KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Daily News, citing declining revenue, said Monday that it will stop publishing within 60 days.
In a story posted on its website, the newspaper said: “The reason for the closure is economic — revenues have declined and The Daily News has been unable to reduce expenses sufficiently to continue as a viable operation.”
The Daily News, which started publishing about 80 years ago, said 43 full-time and 12 part-time employees will lose their jobs. Its daily paid circulation was about 10,000, according to a 2012 circulation report from the Canadian Newspaper Association, the latest available.
The newspaper is only daily in Kamloops.
“We have struggled for the last several years, worked tirelessly and taken many difficult steps along the way which were designed to ensure our future. Unfortunately the realities of our industry, our local advertising market and our labour situation were too great for us to overcome,” said Daily News publisher Tim Shoults.
“We recognize that this decision severely affects our staff and their families and our hearts go out to them as they deal with the shock and loss this decision creates.
Rob Munro, vice-president of the Media Union of B.C., said the newspaper’s parent company, Glacier Media, gave his members notice that it plans to stop publication within the next 60 days.
He said the closing will be hard for members of his union.
“A lot of these people have been there most of their working life, and there aren’t a lot of other jobs out there right now,” he said. “It’s going to be extremely difficult.”
Glacier Media also owns the Times Colonist.
— The Canadian Press and Kamloops Daily News
