Business owner Richard Donnelly is expanding his catalog of newspapers to nearly three dozen with the purchase of the Sun Newspaper group and an agreement to buy Greater Media Newspapers in central New Jersey, it was announced Aug. 23 by Greater Media Publisher and General Manager Ben Cannizzaro.
Donnelly said the new acquisitions will come under the mantle of the newly minted Newspaper Media Group. In the past four months, Donnelly has also acquired Packet Media, publisher of the Princeton Packet and four other titles, and Broad Street Media, which owns more than a dozen community newspapers in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia.
“Together with these entities, we are going to bring back newspapers to reflect the past when people read newspapers,” said Donnelly who is the CEO of Donnelly Distribution and a Philadelphia native.
“Broadstreet Media has a strong foothold in the community newspaper field. I’m a firm believer that this media outlet will flourish. Now with the acquisition of the Sun and Greater Media Newspapers, our footprint has expanded exponentially. The future is boundless!” said Perry Corsetti, publisher of Broad Street Media.
The Greater Media Newspapers purchase will be finalized in mid-September, Donnelly said in a telephone interview Aug. 17. Greater Media publishes its flagship News Transcript and several Sentinels for a total of 10 weekly newspapers in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Donnelly said he purchased the Sun community weekly newspapers Aug. 18 from president and publisher Dan McDonough Jr. Elauwit Media, publisher of the Sun newspapers, owned community papers in central and southern New Jersey.
The purchases in August will bring newspaper titles owned by Donnelly to about 35 publications, with a stable of 275 employees, he said.
“I move fast,” Donnelly said when detailing his print purchases. He acquired Broad Street Media and its affiliates in July of this year. The Philadelphia area publication group produces more than a dozen newspapers and magazines. Donnelly had been a minority owner in the firm that purchased the publication company in 2010. This year, he bought out the other owners.
Donnelly began his business ventures with Donnelly Distribution, a company he started in his brother’s garage in 1976. The firm is now the Philadelphia region’s largest advertising distribution company, packaging advertising inserts for delivery at its operations base in Pennsauken..
The self effacing Donnelly also established a charitable organization, the R and K Donnelly Family Foundation, in 2014. “I believe in giving back to the community and never forgetting where I came from,” he said.
The Richard and Kathleen Donnelly Family Foundation (RKDFF) is a registered 501(c)(3) corporation located in Lindenwold, N.J. The Foundation benefits philanthropy, voluntarism and grant making foundations, focusing specifically on private independent foundations programs.
