications include ''[[The Bay City Times]]'', ''[[The Flint Journal]]'', ''[[The Grand Rapids Press]]'', ''[[Jackson Citizen Patriot]]'', ''[[Kalamazoo Gazette]]'', ''[[Muskegon Chronicle]]'', ''[[The Saginaw News]]'' and ''[[Advance Newspapers]]'', the company also maintains newsrooms in Lansing & Detroit.


=== Early history ===
All of Advance Publications’ Michigan content is published on Mlive.com.
Booth Newspapers was founded by [[George Gough Booth]] and his brothers in 1893 and was a media company based in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]]. In 1976, [[Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr.]] of [[Advance Publications]] acquired Booth Newspapers for $305 million, the {{inflation|US|305000000|1976|2021|fmt=eq}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/09/archives/newhouse-acquires-booth-chain-of-newspapers-for-305-million-chain.html|title=Newhouse Acquires Booth Chain Of Newspapers for $305 Million|newspaper=The New York Times |date=9 November 1976|access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref>


⚫
The Herald Company, Inc. merged with Booth Newspapers, Inc. in July 1987.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/bcs_corp/dt_corp.asp?id_nbr=600673&name_entity=BOOTH%20NEWSPAPERS,%20INC. |title=Booth Newspapers, Inc. |access-date=2008-04-24 |work=DLEG-BCS-Corp Div Database Lookup-Corp Entity Details }}</ref>
⚫
==History==

⚫
The Herald Company, Inc. merged with Booth Newspapers, Inc. in July 1987.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/bcs_corp/dt_corp.asp?id_nbr=600673&name_entity=BOOTH%20NEWSPAPERS,%20INC. |title=Booth Newspapers, Inc. |accessdate=2008-04-24 |work=DLEG-BCS-Corp Div Database Lookup-Corp Entity Details }}</ref>
⚫
In September 2002, Booth Newspapers acquired [[21st Century Newspapers]], Inc.'s [[Heritage Newspapers]]' Suburban Flint Newspaper Group which had nine local papers: ''[[Clio Messenger]]'', ''[[Davison Flagstaff]]'', ''[[Fenton Press]]'', ''[[Grand Blanc News]]'', ''[[Flint Township News]]'', ''[[Flushing Observer]]'', ''[[Holly Press]]'', ''[[Suburban Burton]]'', and ''[[Swartz Creek News]]'', and included ''Suburban Flint Shopper''. All of these operated with ''The Flint Journal'' as the Community Newspapers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flintjournal.com/about/salespressrelease.html |title=Booth Newspapers Acquires Nine Suburban Flint Weekly Papers From 21st Century Newspapers |access-date=2008-04-14 |work=The Flint Journal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724215622/http://www.flintjournal.com/about/salespressrelease.html |archive-date=2008-07-24 }}</ref>

⚫
In December 2006, the Herald Company, Inc. merged with Advance Magazine Publisher, Inc. but continues to operate under the Booth Newspapers name in Michigan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/bcs_corp/image.asp?FILE_TYPE=UCO&FILE_NAME=D200702%5C2007047%5C00000179.tif |title=NY State Certificate of Merger |access-date=2008-04-24 |format=tif |work=DLEG-BCS-Corp Div Database Lookup-Corp Entity Details }}</ref>

⚫
On November 3, 2008, the day before the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], many copies of Booth newspapers were delivered inside a white advertising wrapper, paid for by the [[National Rifle Association]], with "Defend Freedom, Defeat [[Barack Obama|Obama]]" written across the outside. The bags were mostly reported with ''The Flint Journal'', but there were also similar reports from customers of ''The Saginaw News'' and ''The Bay City Times''.<ref name="wjrt-sleeve">{{cite news| url=http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6485809| title=Monday Flint Journal sleeve draws fire| first=Kristen| last=Abraham| work=[[WJRT-TV]]| date=2008-11-03| access-date=2008-11-03| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521103218/http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=6485809| archive-date=2011-05-21| url-status=dead}}</ref> ''The Flint Journal'' posted a short apology on its website that stated that "The wrapper was supposed to be inserted into the newspaper."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/11/mondays_journal_mistakenly_pla.html| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129012038/http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/11/mondays_journal_mistakenly_pla.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=2013-01-29| title=Monday's Journal mistakenly placed in NRA-paid plastic wrapper; newspaper apologizes for error| date=2008-11-03| access-date=2008-11-03}}</ref> The ''Journal'' also told [[WJRT-TV]], who also received a flood of calls about the incident, that there was "some miscommunication" with the paper carriers.<ref name="wjrt-sleeve" /> The three papers mentioned endorsed Barack Obama for president.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/voices/index.ssf/2008/10/flint_journal_endorses_barack.html| title=Flint Journal endorses Barack Obama for president; Obama more attuned to needs of Michigan | date=2008-10-30| work=The Flint Journal| access-date=2008-11-04| archive-url=https://archive.today/20081202141523/http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/voices/index.ssf/2008/10/flint_journal_endorses_barack.html| archive-date=2008-12-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/opinion/index.ssf/2008/11/editorial_summarizing_our_edit.html| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905021125/http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/opinion/index.ssf/2008/11/editorial_summarizing_our_edit.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=2012-09-05| title=Editorial: Summarizing our editorial endorsements| work=The Saginaw News| date=2008-11-01| access-date=2008-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/baycity/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/122562453646970.xml&coll=4| title=The Bay City Times Election Day 2008 endorsement roundup| work=The Bay City Times| date=2008-11-02| access-date=2008-11-04| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928071321/http://www.mlive.com/baycity/stories/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-2%2F122562453646970.xml&coll=4| archive-date=2012-09-28| url-status=dead}}</ref>

⚫
On March 23, 2009, Booth Newspapers announced in ''[[The Ann Arbor News]]'' that it would end the paper's 174-year print run in July 2009, due to economic difficulties, and be replaced by ''[[AnnArbor.com]]'', a daily web paper that will have a twice-weekly print edition.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/03/ann_arbor_news_to_close_in_jul.html| title=Ann Arbor News to Close in July| work=The Ann Arbor News| date=23 March 2009| access-date=2009-03-23}}</ref> Also on this date, Booth announced that beginning June 1, 2009, ''The Bay City Times'', ''The Saginaw News'', and ''The Flint Journal'' would reduce publishing to three times a week (Thursday, Friday, and Sunday) while increasing their web presence;<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/baycityforward/| work=The Bay City Times| title=The Bay City Times announces big changes| date=23 March 2009| access-date=2009-03-23| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327110439/http://www.mlive.com/baycityforward/| archive-date=2009-03-27| url-status=dead}}</ref> the three newspapers would add a Tuesday edition in March 2010, with ''The Bay City Times'' and ''The Saginaw News'' sharing an edition.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/03/flint_journal_to_return_to_new.html| work=The Flint Journal| title=Flint Journal to return to Newsstands on Tuesdays starting March 23| date=7 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2010/03/the_saginaw_news_to_partner_wi.html| work=The Saginaw News| title=The Saginaw News to partner with The Bay City Times for Great Lakes Bay Tuesday print edition| date=March 14, 2010}}</ref>

=== MLive consolidation ===
⚫
On February 2, 2012, Booth Newspapers split into two companies: MLive Media Group and Advance Central Services Michigan. MLive Group handles advertising and news for all newspapers and websites. Advance Central Services handles human resources, production, and distribution. At the same time, home delivery of Booth's remaining daily newspapers was reduced to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays with subscribers receiving e-editions on the other days on which they print.<ref>{{cite news|title=Booth Newspapers to focus on Web efforts |url=http://detnews.com/article/20111103/BIZ/111030357/Booth-Newspapers-to-focus-on-Web-efforts#ixzz1fgn3Dv3T |access-date=5 December 2011 |newspaper=[[The Detroit News]] |date=November 3, 2011 |agency=[[Associated Press]] }}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


Also in 2012, Mlive contracted with former [[WEYI-TV]] meteorologist Mark Torregrossa to run the website's weather section with the expectation of increasing the section's views from 900,000 to 1 million. Instead by 2014, the section received on average 5 million to 6 million page views with a high in January 2014 of 13 million.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Marszalek|first1=Diana|title=MLive Scores Surprise Hit With Weather|url=http://www.netnewscheck.com/article/34582/mlive-scores-surprise-hit-with-weather|access-date=June 6, 2017|work=NetNewsCheck|date=June 24, 2014|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702225558/http://www.netnewscheck.com/article/34582/mlive-scores-surprise-hit-with-weather|archive-date=July 2, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
⚫
In September 2002, Booth Newspapers acquired [[21st Century Newspapers]], Inc.'s [[Heritage Newspapers]]' Suburban Flint Newspaper Group which has nine local papers: ''[[Clio Messenger]]'', ''[[Davison Flagstaff]]'', ''[[Fenton Press]]'', ''[[Grand Blanc News]]'', ''[[Flint Township News]]'', ''[[Flushing Observer]]'', ''[[Holly Press]]'', ''[[Suburban Burton]]'', and ''[[Swartz Creek News]]'', and included ''Suburban Flint Shopper''. All of these operate with ''The Flint Journal'' as the Community Newspapers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flintjournal.com/about/salespressrelease.html |title=Booth Newspapers Acquires Nine Suburban Flint Weekly Papers From 21st Century Newspapers |accessdate=2008-04-14 |work=The Flint Journal}}</ref>


In 2012, the former 21st Century Newspapers-owned papers in the Flint area had all ceased publication, although the ''Clio Messenger'' had stopped publishing two years prior.
⚫
In December 2006, the Herald Company, Inc. merged with Advance Magazine Publisher, Inc. but continues to operate under the Booth Newspapers name in Michigan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/bcs_corp/image.asp?FILE_TYPE=UCO&FILE_NAME=D200702%5C2007047%5C00000179.tif |title=NY State Certificate of Merger |accessdate=2008-04-24 |format=tif |work=DLEG-BCS-Corp Div Database Lookup-Corp Entity Details }}</ref>


⚫
In 2013 [[AnnArbor.com]] joined MLive Media Group, which was established in 2012 as the Michigan brand for [[Advance Publications]]. At that time, AnnArbor.com's web presence was integrated with the other Michigan properties under the MLive.com URL and the [[AnnArbor.com]] newspaper returned to its historical identity as ''[[The Ann Arbor News]]''.
⚫
On November 3, 2008, the day before the [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential election]], many copies of Booth newspapers were delivered inside a white advertising wrapper, paid for by the [[National Rifle Association]], with "Defend Freedom, Defeat [[Barack Obama|Obama]]" written across the outside. The bags were mostly reported with the ''The Flint Journal'', but there were also similar reports from customers of ''The Saginaw News'' and ''The Bay City Times''.<ref name="wjrt-sleeve">{{cite news| url=http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6485809| title=Monday Flint Journal sleeve draws fire| first=Kristen| last=Abraham| work=[[WJRT-TV]]| date=2008-11-03| accessdate=2008-11-03| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521103218/http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6485809| archivedate=2011-05-21}}</ref> ''The Flint Journal'' posted a short apology on its website that stated that "The wrapper was supposed to be inserted into the newspaper."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/11/mondays_journal_mistakenly_pla.html| title=Monday's Journal mistakenly placed in NRA-paid plastic wrapper; newspaper apologizes for error| date=2008-11-03| accessdate=2008-11-03}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The ''Journal'' also told [[WJRT-TV]], who also received a flood of calls about the incident, that there was "some miscommunication" with the paper carriers.<ref name="wjrt-sleeve" /> The three papers mentioned endorsed Barack Obama for president.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/voices/index.ssf/2008/10/flint_journal_endorses_barack.html| title=Flint Journal endorses Barack Obama for president; Obama more attuned to needs of Michigan | date=2008-10-30| work=The Flint Journal| accessdate=2008-11-04| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202141523/http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/voices/index.ssf/2008/10/flint_journal_endorses_barack.html| archivedate=2008-12-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/opinion/index.ssf/2008/11/editorial_summarizing_our_edit.html| title=Editorial: Summarizing our editorial endorsements| work=The Saginaw News| date=2008-11-01| accessdate=2008-11-04}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/baycity/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/122562453646970.xml&coll=4 | title=The Bay City Times Election Day 2008 endorsement roundup| work=The Bay City Times| date=2008-11-02| accessdate=2008-11-04}}</ref>


In 2019, a similar group of Booth/Advance/MLive-owned community newspapers in the [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]] area, operating under the banner [[Advance Newspapers]], also ceased publishing.<ref>{{cite news |last=McVicar |first=Brian |date=2019-01-08 |title=MLive Media Group ending publication of Advance Weeklies |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/01/mlive-media-group-ending-publication-of-advance-weeklies.html |work=MLive.com Michigan |access-date=2022-10-01}}</ref>
⚫
On March 23, 2009, Booth Newspapers announced in the ''The Ann Arbor News'' that it would end the paper's 174-year print run in July 2009, due to economic difficulties, and be replaced by ''[[AnnArbor.com]]'', a daily web paper that will have a twice-weekly print edition.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/03/ann_arbor_news_to_close_in_jul.html| title=Ann Arbor News to Close in July| work=The Ann Arbor News| date=23 March 2009| accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref> Also on this date, Booth announced that beginning June 1, 2009, ''The Bay City Times'', ''The Saginaw News'' and ''The Flint Journal'' would reduce publishing to three times a week—Thursday, Friday and Sunday, while increasing their web presence;<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/baycityforward/| work=The Bay City Times| title=The Bay City Times announces big changes| date=23 March 2009}}</ref> the three newspapers would add a Tuesday edition in March 2010, with ''The Bay City Times'' and ''The Saginaw News'' sharing an edition.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/03/flint_journal_to_return_to_new.html| work=The Flint Journal| title=Flint Journal to return to Newsstands on Tuesdays starting March 23| date=7 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2010/03/the_saginaw_news_to_partner_wi.html| work=The Saginaw News| title=The Saginaw News to partner with The Bay City Times for Great Lakes Bay Tuesday print edition| date=March 14, 2010}}</ref>


In March 2020, MLive Media Group announced Tim Gruber as the President and Chief Revenue Officer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2020/03/tim-gruber-named-president-of-mlive-media-group-comes-to-company-from-michigancom-and-free-press.html|title=Tim Gruber named president of MLive Media Group, comes to company from Michigan.com and Free Press|last=MLive.com|date=2020-03-02|website=mlive|language=en|access-date=2020-03-04}}</ref>
⚫
On February 2, 2012, Booth Newspapers split into two companies: MLive Media Group and Advance Central Services Michigan. MLive Group handles advertising and news for all newspapers and websites. Advance Services handles human resource, production, and distribution. At the same time, home delivery of Booth's remaining daily newspapers was reduced to Tuesday, Thursdays and Sundays with subscribers receiving e-editions on the other days in which they print.<ref>{{cite news| title=Booth Newspapers to focus on Web efforts| url=http://detnews.com/article/20111103/BIZ/111030357/Booth-Newspapers-to-focus-on-Web-efforts#ixzz1fgn3Dv3T| accessdate=5 December 2011| newspaper=[[The Detroit News]]| date=November 3, 2011| agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 55: Line 83:
==External links==
==External links==
{{Portal|Michigan|Journalism}}
{{Portal|Michigan|Journalism}}
* {{Official website|https://www.mlivemediagroup.com|MLive Media Group corporate website}}
* [http://www.boothnewspapers.com/ Official website of BoothMichigan]
* [http://www.mlive.com/ MLive.com] &mdash; official website for the newspapers
* {{Official website|http://www.mlive.com/|MLive.com newspaper website}}


{{Advance Publications}}
{{Advance Publications}}
Line 64: Line 92:
[[Category:Companies based in Grand Rapids, Michigan]]
[[Category:Companies based in Grand Rapids, Michigan]]
[[Category:Advance Publications]]
[[Category:Advance Publications]]
[[Category:1976 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:American corporate subsidiaries]]

Latest revision as of 06:51, 12 February 2024

MLive Media Group
FormerlyBooth Newspapers
Company typeDivision
IndustryPublishing
Founded1893; 131 years ago (1893)
FounderGeorge Gough Booth and his 2 brothers
Headquarters
Grand Rapids, Michigan
,
United States
Area served
Michigan
Key people
Timothy D. Gruber (president)
Products
ParentAdvance Publications
Websitewww.mlivemediagroup.com

MLive Media Group, originally known as Booth Newspapers, or Booth Michigan, is a media group that produces newspapers in the state of Michigan. Founded by George Gough Booth with his two brothers, Booth Newspapers was sold to Advance Publications, a Samuel I. Newhouse property, in 1976.

MLive Media Group newspaper publications include The Ann Arbor News,The Bay City Times, The Flint Journal, The Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, The Saginaw News, and Advance Newspapers. The company also maintains newsrooms in Lansing and Detroit. All of Advance Publications' Michigan content is published on Mlive.com.

History[edit]

Early history[edit]

Booth Newspapers was founded by George Gough Booth and his brothers in 1893 and was a media company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1976, Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr. of Advance Publications acquired Booth Newspapers for $305 million, the equivalent to $1,452,406,433 in 2021.[1]

The Herald Company, Inc. merged with Booth Newspapers, Inc. in July 1987.[2]

In September 2002, Booth Newspapers acquired 21st Century Newspapers, Inc.'s Heritage Newspapers' Suburban Flint Newspaper Group which had nine local papers: Clio Messenger, Davison Flagstaff, Fenton Press, Grand Blanc News, Flint Township News, Flushing Observer, Holly Press, Suburban Burton, and Swartz Creek News, and included Suburban Flint Shopper. All of these operated with The Flint Journal as the Community Newspapers.[3]

In December 2006, the Herald Company, Inc. merged with Advance Magazine Publisher, Inc. but continues to operate under the Booth Newspapers name in Michigan.[4]

On November 3, 2008, the day before the 2008 presidential election, many copies of Booth newspapers were delivered inside a white advertising wrapper, paid for by the National Rifle Association, with "Defend Freedom, Defeat Obama" written across the outside. The bags were mostly reported with The Flint Journal, but there were also similar reports from customers of The Saginaw News and The Bay City Times.[5] The Flint Journal posted a short apology on its website that stated that "The wrapper was supposed to be inserted into the newspaper."[6] The Journal also told WJRT-TV, who also received a flood of calls about the incident, that there was "some miscommunication" with the paper carriers.[5] The three papers mentioned endorsed Barack Obama for president.[7][8][9]

On March 23, 2009, Booth Newspapers announced in The Ann Arbor News that it would end the paper's 174-year print run in July 2009, due to economic difficulties, and be replaced by AnnArbor.com, a daily web paper that will have a twice-weekly print edition.[10] Also on this date, Booth announced that beginning June 1, 2009, The Bay City Times, The Saginaw News, and The Flint Journal would reduce publishing to three times a week (Thursday, Friday, and Sunday) while increasing their web presence;[11] the three newspapers would add a Tuesday edition in March 2010, with The Bay City Times and The Saginaw News sharing an edition.[12][13]

MLive consolidation[edit]

On February 2, 2012, Booth Newspapers split into two companies: MLive Media Group and Advance Central Services Michigan. MLive Group handles advertising and news for all newspapers and websites. Advance Central Services handles human resources, production, and distribution. At the same time, home delivery of Booth's remaining daily newspapers was reduced to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays with subscribers receiving e-editions on the other days on which they print.[14]

Also in 2012, Mlive contracted with former WEYI-TV meteorologist Mark Torregrossa to run the website's weather section with the expectation of increasing the section's views from 900,000 to 1 million. Instead by 2014, the section received on average 5 million to 6 million page views with a high in January 2014 of 13 million.[15]

In 2012, the former 21st Century Newspapers-owned papers in the Flint area had all ceased publication, although the Clio Messenger had stopped publishing two years prior.

In 2013 AnnArbor.com joined MLive Media Group, which was established in 2012 as the Michigan brand for Advance Publications. At that time, AnnArbor.com's web presence was integrated with the other Michigan properties under the MLive.com URL and the AnnArbor.com newspaper returned to its historical identity as The Ann Arbor News.

In 2019, a similar group of Booth/Advance/MLive-owned community newspapers in the Grand Rapids area, operating under the banner Advance Newspapers, also ceased publishing.[16]

In March 2020, MLive Media Group announced Tim Gruber as the President and Chief Revenue Officer.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Newhouse Acquires Booth Chain Of Newspapers for $305 Million". The New York Times. 9 November 1976. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Booth Newspapers, Inc". DLEG-BCS-Corp Div Database Lookup-Corp Entity Details. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
  3. ^ "Booth Newspapers Acquires Nine Suburban Flint Weekly Papers From 21st Century Newspapers". The Flint Journal. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
  4. ^ "NY State Certificate of Merger" (tif). DLEG-BCS-Corp Div Database Lookup-Corp Entity Details. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
  5. ^ a b Abraham, Kristen (2008-11-03). "Monday Flint Journal sleeve draws fire". WJRT-TV. Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  6. ^ "Monday's Journal mistakenly placed in NRA-paid plastic wrapper; newspaper apologizes for error". 2008-11-03. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  7. ^ "Flint Journal endorses Barack Obama for president; Obama more attuned to needs of Michigan". The Flint Journal. 2008-10-30. Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  8. ^ "Editorial: Summarizing our editorial endorsements". The Saginaw News. 2008-11-01. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  9. ^ "The Bay City Times Election Day 2008 endorsement roundup". The Bay City Times. 2008-11-02. Archived from the original on 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  10. ^ "Ann Arbor News to Close in July". The Ann Arbor News. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  11. ^ "The Bay City Times announces big changes". The Bay City Times. 23 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  12. ^ "Flint Journal to return to Newsstands on Tuesdays starting March 23". The Flint Journal. 7 March 2010.
  13. ^ "The Saginaw News to partner with The Bay City Times for Great Lakes Bay Tuesday print edition". The Saginaw News. March 14, 2010.
  14. ^ "Booth Newspapers to focus on Web efforts". The Detroit News. Associated Press. November 3, 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2011.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ Marszalek, Diana (June 24, 2014). "MLive Scores Surprise Hit With Weather". NetNewsCheck. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  16. ^ McVicar, Brian (2019-01-08). "MLive Media Group ending publication of Advance Weeklies". MLive.com Michigan. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  17. ^ MLive.com (2020-03-02). "Tim Gruber named president of MLive Media Group, comes to company from Michigan.com and Free Press". mlive. Retrieved 2020-03-04.

External links[edit]

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