Digital First Media considering sale

Digital First Media, the second-largest U.S. newspaper chain, said Friday that it was weighing "strategic alternatives" that could include a sale or split-up of its 76 daily newspapers, 160 weeklies, and hundreds of news websites, including the major papers in San Jose, Calif.; Denver; and St. Paul, Minn.; and local dailies in Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester Counties and Trenton.

Chief executive John Paton said in a statement that Digital First had "many options available to us to maximize the value of our businesses for our stockholders."

CWA-Newspaper Guild Local 10, which represents news, advertising, circulation, and finance workers at The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, Philly.com, and four of the six suburban dailies, "could put together an ownership group to buy the six-paper cluster in the suburbs," union representative Bill Ross said.

The Guild represents union workers at the Norristown Times Herald and the Pottstown Mercury, the Delaware County Daily Times, and the Trentonian. Digital First also publishes the nonunion West Chester Daily Local News and Lansdale Reporter, plus local weeklies such as the Main Line Suburban, which Ross said could also be of interest to the Guild group.

Ross wrote in a statement to members that "we welcome hearing from all potential investors who understand the important of supporting quality journalism and local jobs."