BIDDEFORD — RFB Enterprises, owned by Reade Brower, will acquire Sample News Group publications in Maine including The Times Record (Brunswick), Journal Tribune (Biddeford) and the Mainely Media weekly publications.
The Maine publications of the Sample News Group, including the JT Beacon, will become part of Alliance Press; a commercial printer in Brunswick, Maine.
“We have greatly enjoyed newspapering in Maine for nearly 20 years,” said George Sample, President of Sample News Group. “But in today’s rapidly changing environment, having a larger scale with more resources is necessary for the growth of the papers and our employees. Reade is a true believer and innovator in community journalism and has the focus on the needs of these communities.
“We are thankful for the efforts of our many great employees who have worked tirelessly to produce good local newspapers,” Sample said.
“This is a deal based on common sense,” said RFB Enterprises President and CEO, Reade Brower, “We’ve been printing Sample’s Maine properties for years at both Alliance Press and at the MaineToday Media printing facility in South Portland. The Portland Press Herald and Mainely Media recently partnered on a TMC effort in select ZIPs. This transaction is a natural extension of the work we have already begun.”
The transaction is scheduled to close on April 1.
Sample News Group publishes 75 publications across six states and is headquartered in Pennsylvania.
RFB Enterprises serves readers and advertisers throughout the state of Maine with print and online publications and printing services including MaineToday Media (Portland Press Herald, Maine Sunday Telegram, Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel, Coastal Journal), Sun Media Group (Lewiston Sun Journal, Forecaster/Current Newspapers, Franklin Journal, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Penobscot Times, Advertiser-Democrat Norway, Bethel Citizen, Rumford Falls Times, Rangeley Highlander, Maine Women Magazine, My Generation, 95 North), Courier Publications (Courier Gazette (Rockland), Camden Herald, Belfast Republican), VillageSoup.com, Free Press Rockland, RFB Print Co-Op, Alliance Press and specialty publications including travelMaine, TREB (The Real Estate Books) of Mid-Coast Maine, Portland and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
As part of the transaction, Sample New Group will acquire two newspapers owned by RFB Enterprises in Vermont including the Rutland Herald and the Times Argus of Barre.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less