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Hearst Acquires The Hour Of Norwalk, Wilton Villager

NORWALK, Conn. — Hearst has acquired the print and digital assets of The Hour of Norwalk and the Wilton Villager, which will become part of the Hearst Newspapers’ Connecticut Media Group. 

Hearst President and Chief Executive Officer Steven Swartz

Hearst President and Chief Executive Officer Steven Swartz

Photo Credit: Contributed

With these two additions, Hearst’s Fairfield County media presence now includes five daily and six weekly newspapers, and a total of 14 websites, including the Connecticut Post, The News-Times in Danbury, Greenwich Time and The Advocate in Stamford.

The announcement was made by Hearst President and CEO Steven R. Swartz, and Hearst Newspapers President Mark Aldam.

“Bringing The Hour and the Wilton Villager into our Connecticut group of media assets is a natural fit,” Aldam said. “We intend to extend Hearst’s venerable news brand across Fairfield County by deepening coverage of the Norwalk and Wilton communities while offering business customers a more diversified set of media solutions.”

Paul Barbetta, group publisher and president of the Hearst Connecticut Media Group, will oversee business and news operations for the new properties. “This is an exciting and positive move for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group,” Barbetta said. “We’re committed to Connecticut and view this acquisition as an opportunity to strengthen our coverage across all of Fairfield County.”

“It has been The Hour Publishing Company’s privilege to be a part of the Norwalk community for over 100 years,” said Brett Whitton, president, The Hour Publishing Company. “I am confident that Hearst will continue our unwavering commitment and loyalty to Norwalk for many years to come.”

John Szefc of W.B. Grimes & Company represented the seller in the acquisition.

Hearst Newspapers is the operating group responsible for Hearst’s newspapers, local digital marketing services businesses and directories. It publishes 15 dailies and 36 weeklies, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union.

Hearst Connecticut Media Group is comprised of five daily newspapers, Connecticut Post in Bridgeport, The News-Times in Danbury, The Advocate in Stamford, The Hour in Norwalk and Greenwich Time, and six weekly newspapers including the Darien News, Fairfield Citizen, New Canaan News, The Greater New Milford Spectrum, Westport News and Wilton Villager.

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