Brush-Moore Newspapers

Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc. was a United States newspaper group based in Ohio which had its origins in 1923 and was sold to Thomson Newspapers in 1967 for $72 million, the largest ever newspaper transaction at that time.

In 1923, Louis Herbert Brush, who had joined the Salem News (of Salem, Ohio) as a manager in 1894 and purchased it in 1897, entered into a partnership with Roy Donald Moore and William Henry Vodrey, Jr. to purchase The Marion Star from then-U.S. President Warren G. Harding. By 1924, Time magazine already noted the group as one of the prominent newspaper groups in the country, with four papers and a total circulation of 30,906. In 1927, the "Brush-Moore" chain was created from their holdings. Joseph K. Vodrey, son of W.H. Vodrey Jr., became general manager of Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc. in 1946. Vodrey was Vice-President and a member of the Brush-Moore board of directors from 1951 to 1968, when he retired. He also served as Vice-President and as a Director of the Beaverkettle Company.

At the time of the 1967 sale, Brush-Moore owned 12 daily papers, including six in Ohio (the Canton Repository, East Liverpool Review, Salem News, Steubenville Herald, Marion Star, and Portsmouth Times) three in California (Times-Standard, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and Oxnard Press-Courier), and one in Maryland (Salisbury Daily Times), Pennsylvania (Hanover Evening Sun), and West Virginia (Weirton Daily Times), with a total circulation of approximately 540,000.

Ohio

 * Salem News. Owned by Brush since 1897. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * East Liverpool Review. Acquired by Brush in 1901. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * The Marion Star. Acquired in 1923 from President Warren G. Harding. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * Steubenville Herald Acquired 1925. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * Canton Repository. Acquired 1927.  Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * Portsmouth Times. Acquired 1930. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * Canton Daily News. Acquired and shut down this 97-year-old paper in 1930, leaving Brush-Moore with the only evening paper in the town.
 * Ironton Tribune. Acquired 50% interest in 1930, and full ownership in 1955.  Sold in 1960s prior to sale to Thomson.

California

 * San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Acquired 1960. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * Oxnard Press-Courier. Acquired 1963.  Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * Times-Standard (Eureka). Acquired in 1967, and sold to Thomson the same year.

Other

 * Salisbury Daily Times (Maryland). Acquired 1937.  Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * Hanover Evening Sun (Pennsylvania). Acquired 1958.  Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * Weirton Daily Times. Acquired 1962.  Sold to Thomson in 1967.
 * In 1964, Brush-Moore attempted to purchase the Arizona Daily Star.

Radio
Ohio Broadcasting Co. was a subsidiary of Brush-Moore which focused on radio interests.


 * WHBC (AM) (Canton, Ohio). Purchased 1936.
 * WPAY (AM) (Portsmouth, Ohio), acquired in 1944 through purchase of Scioto Broadcasting company.
 * WONE (AM) (Dayton, Ohio). Purchased in 1961, sold in 1964 to Group One Broadcasting.
 * WONE-FM (now WTUE) (Dayton, Ohio). Purchased in 1961, sold in 1964 to Group One Broadcasting.
 * WONE-TV (now WKEF). Dayton television station, purchased in 1961, sold in 1963 to Springfield Television.
 * WPDQ (Jacksonville, Florida). Sold in 1964 to Belk Broadcasting Co.