Fort Wayne Newspapers will purchase the daily newspapers based in Kendallville, Auburn, Angola and Columbia City, and other publications from KPC Media, the two companies announced Wednesday.
After the acquisition is complete, the former KPC publications will become part of Fort Wayne Newspapers, in which The Ogden Newspapers owns controlling interest.
Editors and reporters with the KPC publications in northeast Indiana will continue to work in and serve their communities from their individual markets, said Michael Christman, a regional publisher with Ogden and also former president and CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers.
Ogden will build on the legacy of the Witwer family, Christman said, which for 50 years owned and operated The News Sun and other KPC publications.
George and Dianne Witwer are the principal owners of The Bluffton News-Banner and this acquisition does not include News-Banner Publications.
“When so many local newspapers are merging with larger entities, we at the News-Banner believe in the importance of local ownership as the way to best serve the community,” said George Witwer.
The News-Banner and the Ossian Journal will remain independently owned and operated as the Witwers reside in Wells County and are active in the local community.
The acquisition includes three daily newspapers — The News Sun, serving Noble and LaGrange counties; The Star, serving DeKalb County; and The Herald Republican, serving Steuben County; the semi-weekly Post & Mail, serving Whitley County; the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly; several weekly newspapers, websites, social media platforms, niche magazines, phone books and other publications.
Fort Wayne Newspapers is a partnership between The News Publishing Co., owned by The Ogden Newspapers of Wheeling, W.V., and the locally owned Journal Gazette Co.
The sale is expected to close later this month.