Medianews Group

William Dean Singleton's MediaNews Group Inc. is putting up most of the $1 billion that it and Hearst Corp. are spending to buy four newspapers from McClatchy Co., regulatory filings showed Monday. Denver-based MediaNews is paying $737 million to McClatchy for the San Jose Mercury News and the Contra Costa Times, according to a copy of last week's agreement made public Monday. Hearst will spend $263 million for the Monterey County Herald and the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota.

Newspaper magnate William Dean Singleton is likely to be joined by two partners -- industry giant Gannett Inc. and privately held Stephens Media Group -- in his attempted purchase of three Northern California newspapers, people familiar with the pending acquisition said Thursday. Singleton's offer of up to $1 billion has put his MediaNews Group Inc. in prime position to buy the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Monterey County Herald and St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press from McClatchy Co.

Media mogul William Dean Singleton has made himself the clear favorite to acquire three Northern California newspapers being sold by McClatchy Co. with his offer to buy those papers and one in Minnesota for as much as $1 billion, according to people familiar with the talks. Singleton's Denver-based MediaNews Group Inc. already sells more newspapers each day than any other company in California and is a major player in the suburban markets around Los Angeles and San Francisco.

When Denver press baron William Dean Singleton bought the Long Beach Press-Telegram just before Christmas in 1997, he gave everyone in the newsroom 15 minutes to re-interview for their jobs. Feature writer Debbie Arrington, who had followed her father and grandmother onto the newspaper's payroll and never planned to work anywhere else, was stunned. "Your job is on the line, and you had to make an instant impression that you were worth keeping," Arrington recalled.

MediaNews Group Inc., the Denver company that owns the Daily News and seven other Southland newspapers, is emerging as a leading contender to snap up some of the papers being put on the auction block as a result of Monday's sale of Knight Ridder Inc. McClatchy Co. said it would buy the larger Knight Ridder for $4.5 billion in cash and stock, making the owner of the Sacramento Bee, the Fresno Bee and 10 other daily papers the second-largest newspaper chain in the nation based on circulation.

At least two and possibly three prospective buyers are expected to submit bids today for Knight Ridder Inc., the second-largest U.S. newspaper chain. A deal could be announced within days, said bankers familiar with the process, although if the bids are close, the auction could drag out for weeks. Two of the three potential bids are from newspaper companies. McClatchy Co. is expected to make an offer, as is an alliance that includes No. 1 chain Gannett Co.

Gannett Co., the nation's largest newspaper company, is buying the Detroit Free Press from Knight Ridder Inc. and MediaNews Group Inc. will take ownership of the Detroit News from Gannett, the companies announced Wednesday. Gannett and Knight Ridder also announced an exchange of newspapers in Florida, Washington and Idaho. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed. Gannett is buying the Tallahassee Democrat in Florida from Knight Ridder.

Topping previous bids for Freedom Communications Inc., USA Today publisher Gannett Co. and MediaNews Group Inc., which controls eight Southland newspapers, have teamed up to offer $1.83 billion in cash for the Orange County Register parent, according to people familiar with the details. McLean, Va.-based Gannett, a public company that is the largest U.S.

A judge ruled that managers must give up control of the Salt Lake Tribune next week even as they continue a legal fight to buy back the newspaper. U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart also ruled that MediaNews Group, the paper's corporate owner, can't sell any Tribune asset worth more than $250,000 without prior notice to the Tribune's former owners. It also must delay plans to build a new printing plant.