North Shore Weeklies
Encyclopedia
North Shore Weeklies Inc., based in Ipswich, Massachusetts
, USA, was a newspaper
publisher on Massachusetts
' North Shore
and one of the original subsidiaries of Community Newspaper Company
(CNC), now the largest publisher of weeklies in Massachusetts.
William S. Wasserman Jr. founded the company in 1958, running it independently until selling in 1986 to a group underwritten by Fidelity Investments
, which founded CNC. North Shore Weeklies was dissolved in 1996; most of its newspapers are still part of CNC, now a division of GateHouse Media
.
After selling the papers, Wasserman gave US$700,000 out of the proceeds in bonuses to his staff, distributed based on how long they had worked for the company. Some employees were given as much as US$20,000.
But Wasserman could be a severe businessman, too. For 2½ years in the 1980s, he competed for readers in two North Shore towns with former employee Joseph Fenton, who bought an independent newspaper in Ipswich
-- home of North Shore Weeklies' main offices, at the time—in 1981. A year later, Fenton started a new paper in Georgetown
, and Wasserman responded by following him there, with the Georgetown Record. Both publishers said they were being unfairly targeted by the other.
In 1983, Wasserman emerged the winner of the "Georgetown Newspaper War", purchasing Fenton's Ipswich Today and Georgetown Weekly.
, convinced Fidelity to help finance his purchase of North Shore Weeklies in 1986. He later sold his share to Fidelity's Community Newspaper Company
.
In 1992, North Shore bought the Lynn Sunday Post, a 6,100-circulation weekly it had printed for the past 15 years. The Sunday Post had been founded in Lynn
in 1960.
The company debuted another weekly newspaper
, the Beverly Citizen, in 1995, after Ottaway Community Newspapers
merged The Beverly Times into The Salem Evening News
, leaving Beverly
without an in-town newspaper.
North Shore Weeklies was dissolved in early 1996, when CNC realigned its operating units by geography, assigning the North Shore papers, along with others, to new North Unit.
:
All of the above newspapers became part of CNC's North Unit, along with several other newspapers along and inland from the North Shore, including papers such as the Saugus Advertiser, which North Shore Weeklies purchased as a CNC subsidiary in 1991.
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
, USA, was a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
publisher on Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
' North Shore
North Shore (Massachusetts)
The North Shore is a region in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, loosely defined as the coastal area between Boston and New Hampshire. The region is made up both of a rocky coastline, dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as several beaches and natural harbors. The North Shore is an important...
and one of the original subsidiaries 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...
(CNC), now the largest publisher of weeklies in Massachusetts.
William S. Wasserman Jr. founded the company in 1958, running it independently until selling in 1986 to a group underwritten by Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments
FMR LLC or Fidelity Investments is an American multinational financial services corporation one of the largest mutual fund and financial services groups in the world. It was founded in 1946 and serves North American investors. Fidelity Ventures is its venture capital arm...
, which founded CNC. North Shore Weeklies was dissolved in 1996; most of its newspapers are still part of CNC, now a division of 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...
.
Wasserman
Under Wasserman, who began the company with his purchase of the Amesbury News in 1958, the company gradually expanded until it included nine weekly newspapers down the seacoast toward Boston. In the 12 months ending August 31, 1986, the company made US$7.6 million in revenues and turned a profit.After selling the papers, Wasserman gave US$700,000 out of the proceeds in bonuses to his staff, distributed based on how long they had worked for the company. Some employees were given as much as US$20,000.
But Wasserman could be a severe businessman, too. For 2½ years in the 1980s, he competed for readers in two North Shore towns with former employee Joseph Fenton, who bought an independent newspaper in Ipswich
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
-- home of North Shore Weeklies' main offices, at the time—in 1981. A year later, Fenton started a new paper in Georgetown
Georgetown, Massachusetts
Georgetown is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,183 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1838 from part of Rowley.-History:...
, and Wasserman responded by following him there, with the Georgetown Record. Both publishers said they were being unfairly targeted by the other.
In 1983, Wasserman emerged the winner of the "Georgetown Newspaper War", purchasing Fenton's Ipswich Today and Georgetown Weekly.
Fidelity
Robert I. Owens, a local politician who was related by marriage to the Harte side of Harte-HanksHarte-Hanks
Harte-Hanks is an advertising and direct marketing company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is particularly associated with the publication of weekly shopper publications, with 13 million circulation weekly in 1100 separate editions of the PennySaver and Flyer each week in California and...
, convinced Fidelity to help finance his purchase of North Shore Weeklies in 1986. He later sold his share to Fidelity's 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...
.
In 1992, North Shore bought the Lynn Sunday Post, a 6,100-circulation weekly it had printed for the past 15 years. The Sunday Post had been founded in Lynn
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
in 1960.
The company debuted another weekly newspaper
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...
, the Beverly Citizen, in 1995, after Ottaway Community Newspapers
Ottaway Community Newspapers
Dow Jones Local Media Group, Inc., formerly Ottaway Community Newspapers, is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, which is itself a subsidiary of News Corporation and owns newspapers, Web sites and niche publications in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and...
merged The Beverly Times into The Salem Evening News
The Salem News
The Salem News is a six-day afternoon daily newspaper serving southern Essex County, Massachusetts, USA. Although the paper is historically connected with the city of Salem, its offices are in nearby Beverly, Massachusetts...
, leaving Beverly
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
without an in-town newspaper.
North Shore Weeklies was dissolved in early 1996, when CNC realigned its operating units by geography, assigning the North Shore papers, along with others, to new North Unit.
Properties
At the time of its sale to Fidelity in 1986, North Shore Weeklies consisted of nine weekly newspapers, all in Essex County, MassachusettsEssex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
:
- Amesbury News of AmesburyAmesbury, MassachusettsAmesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Though it officially became a city in 1996, its formal name remains "The Town of Amesbury." In 1890, 9798 people lived in Amesbury; in 1900, 9473; in 1910, 9894; in 1920, 10,036; and in 1940, 10,862. The population was 16,283 at...
- Danvers Herald of DanversDanvers, MassachusettsDanvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
- Georgetown Record of GeorgetownGeorgetown, MassachusettsGeorgetown is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,183 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1838 from part of Rowley.-History:...
- Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle of HamiltonHamilton, MassachusettsHamilton is a town located in the eastern central portion of Essex County in eastern Massachusetts. It is primarily a suburban bedroom community, most commonly known for its equestrian estates...
and WenhamWenham, MassachusettsWenham is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,875 at the 2010 census.The Town of Wenham was originally settled in 1635 and has retained much of its unique historic character and tranquil rural scenery... - Ipswich Chronicle of IpswichIpswich, MassachusettsIpswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
- Marblehead Reporter of MarbleheadMarblehead, MassachusettsMarblehead is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,808 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and Devereux Beach...
- North Shore Sunday of PeabodyPeabody, MassachusettsPeabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...
- Swampscott Reporter of SwampscottSwampscott, MassachusettsSwampscott is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States located 15 miles up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population is 13,787...
- Tri-Town Transcript of BoxfordBoxford, MassachusettsBoxford is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,965 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Boxford.-Geography:...
, MiddletonMiddleton, MassachusettsMiddleton is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census.- History :Middleton was first settled in 1659 and was officially incorporated in 1728. Prior to 1728 it was considered a part of Salem, and contains territory previously within the...
and TopsfieldTopsfield, MassachusettsTopsfield is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,085 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Topsfield.-Colonial period:...
All of the above newspapers became part of CNC's North Unit, along with several other newspapers along and inland from the North Shore, including papers such as the Saugus Advertiser, which North Shore Weeklies purchased as a CNC subsidiary in 1991.