Memorial Press Group
Encyclopedia
Memorial Press Group, based in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA, was a chain of weekly newspaper
s along the South Shore near Boston, Massachusetts. Long owned by The Patriot Ledger
in nearby Quincy
, MPG and its daily parent were sold to GateHouse Media
in 2006.
Today, several former MPG papers still publish as part of Community Newspaper Company
, purchased by GateHouse at the same time. Many of the others were folded into former competitors published by CNC.
in New England
, was founded in 1822 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Memorial had become the flagship of a nine-paper chain stretching from Plymouth north to the Boston
suburb
s by the turn of the 21st century.
A buyer quickly emerged: James F. Plugh, owner of The Enterprise
, the Brockton
daily newspaper that competed with the Ledger and several MPG papers. Plugh's Newspaper Media LLC, later renamed Enterprise NewsMedia, bought the Prescott Publishing for an estimated US$60 to US$70 million.
Toward the end of Plugh's ownership of MPG, the company began expanding. In 2005, MPG purchased the Call Group of three weeklies in the Taunton
area, as well as the Norwood Bulletin. A year later, Plugh purchased Associated and Independent Newspapers, an independent chain of 12 weeklies in the suburbs around Brockton.
-- then owned by the Boston Herald
-- and a new name for the parent company, GateHouse Media
.
Under GateHouse, MPG was gradually folded into CNC's South Unit. In a reorganization announced October 1, 2006, MPG's executives were reassigned to CNC positions and a handful of newspapers were closed to eliminate competition within the merged company. Additionally, MPG papers that had been printed in tabloid format became broadsheet
s and would now be printed at CNC presses.
Except where noted, these titles are still published by CNC. The papers marked "Associated" were added to MPG in 2006 after its purchase of Associated and Independent Newspapers. The "Call Group" papers were purchased in 2005.
Weekly newspaper
A weekly newspaper is a general-news publication that is published on newsprint once or twice a week.Such newspapers tend to have smaller circulations than daily newspapers, and are usually based in less-populous communities or small, defined areas within large cities; often, they may cover a...
s along the South Shore near Boston, Massachusetts. Long owned by The Patriot Ledger
The Patriot Ledger
The Patriot Ledger is a daily afternoon newspaper published in Quincy, Massachusetts and serving the South Shore. Its circulation is 55,000 on weekdays and 63,000 for its Weekend edition which is published on Saturday mornings....
in nearby Quincy
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
, MPG and its daily parent were sold to GateHouse Media
GateHouse Media
GateHouse Media Inc. is a U.S. newspaper publisher, headquartered in Perinton, New York, that publishes 97 dailies in 20 states and 198 paid weeklies, in addition to free papers, shoppers and specialty and niche publications.- History :Liberty Group Publishing was formed in 1998 when Kenneth L...
in 2006.
Today, several former MPG papers still publish as part of Community Newspaper Company
Community Newspaper Company
Community Newspaper Company, a subsidiary of GateHouse Media, is a newspaper publisher in eastern Massachusetts. It was founded in 1991 as a holding company for several suburban publishers bought by Fidelity Investments; in 2001, Fidelity sold it to the Boston Herald; in 2006, the massive chain—New...
, purchased by GateHouse at the same time. Many of the others were folded into former competitors published by CNC.
History
The Old Colony Memorial, which claims the title of oldest weekly newspaperWeekly newspaper
A weekly newspaper is a general-news publication that is published on newsprint once or twice a week.Such newspapers tend to have smaller circulations than daily newspapers, and are usually based in less-populous communities or small, defined areas within large cities; often, they may cover a...
in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, was founded in 1822 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Memorial had become the flagship of a nine-paper chain stretching from Plymouth north to the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s by the turn of the 21st century.
Dailies
K. Prescott Low, whose family had published The Patriot Ledger for a century, purchased MPG in 1979 and incorporated it into the privately owned George W. Prescott Publishing Company. Thirty years later, however, in 1997, Low found that "mega-players competing with us" made family ownership of the Ledger and MPG uneconomic, and sought to sell them.A buyer quickly emerged: James F. Plugh, owner of The Enterprise
The Enterprise (Brockton)
The Enterprise is an afternoon daily newspaper published in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States. The newspaper is considered a newspaper of record for Brockton and several suburban communities of northern Bristol and Plymouth counties, and southern Norfolk County, Massachusetts...
, the Brockton
Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
daily newspaper that competed with the Ledger and several MPG papers. Plugh's Newspaper Media LLC, later renamed Enterprise NewsMedia, bought the Prescott Publishing for an estimated US$60 to US$70 million.
Toward the end of Plugh's ownership of MPG, the company began expanding. In 2005, MPG purchased the Call Group of three weeklies in the Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
area, as well as the Norwood Bulletin. A year later, Plugh purchased Associated and Independent Newspapers, an independent chain of 12 weeklies in the suburbs around Brockton.
GateHouse
Liberty Publishing purchased Enterprise NewsMedia in 2006 as part of a mammoth deal that also included Community Newspaper CompanyCommunity Newspaper Company
Community Newspaper Company, a subsidiary of GateHouse Media, is a newspaper publisher in eastern Massachusetts. It was founded in 1991 as a holding company for several suburban publishers bought by Fidelity Investments; in 2001, Fidelity sold it to the Boston Herald; in 2006, the massive chain—New...
-- then owned by the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
-- and a new name for the parent company, GateHouse Media
GateHouse Media
GateHouse Media Inc. is a U.S. newspaper publisher, headquartered in Perinton, New York, that publishes 97 dailies in 20 states and 198 paid weeklies, in addition to free papers, shoppers and specialty and niche publications.- History :Liberty Group Publishing was formed in 1998 when Kenneth L...
.
Under GateHouse, MPG was gradually folded into CNC's South Unit. In a reorganization announced October 1, 2006, MPG's executives were reassigned to CNC positions and a handful of newspapers were closed to eliminate competition within the merged company. Additionally, MPG papers that had been printed in tabloid format became broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
s and would now be printed at CNC presses.
Properties
At the time of its incorporation into CNC in 2006, Mariner Group consisted of the following weeklies:- Avon Messenger of AvonAvon, MassachusettsAt the 2000 census, there were 4,443 people, 1,705 households and 1,220 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,014.7 per square mile . There were 1,740 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.45% White, 3.74% African American, 0.27% Native...
(part of Associated)discontinued in 2008. - Bridgewater Independent of BridgewaterBridgewater, MassachusettsFor geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater , Massachusetts.The Town of Bridgewater is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, 28 miles south of Boston. At the 2000 Census, the population was 25,185...
(part of Associated) - Carver Reporter of CarverCarver, MassachusettsCarver is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,163 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2008 population of 11,574. It is named for John Carver, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony.- Demographics :...
- Duxbury Reporter of Duxbury
- East Bridgewater Star of East BridgewaterEast Bridgewater, MassachusettsEast Bridgewater is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,974 at the 2000 census.-History:The lands that would become East Bridgewater were first settled by Carlos Mencia in 1630 A.D. as an outgrowth of the Plymouth and Duxbury plantations...
(part of Associated) - Easton Bulletin of EastonEaston, MassachusettsEaston is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 23,112 at the 2010 census.Easton is governed by an elected committee of selectmen and a town administrator.- History :...
(part of Associated; folded into Easton Journal in 2006) - Halifax Reporter of HalifaxHalifax, MassachusettsHalifax is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,500 at the 2000 census.- History :Halifax was first settled by Europeans, most notably the Bosworth family from Bosworth Fields in England, in 1669, growing with lumbering and agriculture...
- Hanson Town Crier of HansonHanson, MassachusettsHanson is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,495 at the 2000 census.-History:Hanson was first settled in 1632 as the western parish of Pembroke. The town was officially incorporated in 1820, and was named for Maryland newspaper publisher and U.S. Senator...
(part of Associated) - Kingston Reporter of KingstonKingston, MassachusettsKingston is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. According to the 2010 Census, it had a population of 12,629.-History:Before European settlers arrived in Kingston it was within the tribal home to the Wampanoag people...
- The Lakeville Call of LakevilleLakeville, MassachusettsLakeville is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,821 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of North Lakeville, please see the article North Lakeville, Massachusetts.-History:...
(part of Call Group) - Marshfield Reporter of MarshfieldMarshfield, MassachusettsMarshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on Massachusetts's South Shore. The population was 25,132 at the 2010 census.See also: Green Harbor, Marshfield , Rexhame, Marshfield Hills, and Ocean Bluff and Brant Rock....
(folded into Marshfield Mariner in 2006) - Norwood Bulletin of NorwoodNorwood, MassachusettsNorwood is a town and census-designated place in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,602. The community was named after Norwood, England...
(bought in 2005) - Old Colony Memorial of Plymouth (twice-weekly)
- Pembroke Reporter of PembrokePembroke, MassachusettsPembroke is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,927 at the 2000 census.The southwestern section of Pembroke is also known as Bryantville...
(merged with rival in 2006 to form Pembroke Mariner & Reporter) - Randolph Herald of RandolphRandolph, MassachusettsThe Town of Randolph is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 32,112. Randolph adopted a new charter effective January 2010 providing for a council-manager form of government instead of the traditional town meeting...
(part of Associated) - The Raynham Call of RaynhamRaynham, MassachusettsRaynham is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,739 at the 2000 census. It has one village, Raynham Center.-History:...
(part of Call Group) - Rockland Standard of RocklandRockland, MassachusettsRockland is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The 2010 census records its population at 17,489. As of December 31, 2009, there are 11,809 registered voters in the community.-History:...
(part of Associated) - The Sentinel of MarionMarion, MassachusettsMarion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,123 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts.-History:...
and RochesterRochester, MassachusettsRochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2010 census.-History:Rochester was settled in 1679 on the lands called "Sippican" by the local Wampanoags, along the coast of Buzzards Bay... - Stoughton Chronicle of StoughtonStoughton, MassachusettsStoughton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,962 at the 2010 census. The town is located approximately from Boston, from Providence, and from Cape Cod.-History:...
(part of Associated; folded into Stoughton Journal in 2006) - The Taunton Call of TauntonTaunton, MassachusettsTaunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
(part of Call Group) - Wareham Courier of WarehamWareham, MassachusettsWareham is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 20,335, with an estimated 2008 population of 21,221....
- West Bridgewater Times of West BridgewaterWest Bridgewater, MassachusettsWest Bridgewater is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,634 at the 2000 census.- History :West Bridgewater was first settled in 1651 as a part of Olde Bridgewater...
(part of Associated) - Whitman Times of WhitmanWhitman, MassachusettsWhitman is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,489 as of the 2010 census. It is notable as being the place where the chocolate chip cookie was invented....
(part of Associated)
Except where noted, these titles are still published by CNC. The papers marked "Associated" were added to MPG in 2006 after its purchase of Associated and Independent Newspapers. The "Call Group" papers were purchased in 2005.