View source for Osprey Media

{{Short description|Former Canadian newspaper chain}}
'''Osprey Media L.P.''' was a [[Media in Canada#Newspapers|Canadian newspaper]] regional chain that published 20 daily newspapers, 34 non-daily newspapers, and a number of shopping guides and magazines in the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Ontario]].<ref name="support">{{Cite web |url=http://ospreymedialp.com/corporate/pressreleases/2007/Press_Release_announcing_support.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-06-05 |archive-date=2007-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630134041/http://ospreymedialp.com/corporate/pressreleases/2007/Press_Release_announcing_support.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Formerly an independent [[income trust]], Osprey was taken over by [[Quebecor]]'s [[Sun Media]] division in 2007. With the sale of Sun Media to [[Postmedia Network]] a decade later, many of its former newspapers owned by Osprey today are either owned by Postmedia or [[Torstar]].

In September 2006, the last annual release of Canadian circulation figures before the company's takeover by Quebecor, Osprey Media's dailies had average daily paid and unpaid circulation / distribution of approximately 340,000 copies, while its non-daily newspapers had average weekly paid and unpaid circulation / distribution of approximately 466,000 copies.

==History==
Osprey Media Group was created in 2001, when Michael Sifton, heir to the family that had once owned the ''[[Regina Leader-Post]]'' and the ''[[Saskatoon Star-Phoenix]]'', purchased many of the Ontario newspapers that had been put on the market by [[Conrad Black]]'s [[Hollinger Inc.|Hollinger]] newspaper group.<ref name="eandp">{{Cite web |url=http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003593501 |title=null<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-06-05 |archive-date=2007-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014931/http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003593501 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As a newly incorporated media group, Osprey Media's purchase marked the first time in many years that a major newspaper sale significantly ''increased'' the diversity of newspaper ownership in Canada.

In April 2004,<ref name="ipo">{{Cite web |url=http://ospreymedialp.com/corporate/pressreleases/PR-April15-2004.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-06-05 |archive-date=2007-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630134044/http://ospreymedialp.com/corporate/pressreleases/PR-April15-2004.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Osprey Media Group, motivated by tax breaks,<ref name="eandp" /> became a [[subsidiary]] of Osprey Media Income Fund (OMIF),<ref>{{cite web |url= http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=29295673 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120712054701/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=29295673 |url-status= dead |archive-date= July 12, 2012 |title=Osprey Media LP: Private Company Information - Businessweek|work=investing.businessweek.com|access-date=23 April 2012}}</ref> a [[unit trust]]. They changed their name to Osprey Media LP in January 2006 after receiving [[Canada Revenue Agency]] approval of their reorganization plans.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ospreymedialp.com/corporate/pressreleases/PR-Dec22-05.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-06-05 |archive-date=2007-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630134043/http://ospreymedialp.com/corporate/pressreleases/PR-Dec22-05.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On May 31, 2007, it was announced that OMIF would be acquired by [[Quebecor|Quebecor Media Group]] for C$517 million.<ref name="support" />  The announcement noted that [[Scotia Merchant Capital]] and the [[Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan]] had conditionally agreed to tender units in their control which amount to over 50% of the outstanding units.  According to ''[[Editor & Publisher]]'', the sale of OMIF was at least in part motivated by the pending loss of the tax advantages which had earlier led to the creation of the unit trust.<ref name="eandp" />

On June 27, 2007, a competing takeover offer from [[Black Press]] was also announced.<ref name="black">[http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070627.wosprey0627/BNStory/Business/home reportonbusiness.com: Black Press swoops in to snatch Osprey Media<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref name="Osprey" /> On July 6, 2007, OMIF accepted a revised offer from Quebecor of C$575.8 million.<ref name="Osprey">{{Cite web |url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2007/07/05/4315990-cp.html |title=CANOE -- CNEWS - Media News: Bidding war for Osprey may start |access-date=2007-07-06 |archive-date=2007-07-08 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070708175034/http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2007/07/05/4315990-cp.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

A decade after Osprey Media's demise, Sun Media was acquired by [[Postmedia]] in 2015 after Quebecor divested of its English newspapers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/quebecor-sells-sun-media-english-newspapers-to-postmedia-in-316m-deal-1.2788693 |title=Quebecor sells 175 Sun Media newspapers and websites to Postmedia - Business - CBC News |website=Cbc.ca |date=2014-10-06 |access-date=2016-12-15}}</ref> Postmedia re-sold many of the former Osprey newspapers to rival [[Torstar]] in 2017 in an asset swap with some newspapers closed operation.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kopun|first1=Francine|title=Torstar, Postmedia announce community and daily paper deal|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/11/27/torstar-postmedia-announce-community-and-daily-paper-deal.html|access-date=November 27, 2017|work=Toronto Star|date=November 27, 2017}}</ref>

==Publications==
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=== Weekly newspapers ===
* ''Bancroft This Week''
* ''Barry's Bay This Week''
* ''Colborne Chronicle''
* ''Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin''
* ''Community Press - Eastern Edition''
* ''Community Press - Quinte Edition''
* ''Community Press - Western Edition''
* ''[[Dresden North Kent Leader]]''
* ''Dunnville Chronicle''
* ''Elliot Lake Standard''
* ''Fort Erie Times''
* ''Gananoque Reporter''
* ''Haldimand Review''
* ''Haliburton County Echo''
* ''InPort News''
* ''Kingston This Week''
* ''Lindsay Post'' (twice a week)
* ''[[The Markdale Standard|Markdale Standard]]''
* ''Midland Free Press''
* ''[[Mid-North Monitor]]'' ([[Espanola, Ontario|Espanola]])
* ''Minden Times''
* ''Napanee Guide''
* ''Nepean This Week''
* ''Niagara Advance''
* ''Niagara News - Niagara Falls Edition''
* ''Niagara News - St. Catharines Edition''
* ''Niagara News - Thorold Edition''
* ''Niagara News - Welland Edition''
* ''Pelham News''
* ''The News''  (Pembroke, Petawawa & area)
*
* ''Petrolia Topic''
* ''[[Picton County Weekly News]]''
* ''Sault Ste. Marie This Week''
* ''The Post''
* ''Timmins Times''
* ''Trenton Trentonian''
* ''Wallaceburg Community News''
* ''West Lincoln Review''
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=== Daily newspapers ===
* ''[[Barrie Examiner]]''
* ''[[The Intelligencer (Belleville)|Belleville Intelligencer]]''
* ''[[Brantford Expositor]]''
* ''[[Brockville Recorder and Times]]''
* ''[[Chatham Daily News]]''
* ''[[Cobourg Daily Star]]''
* ''[[Cornwall Standard Freeholder]]''
* ''[[Kingston Whig-Standard]]''
* ''[[Niagara Falls Review]]''
* ''[[North Bay Nugget]]''
* ''Orillia Packet and Times''
* ''[[Owen Sound Sun Times]]''
* ''[[Pembroke Daily Observer]]''
* ''[[Peterborough Examiner]]''
* ''[[Port Hope Evening Guide]]''
* ''[[Sarnia Observer]]''
* ''[[Sault Star]]''
* ''[[St. Catharines Standard]]''
* ''[[Sudbury Star]]''
* ''[[Timmins Daily Press]]''
* ''[[Welland Tribune]]''

=== Other publications ===
* ''[[Northern News]]'' (published three times weekly)
* ''Cornwall Smart Shopper''
* ''Fort Erie Shopping Times''
* ''Key to Kingston''
* ''[[Muskoka Magazine]]'' (published ten times a year)
* ''Niagara Shopping News''
* ''Tilbury Marketplace''
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==References==
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==External links==
* [http://www.ospreymedialp.com/ Osprey Media website]

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[[Category:Postmedia Network publications|*]]
[[Category:Torstar]]
[[Category:Defunct publishing companies of Canada]]
[[Category:Quebecor]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 2001]]
[[Category:Companies disestablished in 2007]]