Osprey media buys Haliburton (ON) County Echo and Minden (ON) Times

Osprey Media has bought the Haliburton (ON) County Echo and the Minden (ON) Times.

Len Pizzey will stay on as publisher of both newspapers and will also have new responsibilities for the development of some specialty publications in adjacent markets. There are no other anticipated staffing changes.

ÔÇ£We think that itÔÇÖs an exciting opportunity, and we see it as a tremendous fit in operating style between Osprey and our publications,ÔÇØ said Pizzey. Pizzey has owned the Echo since 1985 and the Times since 2001.

ÔÇ£The publications will retain their independent editorial style and connection with the community. OspreyÔÇÖs style is not to homogenize papers, but to let publishers operate to their own understanding of the marketplace, and that is one of the things that is attractive about them,ÔÇØ he said.

Pizzey is also enthusiastic about the opportunities that the sale presents for his employees. ÔÇ£[Osprey] brings new opportunities to staff, especially for young people. We have always been able to attract good young reporters. Being part of a larger group means that they will be perhaps more easily able to get opportunities to move up, to expand their career opportunities,ÔÇØ said Pizzey.

As publisher, Pizzey is reflective about the papers that he helped to create. ÔÇ£It has been a long journey from where we beganÔÇöcreating the newspapers that we have, growing the business as we did, earning all the awards that we have doneÔÇöso preserving and protected that aspect of the newspapers was extremely important to me, and Osprey was sensitive to that and enthusiastic to that,ÔÇØ he said.