Show PAPER MERGER 1 SWEEPS FIELD Greater Economy and Service Are Arc Stronger Jc Results NEW YORK Aug 13 13 Never Never be before be- be before before fore In the th era ra of or newspaper consoli consoli- consolidations has been witnessed such a sweeping of a field as the week weik re revealed re- re tOlled at Pittsburg where two great Interests Interests' purchased ed four dallies dailies and two Sundays and nd by trades trad and mer mer- mergers mergers gers ers brought forth one evening paper one morning paper and one Sunday paper This action gives Pittsburg two evening e dallies dailies two Sunday papers and one morning paper The aston aston- contrast to this this lies lies' In the fact that In 1923 Pittsburg g had three rooming morning papers live fhe Sunday Sunda papers Tand and four evening papers Thus a total t t 12 papers papers' has been reduced to five fUe Jn four om years y ars FORMER IER STANDING The up Theline line up in Pittsburg In 1924 was as IS follows follows- Dispatch morning and Sunday Leader evening and Sunday Sun evening Post morning and Sunday Times Gazette morning and Sunday Sunda Telegraph Chronicle evening Press evening and Sunday The present alignment is Press evening eve eve- evening ning and Sunday owned by Scripps Scripps- Howard Telegraph Surf evening e and Sunday owned by William Randolph Hearst Post Gazette morning owned owned- by Paul Block Three of the thc strongest Journalistic interests of this country now divide the field There are those who deplore news news- newspaper newspaper newspaper paper consolidations largely through at sentiment and those wh who believe belle that they are decided by economic condi condl- conditions conditions lions and are therefore Just busi bust ness That Pittsburg was badly over- over in 1923 there can be no question since to relieve reIle a situation that was distressing all of the pub pub- publishers publishers lishers Ushers and the tile advertising world In general It became necessary for the publishers association to purchase e and suspend both the Dispatch and the Leader That seemed a very drastic measure at the time but subsequent events e proved pro that tha it did not suffice that that still sharper er pruning was re required re- re required required to satisfy the advertising pub pub- lic lie The mergers of the week are the result HELD BY BT CHAINS A feature of interest Is that all three of the dailies of Pittsburgh are arc arenow arenow now owned by called so-called newspaper ne chains chains' and it is also noteworthy that Pittsburg which four years ago supported three morning papers has has' become a one morning paper town tol following blowing in this respect such other west middle-west titles clUes as Cleveland Clev land St. St Louis Louis Detroit Minneapolis St St. Paul Pauland Pauland and Buffalo In Its recent semi annual survey of circulations and rate rat Editor Pub Pub- Publisher Usher lisher revealed the astonishing fact that the total number x Of f English language dames dallies in the country had dropped from 2001 to 1952 in six Eix months Since that time several mer mer- mergers mergers gers g rs have been announced and the year car promises to break all aU records rec for consolidations at least during durin the nine year jear car period in which Editor Publish Publish- Publisher er has published such statistics GREATER STRENGTH S Aside from all other questions It Itis itis is 15 obvious ob to any business man that sound economy will be served ed by the Pittsburg mergers Faced by curtailed volume of advertising ad publishers found it practically Impossible to re reduce re- re reduce reduce duce expenses Each paper seemed prosperous but the the future was in doubt The mergers give gi the th city ex exceptionally ex- ex exceptionally strong and virile papers each one well able to keep the hot pace of the times times Editor Editor Pub Pub- lisher |