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Biddeford's Journal Tribune To Cease Publication After 135 Years

The Journal Tribune newspaper in Biddeford is ending a 135-year run and will cease operations on Saturday, Oct. 12.

Parent company Masthead Maine, which owns the Portland Press Herald and other papers, says the Journal Tribute hasn’t been profitable since it was purchased last year. Masthead CEO Lisa DeSisto says the company tried to reduce expenses, and also considered going digital or reducing days of publication.

“But when we looked at the other publications in the area that we already operate, we realize the community is well covered by the Press Herald, which actually has three times the distribution of the Journal Tribune in the same market, and then we also have some popular weeklies,” she says.

DeSisto says six staff members are being laid off, but placements have been found in other parts of the company for six others, including 2 reporters.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.