Frattura to take reins of Times Herald

By: Daniel J. Sernovitz

After two years at the helm of the North Penn and Indian Valley areas' source for local news, Publisher Al Frattura will leave the The Reporter in Lansdale newspaper Feb. 6 to become the publisher of The Times Herald. 

The Times Herald Publisher Steve Roszczyk will replace Rick Stenger, who is retiring from his position as publisher of The News-Herald in Willoughby, Ohio.

Roszczyk started his newspaper career at The News-Herald as a classified advertising salesman after graduating college in 1974.

"Going back to where I started and to a paper that size is just too good to pass up," Roszczyk said.

He began his post as publisher at The Times Herald in September.

"I had a ball," said Roszczyk, of his stint in Norristown. "Montgomery County, and Norristown in particular, has a great future ahead of it."

Dena Fritz, publisher of The Phoenix in Phoenixville, will replace Frattura.

"I think it's a great market, I'm excited to be coming in there to dig in and make big progress," Fritz said. "I'm just very excited to come to Lansdale because it's a great town."

Journal Register Co., which owns all four newspapers, announced the promotions Friday.

"I look forward to getting more involved in the community, even though I'm only going down the road," Frattura said during an interview Friday. 

"I'm torn. To me, this is family, I've gotten to really like the place and the people, but it's time to take the next step in my career."

Robert M. Jelenic, president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the Journal Register Co., said: "I am happy to announce that Dena Fritz, currently publisher of The Phoenix, in Phoenixville, will succeed Al as publisher of The Reporter."

Fritz has served as publisher of The Phoenix for the past two years, and previously spent nearly five years in various advertising positions at The Mercury in Pottstown. Dena has almost 20 years' experience in the newspaper industry.

Frattura, 55, a Chalfont resident, came to The Reporter in February 2000 as advertising director and was promoted to publisher in March 2002. A native of Akron, Ohio, with three decades of experience in the business - 8 years with Gannett and 20 with Knight Ridder - Frattura shepherded The Reporter through its ownership transition from Gannett to Journal Register in 2001.

"There have been a lot of challenges, and I think we've improved the look of the paper," he said. "We've got a strong team here, and I think we've gotten closer to the community with our outreach efforts. I think we've got a great management team."

As publisher of The Times Herald, Frattura said his responsibilities will be the same. 

"It's going to be no different down in Norristown," he said. "Our job is to provide the local, local, local, local news that no one can deliver better than us," he said.

Frattura credited the paper's successes to a family-like relationship he cultivated in Lansdale. 

"We were able to develop a team atmosphere in and around the building," he said. "You always want to surround yourself with good people and department heads, which I think we have here. In the two years that I've been here, we've been able to reposition, regroup and give our readers what they are asking for."

Frattura said his present employees and readers should expect a seamless transition as he turns over the reins of the paper to Fritz. 

"I think that she has a strong leadership and she'll have no problem adapting here," he said. "I think that the change here will be a swift change - you won't even notice it."