Newsroom Ventures acquires Pine Bluff Commercial

The Pine Bluff Commercial announced Monday (March 30) that it has been acquired from WEHCO Media, Inc. by Arkansas-based Newsroom Ventures, LLC, the parent company for five other Arkansas newspapers.

Newsroom Ventures is owned by Roby Brock, CEO of Natural State Media, parent company of Talk Business & Politics and The Northwest Arkansas Business Journal.

The Pine Bluff Commercial has served the community for 147 years, earning a reputation for quality news reporting, including a Pulitzer Prize.

Under the new local ownership, the newspaper will continue operating under its current name and location. A printed newspaper will be mailed directly to subscribers on Fridays, and readers will continue to have access to content at www.pbcommercial.com.

“We have attempted to provide a quality newspaper for the past five years,” said Walter Hussman Jr., chairman of WEHCO Media Inc. “We believe Newsroom Ventures, LLC shares our commitment to customers, employees, and the community.”

“We are honored to carry forward the legacy of the Pine Bluff Commercial,” said Brock. “Our goal is to continue delivering the same high level of service while investing in the company’s long-term success.”

Employees will remain in their current roles, and customers can expect uninterrupted service.

In addition to the existing Pine Bluff staff, Scott Hamilton will join The Pine Bluff Commercial as vice president of community engagement. David Keith, former editor of The Log Cabin Democrat and a retired professor of journalism at the University of Central Arkansas, will serve as a consultant during a transition period for the paper.

The announcement will also result in more news content for Talk Business & Politics. Newsroom Ventures owns and manages weekly newspapers and media products, including The England Democrat, The Grand Prairie Herald, The Fordyce News Advocate, The Waldron News, The Glenwood Herald, and The Pine Bluff Commercial.

“These local papers have been and will continue to expand our news coverage, particularly in south Arkansas and the Delta,” said Brock. “Our Talk Business readers have been benefiting from this expanded coverage for months. With the addition of The Pine Bluff Commercial, we will produce even more southeast Arkansas news content.”

WEHCO Media, Inc. is a privately-owned diversified communications company with interests in newspaper publishing, cable television, and digital services. The company has been family owned since its founding in 1909. It operates daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, and cable television companies in six states. It is the parent company of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.