Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Deal includes weekly newspapers in several Inland Empire communities
REDLANDS, CA – Times Media Group (TMG) announced today that it has acquired Century Group Media, a publishing company that has operated weekly community newspapers in California’s Inland Empire for the past 37 years.
The deal includes the Redlands Community News, Yucaipa News Mirror, Calimesa News Mirror, Fontana Herald News, The Record Gazette serving Banning and Beaumont, and the outlets’ websites. Each of these longstanding publications have served the San Bernardino/Riverside area of the Inland Empire as the region has experienced significant growth.
What is now Century Group Media was founded in 1987 by Jerry Bean, a longtime newspaper media executive who formed his own company after serving as publisher of Gannett’s San Bernardino Sun. Bean, 81, plans to retire after 66 years in the newspaper business.
As a high school sophomore, Bean was hired by his hometown weekly in Lacon, Illinois, as a part-time “printer’s devil” tasked with cleaning the shop and re-melting the lead type used to print the newspaper at that time. In addition to writing high school sports articles, he learned to operate the newspaper’s typesetting and printing machines, an interest that served him well as he moved through the newspaper ranks.
After volunteering for the Daily Illini while earning a journalism degree from the University of Illinois in 1966, Bean joined the Rockford (Illinois) Morning Star as a reporter. Twelve years later he was named publisher of the then 80,000-circulation Gannett daily.
Bean served Gannett as the launch general manager of USA Today and later as a regional vice president while also serving as publisher of the San Bernardino paper.
Living in nearby Redlands, he has been in leadership roles in many community non-profit organizations. He also was elected president of the California News Publishers Association in 2006.
Times Media Group, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, owns more than 35 weekly publications throughout Arizona and California. The company is committed to keeping quality local journalism alive in the many communities it serves.
“Every week more than a million readers in communities large and small turn to our pages and websites for the news and happenings in their communities,” said Steve Strickbine, the founder and president of TMG. “Ten years ago, I would never have imagined our growth would encompass such a large footprint and so many loyal readers. We are honored to be the stewards of that trust as a true source for news in a rapidly changing media environment.”
Strickbine founded TMG in 1997, quitting his job as a CPA to pursue his dream of becoming a newspaper publishing entrepreneur. Over the past 27 years, TMG has grown into one of the largest community publishers in the country. Strickbine says the company remains committed to continuing to grow by acquiring more community news groups.
“There are real opportunities to acquire and preserve many of the news publications residents have come to know and trust,” said Strickbine. “I continue to meet many newspaper publishers who want their life’s work to carry on serving the communities they love. I would invite anyone motivated to protect their legacy in newspapers to give me a call, because we would certainly be interested in that discussion.”
Bean said he was impressed with what TMG brings to the table. “In looking for a buyer who would maintain the traditional roles and responsibilities of newspaper journalism, I was impressed with the quality of Steve’s newspapers,” he said. “Just as importantly, he does a great job of incorporating the internet and social media into his operations. That is often hard for an old guy like me to do effectively.”
Bean took care to thank his staff for their hard work. “We have employees who have just joined us and employees who have been with us for the entire 37 years,” he said. “Every one of them is truly appreciated.”
