News-Gazette to purchase four Illinois weekly newspapers and printing business.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP, Jan. 14) - The News-Gazette Inc., parent company of The (Champaign) News-Gazette, plans to buy East Central Communications, which operates four weekly newspapers in east-central Illinois, the company announced. 

The properties include The Rantoul Press, The Piatt County Journal-Republican of Monticello, The Gibson City Courier and CR Target, a free-distribution newspaper circulated in Ford and northern Champaign counties.

East Central Communications has been a division of Pittsburgh-based Trinity Holdings Inc. The company recently sold its group of Pittsburgh-area community newspapers to Westminster Holdings Inc., a company founded by Pittsburgh Tribune Review Publisher Richard M. Scaife.

"This is the very logical merger of two fine printing and publishing companies," said John Foreman, publisher and executive vice president of The News-Gazette. "These quality properties are a perfect complement to our existing business and our goals for the future." 

All four weekly papers will continue to be published at a printing plant in Rantoul that also is part of the deal. The plant also does commercial printing for other businesses.

"Additional printing capacity is important to our continued growth," said J. Michael Martin, the News-Gazette's chief financial officer. "This gives us not only additional capacity, but also much greater flexibility in meeting the needs of advertising and printing customers."

The Rantoul Press was founded in 1875, The Piatt County Journal Republican in 1853 and The Gibson City Courier in 1873. Before being acquired by Trinity Holdings, each had long histories of local ownership. 

CR Target began publication in the 1970s.

Foreman said the weekly newspapers will retain their names, offices and staffs. 

The News-Gazette Inc. also owns The County Star, a weekly newspaper published in southern Champaign County, a direct-mail division called Direct Impressions and radio stations WDWS-AM and WHMS-FM in Champaign.