Philly-area newspapers closing

Journal Register Co., Yardley, which publishes the Delaware County Daily Times and six other Philadelphia-area daily newspapers, has been quietly closing some of its Pennsylvania weekly newspapers, according to employees. The company stopped trading on the New York Stock Exchange last year and has been offering some of its newspapers in Connecticut, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other states for sale. Company representatives didn't return calls seeking comment.

The recent closures include weeklies that were part of the former Intercounty Newspaper Group, including the Conshohocken Recorder and its sister papers, the Plymouth Meeting Journal and Lafayette Hill Journal; and the West Oak Lane Leader and its related papers. The Roxborough Review survives, and will become part of the company's Montgomery Newspapers group.

How badly will the papers be missed? I asked Conshohocken borough manager Fran Marabella how he felt about the end of the 150-year-old Record. He said, "The Record was associated with the (Journal Register's daily) Norristown Times Herald. They still come to our meetings and report on our progress."

The Harrisburg Patriot News' online edition reported last month that Journal Register closed the Hershey Chronicle after selling its subscriber list to the competing publisher of the Hummelstown Sun. According to Lancaster Online, Journal Register also stopped publication of weeklies in Coatesville, Downingtown, Oxford, and Parkesburg, Chester County, and others in Lancaster County. The company closed its Northeast Philadelphia Breeze, News Gleaner and Olney Times last year.