July 31, 2005 - The Brown Publishing Company today announced it has purchased substantially all of the assets, including one daily and eleven weekly newspapers, of Hirt Media and Hirt Publishing, Inc. from owners Karen and Gary Hirt of Bellevue, Ohio. The Hirt newspapers acquired are the Galion (OH) Inquirer and Ad-Visor, the Putnam (OH) County Sentinel, Vidette and Advertiser, the Morrow (OH) County Sentinel, Independent and Advertiser, the Perry (OH) County Tribune and Shopper, the Bellville (OH) Star and the Knox (OH) County Citizen. In addition, Brown has acquired the News Color Press and Home Delivery Systems operations of Hirt Media.

Mr. Hirt said, "As Karen and 1 approached retirement age we felt it was time to entrust our newspapers to a company that could provide our employees with a better future. We've had a wonderful career and wish to thank those who have traveled this road with us."

"Gary's operations are extremely well-run and fit very well with our network of publications," stated Roy Brown, President and CEO of Brown Publishing, "We are honored to succeed to the stewardship of these businesses and look forward to welcoming their employees into our fold and serving the communities in which they operate."

Brown Publishing is an 85-year old, family-owned company which operates 80 newspapers entirely within the state of Ohio. Including the newspapers from the Hirt Companies, Brown Publishing publishes 18 paid daily newspapers and 62 paid and free weekly newspapers, along with providing extensive commercial printing services. Brown Publishing newspapers serve a paid daily circulation of 115,000 and paid weekly circulation of 90,000. Roughly 750,000 separate households representing 1,7 million people, all in the state of Ohio, receive at least one Brown newspaper product each week.

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June 3, 2004 - The Brown Publishing Company announced today that it has purchased the Central Ohio Printing Company, from Cleveland Newspapers, Inc., of Birmingham, Ala. Central Ohio Printing Company, is based in London, Ohio, and operates the Madison Press, the Mechanicsburg Telegram, the Mt. Sterling Tribune, the Plain City Advocate, the Weekly Review, and commercial printing operations. The Madison Press circulates to over 6,000 readers daily, primarily in and around the city of London, Ohio. The weeklies produced by Central Ohio Printing circulate to over 22,000 households in Madison, Champaign and Pickaway counties.

"We are happy that Brown Publishing Company has purchased Central Ohio Printing Corporation," Don Hartley, Publisher and Vice President, and Lee Walls Sr., President, said

"Brown Publishing has an excellent reputation as an owner and manager of a number of Ohio newspapers, and we are happy that The Madison Press and its sister publications have been added to the Brown organization. We wish them success, and know that Brown Publishing will serve the readers and advertisers of London, Madison County and surrounding counties well," the two officers stated.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Central Ohio Printing, its employees, and its long history of service to our network of newspapers,” stated Roy Brown, CEO of Brown Publishing. “We look forward to working with and for the readers and advertisers in and around Madison County to continue the great tradition of the Madison Press and its associated weeklies.”

Mr. Brown also announced that Don Hartley will continue as Publisher of the Madison Press and the associated weeklies. “Don’s years of experience with the Press and in the community will be invaluable to us as the newspaper enters a new era of its ownership,” he stated, “As prior owners of the company, Don and his family have been instrumental in building the business over the years, and we could not have a better leader of the Press as we continue to grow into the future.”

Brown Publishing is an 84-year old, family-owned company which operates 67 newspapers entirely within the state of Ohio. Including the newspaper from Central Ohio Printing, Brown Publishing publishes 17 paid daily newspapers and 50 paid and free weekly newspapers, along with providing extensive commercial printing services. Brown Publishing newspapers a paid daily circulation of 110,053 and paid weekly circulation of 77,450. Roughly 700,000 separate households representing 1.5 million people, all in the state of Ohio, receive at least one Brown newspaper product each week.

June 3, 2004 - The Brown Publishing Company announced today that it has purchased the Delaware (Oh.) Gazette Company from the Thomson family. The Gazette Company operates the daily Delaware Gazette, the weekly Sunbury News, several related publications, and Mid-Ohio.Net, a regional ISP. The Thomson family has owned the Gazette since 1834, the longest current period of newspaper ownership by a single family in the United States.

“I speak for the entire Thomson family when I say we are deeply thankful for the opportunity we have had to serve as owners of Delaware County's only daily newspaper. We are a very strong, closely-knit family, and we will continue our involvement in the Delaware community" said W.D. Tom Thomson, President and Publisher.

“Brown Publishing Company will provide the Gazette resources that a small, family-owned operation simply cannot,” stated Vice-President-Finance H.C. “Chip” Thomson III. “It is the right time for this decision. The fact that Brown is also family-owned is a big plus,” said Vice-President-Operations Thomas T. Thomson.

“We are extremely pleased to add the Gazette and its employees to our family of newspapers,” stated Roy Brown, CEO of Brown Publishing. “The Gazette has a long tradition of excellence, and we are honored to have been chosen by the Thomson family to succeed to its ownership.”

Brown Publishing is an 84-year old, family-owned company which operates 67 newspapers entirely within the state of Ohio. Including the newspapers from the Gazette Company, Brown Publishing publishes 17 paid daily newspapers and 50 paid and free weekly newspapers, along with providing extensive commercial printing services. Brown Publishing newspapers a paid daily circulation of 110,053 and paid weekly circulation of 77,450. Roughly 700,000 separate households representing 1.5 million people, all in the state of Ohio, receive at least one Brown newspaper product each week.