Scripps vs. Hearst

The Scripps-Howard Newspapers bought the Pittsburgh Press from Colonel Oliver S. Hershman for a price reported to be between $6,000,000 and $7,000,000 -- the largest amount ever paid for a single newspaper property. The Press was founded in 1884 and came into Colonel Hershman's ownership in 1901. It has always been independent in politics and has been one of the outstanding financial successes of the country, netting its owners a profit of a million dollars annually in recent years. It has the largest circulation in Pittsburgh--156,060 (daily) and 218,943 (Sunday). It is understood that the former personnel will remain intact, but will be under the general direction of the Ohio group of Scripps papers, with headquarters in Cleveland. Colonel Hershman has been in newspaper work in Pittsburgh for 52 years, beginning as a press boy at the age of twelve. The record deal was negotiated by Roy W. Howard, chairman of the Scripps-Howard board, without the knowledge of E. W. Scripps, the founder, and Robert P. Scripps, codirector, who were cruising in the South Sea Islands on the elder Scripps' yacht. The Scripps-Howard organization (successors to Scripps-McRae) now owns 27 newspapers, in addition to five operated by the James G. Scripps estate. Mostly in medium-sized cities of the Middle West and Pacific Coast, many of them were run-down properties when bought, but have been built up into flourishing institutions. They include such well known journals as the Cincinnati Post, Cleveland Press, Indianapolis Times, Columbus Citizen, Los Angeles Record, Washington News, Tacoma Times, Denver Express, Norfolk Post, Akron Press, San Diego Sun, Knoxville News, San Francisco News, Pittsburgh Press, El Paso Post, Oklahoma News, Toledo News-Bee, Dallas Dispatch. The combined circulation of the 27 is now approximately 1,147,293. The Scripps group is thus larger in numbers but not in constituency than any other newspaper chain in the country, Mr. Hearst's 23 papers having a far larger total circulation. Scripps-Howard are also owners of the United Press Association, chief rival of the A. P.; the Newspaper Enterprise Association (one of the largest syndicate feature services in the world), the Newspaper Supply Co. and other journalistic adjuncts.