Postmedia sells three newspapers to Manitoba’s Klein Group
Postmedia Network Inc., the company that owns the National Post and dozens of other newspapers across Canada, has announced that it is selling three newspapers based in Manitoba and Western Ontario.
The papers, the Winnipeg Sun, the Graphic Leader in Portage la Prairie and the Kenora Miner & News, will be sold to the Winnipeg-based Klein Group Ltd.
No job losses are anticipated, the company said in a news release announcing the sale on Monday. Financial details of the agreement have not been released.
The Klein Group is headed up by Kevin Klein, a former Manitoba PC cabinet minister, one-time Winnipeg city councillor and former publisher of the Sun.
“In an age where information is abundant and easily accessible, the role of local journalism is more crucial today than ever before,” Klein said in a news release.
In recent months, Klein had been writing a column for the Winnipeg Sun, following his defeat in last year’s provincial election.
The Klein Group, according to the press release, is owned entirely by Manitobans and aims for “factual and unbiased news.”
The Sun began publishing in 1980 after Southam Newspapers closed the Winnipeg Tribune after 90 years.
It was later acquired by Quebecor in 1983. In 1999, Quebecor purchased the Sun Media newspaper chain, which included Sun papers in Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto. It became part of the Postmedia chain in 2014 when the Sun titles were purchased from Quebecor for $316 million.
While the Winnipeg Sun, Graphic Leader and Kenora Miner & News will have new ownership, it will retain a relationship with Postmedia, receiving editorial content from Postmedia journalists, Postmedia CEO Andrew Macleod said.
The deal will close June 1.