A print facility in Valdosta is part of a package of news assets to be acquired by Carpenter Media Group in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

CMG has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire ten newspapers and the print facility from Montgomery-headquartered CNHI.

The titles include The Meridian Star, Dalton Daily Citizen, Milledgeville Union-Recorder, Valdosta Daily Times, Moultrie Observer, Thomasville Times-Enterprise, Tifton Gazette, Athens News Courier, Cullman Times and St. Clair News Aegis.

CNHI president and chief executive Donna Barrett says the group remains strongly committed to community news. “We believe in local journalism and will continue serving that critical role in CNHI newspapers in 18 states.”

She said she was proud of what the newspapers being sold had accomplished in serving their communities with meaningful local news. “It has been our honour to have these newspapers as part of CNHI. We know their good work will continue.”

CMG chair Todd Carpenter was a longtime chief executive and director of Boone Newsmedia, managing 85 newspapers, magazines and websites in 12 states. The CMG holdings were separated from these last year, and the group now owns and manages more than 160 titles in the US and Canada.

Dirks, Van Essen & April is representing CNHI in the transaction, terms of which were not disclosed.

Pictured: Valdosta and the CNHI print site