Georgetown (CA) Gazette Sold to McNaughton Family
January 3, 2007 -- For Immediate Release

Placerville, CA – The Georgetown Gazette, a weekly newspaper serving the historic Gold Rush community of Georgetown in the Sierra Nevada foothills, has been sold to the McNaughton family, owner of the daily Mountain Democrat in Placerville.

The 1,600 paid circulation weekly has been owned by local operator Mark Lantz since 1994. JP Media Partners, a Gold River, CA based merger-and-acquisition firm for the newspaper industry, represented Lantz in the transaction.

“We are excited about the purchase of the Georgetown Gazette — a much loved local newspaper,” said Foy McNaughton, president and chief executive officer of McNaughton Newspapers. “This fits nicely with our commitment to El Dorado County.”

The Georgetown Gazette and Town Crier, a TMC publication, joins the group of family owned newspapers, which includes the Mountain Democrat, Life Newspapers, Fairfield Daily Republic, Davis Enterprise and the Winters Express.

In addition to serving Georgetown, located 19 miles north of the El Dorado County seat seat in Placerville, The Gazette’s circulation extends into the Georgetown Divide communities of Greenwood, Garden Valley, Cool, and Pilot Hill.

The first publication of the Georgetown Gazette was on April 9, 1880. Lantz purchased the paper from Tom Daley in 1994.

“Although it will be nice to have some more free time, it’s been a great experience to be at the Gazette for the past 12 years,” Lantz said. “I appreciate the support that the community has given me and the Gazette. There are so many wonderful people on the Divide and it’s been a pleasure to know them. I know I am leaving the paper in good hands with the McNaughton family."