DAVENPORT, Iowa — Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE: LEE), a major provider of local news, information and advertising in 50 markets, has sold its newspaper and digital media operations in Maysville, Kentucky to Champion Media LLC, including The Ledger Independent and maysville-online.com.
The Ledger Independent is published five days a week with a print circulation of 3,654 daily, and maysville-online.com reaches more than 6,300 unique visitors each month. Lee acquired the newspaper in 2002 as part of the purchase of Howard Publications.
“We’re confident The Ledger Independent will continue its commitment to local news and dedicated service to the Maysville community under new ownership,” said Kevin Mowbray, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Champion Media owns four daily newspapers and 18 weeklies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Minnesota.
“Champion Media is honored that Lee Enterprises has given us the opportunity to acquire the Maysville Ledger Independent,” said Scott Champion, Chief Executive Officer of Champion Media. “We are excited to add Maysville to our cluster of newspapers across the river in Ripley, West Union, Georgetown, and Batavia, Ohio.”
ABOUT LEE
Lee Enterprises is a leading provider of local news and information, and a major platform for advertising, with daily newspapers, rapidly growing digital products and nearly 300 weekly and specialty publications serving 50 markets in 22 states. Year to date, Lee’s newspapers have average circulation of 0.8 million daily and 1.2 million Sunday, and estimated to reach almost three million readers in print alone. Lee’s markets include St. Louis, MO; Lincoln, NE; Madison, WI; Davenport, IA; Billings, MT; Bloomington, IL; and Tucson, AZ. Lee Common Stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LEE. For more information about Lee, please visit www.lee.net.
