Paxton Media Group buying Landmark Community Newspapers

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - Paxton Media Group is buying Landmark Community Newspapers, including all 47 newspapers in the Shelbyville, Kentucky-based chain.

The sale, announced Wednesday, will give Paducah-based Paxton about 120 publications in 14 states, including 20 in Kentucky. Paxton also owns WPSD-TV in Paducah.

Landmark's Kentucky publications include Elizabethtown, Shelbyville, Shepherdsville, Lebanon and Bardstown.

Paxton owns The Paducah Sun and the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. The sale will bring its statewide total to 37 newspapers.

'œWe are very excited to add these newspapers into the PMG portfolio,'ť Jamie Paxton, PMG president and CEO, told news outlets. 'œPMG believes strongly in the value of local newspapers and the vital role they play in the communities that they serve. We appreciate Landmark choosing us to be the new stewards of these important community assets.'ť

The purchase is part of PMG's continued effort to acquire community newspapers near the company's own papers, said Mike Weafer, publisher of the Messenger-Inquirer and group publisher for the Kentucky-Indiana region.

'œLandmark has a clustering of newspapers that are very geographically connected to Paxton papers,'ť he said. 'œSo there is a lot of synergy that can be had with that.'ť

The purchase also includes Landmark publications in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Paxton Media Group will take over operations in early June, with a transition period regarding systems and procedures, Paxton said.