SouthComm Buys Nashville's 'The City Paper'

by NashvillePost.com staff

SouthComm Communications, the parent company of NashvillePost.com, has signed a letter of intent to acquire The City Paper and will integrate that organization with its other local media holdings.

As part of the deal, The City Paper will next month transition to publishing print editions only on Mondays and Fridays while expanding its online political and community news coverage and drawing on the resources of fellow SouthComm properties NashvillePost.com, Music Row magazine and BusinessTN.

"This is a truly transformational deal for Nashville media consumers – one that recognizes where the majority of people get their news today," said SouthComm CEO Chris Ferrell. "SouthComm Communications is built on the premise that Americans increasingly want their daily news delivered online and that the future of print is in high-quality, intelligent, niche products that come out on a less-frequent basis."

Albie Del Favero, the publisher of The City Paper, said the sale accelerates the company’s plans to shift its scope from being the publisher of a five-days-a-week newspaper to being a more complete media organization.

“Our business must make the transition to digital content and delivery to thrive in the future,” Del Favero said.

Del Favero will stay on as publisher and Clint Brewer will remain as The City Paper’s executive editor. In addition, De Thompson V will join the board of directors of SouthComm and take a stake in the company.

SouthComm, which recently acquired Music Row and BusinessTN, also plans this summer to launch Her Nashville, a monthly women’s magazine.