NEWS RELEASE
BLACK PRESS MEDIA AND VILLAGE MEDIA
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In a new partnership that marks a significant change to the Canadian media landscape, Black Press Media, a renowned publishing company with a strong presence in both Canada and the US, has partnered with Village Media, an industry-leading digital media company specializing in local news websites and technology development, to enhance the delivery of local news in over 120 communities.
Under the new partnership, Black Press Media, which owns and operates 84 Canadian and 42 US local news sites, will license Village Media’s custom content management system, Villager, empowering them to better serve their local communities with new site capabilities and provide state-of-the-art digital publishing and community-based marketing programs to their readers.
Villager is an industry-leading content management system designed in-house and is licensed to a collaborative partner network which includes 44 sites across Dougall Media in Northwestern Ontario, Glacier Media in Western Canada, Great West Media in Alberta and select US partners. In addition to their partner network, Village Media owns and operates 29 sites in Canada and the US.
The collaboration significantly increases the scale of the entire Canadian network, which is now able to execute national advertising campaigns, sponsored content and conduct market research, while paving the way for new models of sustainable local news operations - across 145 Canadian communities.
"We're thrilled to partner with Black Press Media, a publishing company with a strong presence in both Canada and the United States. This collaboration will not only strengthen our commitment to delivering exceptional local news experiences but also enhance Black Press Media's ability to provide comprehensive, timely and engaging content to their diverse communities," said Village Media’s CEO, Jeff Elgie.
Randy Blair, COO of Black Press Media, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "Joining forces with Village Media and leveraging their innovative Villager platform will greatly enhance our digital capabilities, allowing us to better serve our communities and uphold our commitment to local news excellence."
About Black Press Media:
Black Press Media is a leading local news champion with operations across British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Washington State, Alaska, and Hawaii. More than 1,500 talented employees deliver unique community news and information across a full suite of traditional media channels and digital platforms.
Black Press Media now offers a wide range of marketing solutions including; print, online and social media. Innovation continues to be the important driver at the company ensuring digital transformation extends throughout all aspects of the business. Relevant local news and information remains at the core of how Black Press Media continues to thrive.
For more information visit, www.blackpressmedia.com.
About Village Media:
An industry leader in local digital media, Village Media has meticulously defined a sustainable approach to community news.
With an emphasis on providing essential local news that is free and accessible to all, we strive to strengthen the communities we serve through our integrated approach to community-first journalism, sales and marketing.
Village Media’s growing network of owned and operated and partner sites in Canada and the United States operate on our innovative, custom-built content management system developed in-house.
Through hard-won experience, Village Media has designed a scalable model while providing comprehensive, reliable and timely reporting that informs readers and connects us all to the communities we call home.
Village Media owns and operates 26 Canadian sites (and five international sites). Once the migration of Black Press sites is complete in 2024, there will be 201 sites operating on its platform.
For more information, visit www.villagemedia.ca.
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