Crain's: Company weighs reduced publishing of Post-Tribune, other dailies

By Times of Northwest Indiana Staff

The Post-Tribune could be among several suburban newspapers to alter daily publication under a cost-savings plan being considered by its parent company, according to a Chicago business publication.

The article by Chicago-based Crain's came just three days after The Sun-Times Media Group and its affiliates, including the Post-Tribune of Merrillville, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal court.

According to the Crain's article, the Sun-Times Media Group may stop daily publication of some suburban newspapers.

The Post-Tribune and several other dailies, including the Southtown Star and Naperville Sun, were listed as properties for whom daily publication could be pared, according to the Crain's Web story.

The Chicago Sun-Times is expected to remain a seven-day-a-week publication, the article stated.

Sun-Times Media Group Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Halbreich said that frequency of publications was one of several issues being addressed as part of a push to return to profitability and boost the company's appeal to a potential buyer, according to the Crain's article.

Sun-Times Media Group spokeswoman Tammy Chase did not immediately return a phone call by The Times seeking comment before press time Friday.

Earlier this year, the company listed Post-Tribune office buildings in Merrillville and Crown Point as being up for sale. It also previously reduced staff, outsourced delivery of the newspaper to the Chicago Tribune, outsourced printing of the newspaper to Chicago facilities and moved other work out of Northwest Indiana.

In a letter to employees earlier this week, the company indicated all nonunion workers within The Sun-Times Media Group would be assigned one week of unpaid leave and that severance pay and company subsidized COBRA health insurance would be discontinued for terminated workers. The letter sought similar concessions from union workers as well.