StarMetro (newspaper)

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StarMetro
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StarMetro logo.png
Star Metro Edmonton Cover on April 10 2018.jpg
A portion of the April 10, 2018, front page of StarMetro Edmonton
Type Free daily newspaper
Format Compact
Owner(s) Torstar (90%)
Metro International (10%)
Founded2000;24 years ago (2000)
Political alignment Social liberalism [1]
LanguageEnglish
Ceased publicationDecember 20, 2019
Headquarters Toronto
CountryCanada
Sister newspapers Toronto Star
Website www.thestar.com

StarMetro was a chain of Canadian free daily newspapers published in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Toronto, and Vancouver. The chain was a joint venture between the Canadian publishing conglomerate Torstar (90 per cent) and Swedish global media company Metro International (10 per cent). The chain was originally branded as Metro prior to rebranding on April 10, 2018. [1] StarMetro was not affiliated with the French-language Métro newspaper published by TC Transcontinental in Montreal.

Contents

In November 2019, Torstar announced that all StarMetro editions would cease publication on December 20, 2019. [2]

As Metro

The first Canadian newspaper owned by Metro International was launched in Toronto in 2000. The launch sparked a newspaper war as two of the city's major dailies, the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun , both responded by producing their own free versions aimed at commuters. [3] Metro Toronto merged with GTA Today, owned by the Toronto Star's parent company Torstar Corporation, in 2001. [4]

Metro International sold 40 of its 50 per cent share in all of its English-language Canadian papers to Torstar on October 14, 2011. [5] The Metro papers in Regina, Saskatoon and London ceased publication in 2014. [6] The chain's operations in Ottawa and Winnipeg were closed in November 2017 as part of an asset swap between Torstar and Postmedia Network that also resulted in the acquisition and closure of the rival 24 Hours chain in English Canada. [7] [8] [9]

StarMetro rebranding

The English-Canadian Metro papers were rebranded to StarMetro on April 10, 2018. As part of the rebranding, online news operations were consolidated with the Toronto Star and the former Metro News website was redirected to the Star's website. [1] The StarMetro chain also officially adopted the same socially liberal, progressive "Atkinson Principles" as the Toronto Star. [1] [10]

End of print edition

Parent company Torstar Corp. announced on November 19, 2019, that StarMetro would be shut down due to a decline in print advertising and the increasing use of smartphones, laptops, and tablets. It said the final print editions in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Halifax would be published on December 20. [11] As a result, 73 employees were laid off in the editorial, advertising and distribution departments. Instead, the Toronto Star planned to open digital bureaus with five reporters each in the cities where StarMetro was published, with the exception of Toronto. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Toronto Star</i> Canadian daily newspaper

The Toronto Star is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands division.

<i>National Post</i> Canadian national daily newspaper

The National Post is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only. The newspaper is distributed in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Weekend editions of the newspaper are also distributed in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro International</span> Swedish media company

Metro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the freesheet newspaper Metro. This newspaper is primarily intended for city commuters in business areas.

Osprey Media L.P. was a Canadian newspaper regional chain that published 20 daily newspapers, 34 non-daily newspapers, and a number of shopping guides and magazines in the Canadian province of Ontario. 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.

Postmedia News is a national news agency with correspondents in Canada, Europe, and the United States and is part of the Canadian newspaper chain owned by Postmedia Network Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torstar</span> Canadian mass media company

Torstar Corporation is a Canadian mass media company which primarily publishes news. In addition to the Toronto Star, its flagship and namesake, Torstar also publishes daily newspapers in Hamilton, Peterborough, Niagara Region, and Waterloo Region In addition to the Metroland Media Group and a minority position on Canadian Press. The corporation was initially established in 1958 to take over operations of the Star from the Atkinson Foundation after a provincial law banned charitable organizations from owning for-profit entities. From 1958 to 2020, the class A shares of Torstar were held by the families of the original Atkinson Foundation trustees. The private investment firm NordStar Capital LP, now owned by Jordan Bitove, acquired the company in 2020.

<i>Winnipeg Sun</i> Daily newspaper in Winnipeg, Canada

The Winnipeg Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Godfrey</span> Canadian businessman and politician

Paul Victor Godfrey, CM, OOnt is a businessman and former Canadian politician. During his career, Godfrey was a North York alderman, Chairman of Metro Toronto, President of the Toronto Sun and head of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was instrumental in bringing the Toronto Blue Jays to Toronto and has campaigned to bring the National Football League to Toronto. He is the former president and CEO of Postmedia Network.

<i>24 Hours</i> (newspaper) Canadian free daily newspaper

24 Hours, is a group of English-language and French-language free daily newspapers published in Canada. It was published in French in Montreal and Gatineau, and in English in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver. The Gatineau edition was discontinued in 2008 and the Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa editions ceased publication in 2013. The Toronto and Vancouver editions were sold to Postmedia Network as part of Quebecor's divestment of English-language news, and they were later acquired by Torstar in an asset swap on November 27, 2017 and immediately shut down in favour of the Torstar-owned Metro papers in those cities.

<i>The StarPhoenix</i> Newspaper published in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

The StarPhoenix is a daily newspaper that serves Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and is a part of Postmedia Network. It has been referred to as a "sister newspaper" to the Leader-Post. The StarPhoenix puts out six editions each week and publishes one weekly, Bridges. It is also part of the canada.com web portal.

<i>The Peterborough Examiner</i>

The Peterborough Examiner is a newspaper that services Peterborough, Ontario and area. The paper started circulation in 1847, and is currently owned by Torstar and operated by its Metroland division. Between 1942 and 1955, it was edited by Canadian man of letters Robertson Davies, whose unique three-paragraph editorial style won several awards. Davies remained owner and publisher of the Examiner and Ralph Hancox the editor until 1967, when it was sold to the Thomson chain of newspapers. Subsequently, Sterling, Hollinger and Sun Media owned the newspaper before Postmedia.

<i>St. Catharines Standard</i>

The St. Catharines Standard is a daily newspaper of the city of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. As of May 2020, the publication was owned by Torstar but on May 26, 2020, the company agreed to be acquired by NordStar Capital, a private investment firm. The deal was expected to close prior to year end.

<i>Métro</i> (Montreal newspaper) Canadian French-language daily newspaper

Métro was a French-language free daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The paper is wholly owned by local businessman Michael Raffoul who owns print media distribution company Transmet. Journal Metro is part of the Metro Media group which owns several local newspapers in Montreal. Journal Métro Montréal was formerly part of the international group of newspapers Metro International.

<i>The Gazette</i> (Montreal) English-language newspaper in Montreal, Canada

The Gazette, also known as the Montreal Gazette, is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper which is owned by Postmedia Network. It is published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

<i>Niagara Falls Review</i> Canadian daily newspaper

The Niagara Falls Review is a daily newspaper distributed in Niagara Falls and also serving the nearby towns of Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake area in Ontario, Canada. The paper is owned by Metroland Media Group, a subsidiary of Torstar. In late May 2020, Torstar accepted an offer for the sale of all of its assets to Nordstar Capital, a deal expected to close by year end.

The Barrie Examiner was a daily newspaper published in Barrie, Ontario from 1864 to 2017.

The Bradford Times was a weekly community newspaper founded in October 1991 and terminated in November, 2017.

Postmedia Network Canada Corp. is a foreign-owned Canadian-based media conglomerate consisting of the publishing properties of the former Canwest, with primary operations in English-language newspaper publishing, news gathering and Internet operations. It is best known for being the owner of the National Post and the Financial Post. The company is headquartered at Postmedia Place on Bloor Street in Toronto.

The Exeter Lakeshore Times-Advance is a weekly local newspaper, published in the town of Exeter, Ontario. It serves the counties of Huron, Middlesex, and Lambton. It was established in 1873 as the Exeter Times-Advocate.

<i>Welland Tribune</i> Canadian daily newspaper

The Welland Tribune is a daily newspaper that services Welland, Ontario and surrounding area. The Tribune was one of several Postmedia Network newspapers purchased by Torstar in a transaction between the two companies which concluded on November 27, 2017. The paper continues to be published by the Metroland Media Group subsidiary of Torstar. In late May 2020, Torstar accepted an offer for the sale of all of its assets to Nordstar Capital in late May 2020, a deal expected to close by year end.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Toronto Star brand to expand nationally". Toronto Star. April 2, 2018. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Torstar shutting down StarMetro papers across Canada". CityNews Toronto. November 19, 2019. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  3. ↑ Pridmore, Lisa (June 23, 2003). "Free for All". Ryerson Review of Journalism. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  4. ↑ Damsell, Keith (August 26, 2002). "Metro Today redesign returns to roots". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Metro International Annual Report 2011" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012. On 14 October 2011 Metro signed an agreement for the sale of 40 percent of the shares in Metro English Canada to Torstar Corporation, the Canadian media group that already owned 50 percent of the shares in Metro English Canada. Metro owns 10 percent of the shares after the transaction.
  6. ↑ "Metro to close free print newspapers in Regina, Saskatoon, London". CTV News. The Canadian Press. July 10, 2014. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Torstar, Postmedia announce community and daily paper deal". Metro Toronto. Torstar News Service. November 27, 2017. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  8. ↑ Malone, Kelly (November 27, 2017). "Metro Winnipeg stops publishing after Postmedia, Torstar swap". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  9. ↑ Cash, Martin (November 27, 2017). "Metro Winnipeg axed in Torstar, Postmedia deal". Winnipeg Free Press. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  10. ↑ Healing, Dan (April 3, 2018). "StarMetro? Toronto Star publisher rebranding free daily newspapers across Canada — cites appetite for 'progressive voice'". Canoe. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Toronto Star shutting down StarMetro newspapers". CBC News . November 19, 2019. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Dozens laid off as TorStar closes StarMetro national free newspaper chain | Globalnews.ca". Global News . Archived from the original on June 1, 2023.
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