Osprey Media
Encyclopedia
Osprey Media was a Canadian newspaper regional chain that published 20 daily newspapers, 34 non-daily newspapers, and a number of shopping guides and magazines in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. Formerly an independent income trust
, it was taken over by Quebecor
's Sun Media
division in 2007.
In September 2006, the last annual release of Canadian circulation figures before the company's takeover by Quebecor, Osprey Media's dailies had average daily paid and unpaid circulation / distribution of approximately 340,000 copies, while its non-daily newspapers had average weekly paid and unpaid circulation / distribution of approximately 466,000 copies.
and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, purchased many of the Ontario newspapers that had been put on the market by Conrad Black
's Hollinger
newspaper group. As a newly incorporated media group, Osprey Media's purchase marked the first time in many years that a major newspaper sale significantly increased the diversity of newspaper ownership in Canada.
In April 2004, Osprey Media Group, motivated by tax breaks, became a subsidiary
of Osprey Media Income Fund (OMIF), a unit trust
. They changed their name to Osprey Media LP in January 2006 after receiving Canada Revenue Agency
approval of their reorganization plans.
On May 31, 2007, it was announced that OMIF would be acquired by Quebecor Media Group
for C$517 million. The announcement noted that Scotia Merchant Capital and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
had conditionally agreed to tender units in their control which amount to over 50% of the outstanding units. According to Editor & Publisher
, the sale of OMIF was at least in part motivated by the pending loss of the tax advantages which had earlier led to the creation of the unit trust.
On June 27, 2007, a competing takeover offer from Black Press was also announced. On July 6, 2007 OMIF accepted a revised offer from Quebecor Media Group
of C$575.8 million.
Osprey's current status is uncertain. While Quebecor's main website continues to identify Osprey as a separate subsidiary from Sun Media, most of the former Osprey newspapers' individual websites now indicate ownership by Sun Media, containing no references to Osprey at all, while Sun Media's website indicates direct ownership of Osprey's daily newspapers but makes no mention of the community weeklies.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Formerly an independent income trust
Income trust
An income trust is an investment that may hold equities, debt instruments, royalty interests or real properties. The trust can receive interest, royalty or lease payments from an operating entity carrying on a business, as well as dividends and a return of capital.The main attraction of income...
, it was taken over by Quebecor
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
's Sun Media
Sun Media
Sun Media Corporation is the owner of several widely read tabloid and broadsheet newspapers in Canada and the 49 percent owner of Sun News Network...
division in 2007.
In September 2006, the last annual release of Canadian circulation figures before the company's takeover by Quebecor, Osprey Media's dailies had average daily paid and unpaid circulation / distribution of approximately 340,000 copies, while its non-daily newspapers had average weekly paid and unpaid circulation / distribution of approximately 466,000 copies.
History
Osprey Media Group was created in 2001, when Michael Sifton, heir to the family that had once owned the Regina Leader-PostRegina Leader-Post
The Regina Leader-Post is the daily newspaper of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and now a member of the Postmedia Network.The newspaper was first published as The Leader in 1883, by Nicholas Flood Davin...
and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, purchased many of the Ontario newspapers that had been put on the market by Conrad Black
Conrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, OC, KCSG, PC is a Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, and a historian, columnist and publisher, who was for a time the third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Lord Black controlled Hollinger International, Inc...
's Hollinger
Hollinger Inc.
Hollinger Inc. was a Canadian media company based in Toronto. It was created by the Canadian businessman Conrad Black as a holding company for his media interests after he acquired control of The Daily Telegraph in 1986. It was the parent company of Chicago-based Hollinger International, whose...
newspaper group. As a newly incorporated media group, Osprey Media's purchase marked the first time in many years that a major newspaper sale significantly increased the diversity of newspaper ownership in Canada.
In April 2004, Osprey Media Group, motivated by tax breaks, became a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Osprey Media Income Fund (OMIF), a unit trust
Unit trust
A unit trust is a form of collective investment constituted under a trust deed.Found in Australia, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK, unit trusts offer access to a wide range of securities....
. They changed their name to Osprey Media LP in January 2006 after receiving Canada Revenue Agency
Canada Revenue Agency
The Canada Revenue Agency is a federal agency that administers tax laws for the Government of Canada and for most provinces and territories, international trade legislation, and various social and economic benefit and incentive programs delivered through the tax system...
approval of their reorganization plans.
On May 31, 2007, it was announced that OMIF would be acquired by Quebecor Media Group
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
for C$517 million. The announcement noted that Scotia Merchant Capital and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan , commonly referred to as Teachers, is the organization responsible for administering pensions for public school teachers of the Canadian province of Ontario. The OTPP also invests the plan's pension fund, making it one of the largest and most powerful investment...
had conditionally agreed to tender units in their control which amount to over 50% of the outstanding units. According to Editor & Publisher
Editor & Publisher
Editor & Publisher is a monthly magazine covering the North American newspaper industry. It is based in New York City. E&P calls itself "America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry" and describes itself on its website as "the authoritative journal covering all aspects of the North...
, the sale of OMIF was at least in part motivated by the pending loss of the tax advantages which had earlier led to the creation of the unit trust.
On June 27, 2007, a competing takeover offer from Black Press was also announced. On July 6, 2007 OMIF accepted a revised offer from Quebecor Media Group
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
of C$575.8 million.
Osprey's current status is uncertain. While Quebecor's main website continues to identify Osprey as a separate subsidiary from Sun Media, most of the former Osprey newspapers' individual websites now indicate ownership by Sun Media, containing no references to Osprey at all, while Sun Media's website indicates direct ownership of Osprey's daily newspapers but makes no mention of the community weeklies.
Weekly newspapers
- Bancroft This Week
- Barry's Bay This Week
- Colborne Chronicle
- Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin
- Community Press - Eastern Edition
- Community Press - Quinte Edition
- Community Press - Western Edition
- Dresden North Kent Leader
- Dunnville Chronicle
- Elliot Lake Standard
- Fort Erie Times
- Gananoque Reporter
- Haldimand Review
- Haliburton County Echo
- InPort News
- Kingston This Week
- Lindsay Post (twice a week)
- Markdale Standard
- Midland Free Press
- Mid-North MonitorMid-North MonitorThe Mid-North Monitor is a Canadian weekly newspaper, published in Espanola, Ontario. The newspaper has a readership circulation of just under 2,400 copies weekly.-History:...
(EspanolaEspanola, OntarioEspanola is a town in Northern Ontario, Canada, and is the seat of Sudbury District. It is situated on the Spanish River, approximately 70 kilometres west of downtown Sudbury, and just south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 17.- History :The name "Espanola" has been attributed to a story...
) - Minden Times
- Napanee Guide
- Nepean This Week
- Niagara Advance
- Niagara News - Niagara Falls Edition
- Niagara News - St. Catharines Edition
- Niagara News - Thorold Edition
- Niagara News - Welland Edition
- Pelham News
- The News (Pembroke, Petawawa & area)
- Petrolia Topic
- Picton County Weekly News
- Sault Ste. Marie This Week
- The Post
- Timmins Times
- Trenton Trentonian
- Wallaceburg Community News
- West Lincoln Review
Daily newspapers
- Barrie ExaminerBarrie ExaminerThe Barrie Examiner is the daily newspaper for Barrie, Ontario and the surrounding area.-History:The Examiner was founded in 1864. Publisher William Manley Nicholson launched the paper as an alternate to the Northern Advance, which already had a strong political voice in the community of over 3,500...
- Belleville Intelligencer
- Brantford ExpositorBrantford ExpositorThe Brantford Expositor is an English language newspaper based in Brantford, Ontario and owned by Osprey Media Group Inc. a subsidiary of Sun Media...
- Chatham Daily News
- Cobourg Daily Star
- Cornwall Standard FreeholderCornwall Standard FreeholderThe Cornwall Standard Freeholder is a daily newspaper based in Cornwall, Ontario. It has been in circulation for many years, and continues to be the newspaper with the largest circulation inside the Montreal - Ottawa - Kingston triangle...
- Kingston Whig-StandardKingston Whig-StandardThe Kingston Whig-Standard is a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is published daily, except on Sunday. It publishes a mix of community, national and international news and is owned by Sun Media...
- Niagara Falls ReviewNiagara Falls ReviewThe Niagara Falls Review is a daily newspaper published for the Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake area.-History:The Niagara Falls Review has been the local newspaper in Niagara Falls since 1879. Publishing daily since the 1930s, The Review competes with a weekly Metroland paper...
- North Bay NuggetNorth Bay Nugget-External links:* *...
- Orillia Packet and Times
- Owen Sound Sun TimesOwen Sound Sun TimesThe Sun Times is a local newspaper which services the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound area in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its headquarters are in Owen Sound.The newspaper is owned and operated by Osprey Media....
- Pembroke Daily ObserverPembroke Daily ObserverThe Pembroke Daily Observer is a daily broadsheet newspaper serving the city of Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, and the nearby town of Petawawa. It was founded in 1855 and is now owned by Osprey Media, a division of Quebecor....
- Peterborough ExaminerPeterborough ExaminerThe Peterborough Examiner is a newspaper that services Peterborough, Ontario and area. The paper started circulation in 1847, and is currently owned by the Sun Media, division of Quebecor Media. At one time, it was edited by Canadian man of letters Robertson Davies. It is the only daily newspaper...
- Port Hope Evening Guide
- Sarnia ObserverSarnia ObserverThe Observer has been serving Sarnia-Lambton since 1853 and publishes six times per week, Monday through Saturday. This award-winning broadsheet is a member of the Sun Media family of newspapers. Daryl C. Smith is The Observer's publisher. Rod Hilts is the managing editor...
- Sault StarSault StarThe Sault Star is a daily newspaper in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and owned my Sun Media.The northern newspaper has a current daily subscription of over 20,000 households to the Sault Ste. Marie area and Algoma District....
- St. Catharines StandardSt. Catharines StandardThe St. Catharines Standard is the prominent daily newspaper of the city of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:The St. Catharines Standard was started in 1891, by W. B. Burgoyne. The Standard, located in St. Catharines, Ontario, is the largest daily newspaper in Niagara Region...
- Sudbury StarSudbury StarThe Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
- Timmins Daily PressTimmins Daily PressThe Timmins Daily Press is a newspaper in Timmins, Ontario, which publishes six days a week. It is notable as the first paper bought by press baron Roy Thomson, who would eventually own more than 200 newspapers including The Times...
- Welland Tribune
Other publications
- Northern NewsNorthern NewsThe Northern News is a newspaper in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and published by Sun Media.It was previously named the Northern Daily News, but was downsized to fit the population in the readership on June 1, 2004. It had been a daily newspaper for about 90 years, but now only...
(published three times weekly) - Cornwall Smart Shopper
- Fort Erie Shopping Times
- Key to Kingston
- Muskoka MagazineMuskoka MagazineMuskoka Magazine is a large format lifestyle magazine published ten times per year in Bracebridge, Ontario by Cottage Country Communications. The magazine is widely sold throughout the Muskoka region and in the greater Toronto area.-History:...
(published ten times a year) - Niagara Shopping News
- Tilbury Marketplace