A new digitally focused media company — the Alabama Media Group, which will include The Birmingham News, the Press-Register of Mobile, The Huntsville Times and al.com — will launch this fall to serve readers and advertisers across the state, according to Cindy Martin, who will become president of the new organization.

The change is designed to reshape how Alabama's leading media companies deliver award-winning local news, sports and entertainment coverage in an increasingly digital age. The Alabama Media Group will dramatically expand its news-gathering efforts around the clock, seven days a week, while offering enhanced printed newspapers on a schedule of three days a week. The newspapers will be home-delivered and sold in stores on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays only.

A second company, Advance Central Services Alabama, will handle production, distribution, technology, finance and human resources, and will be led by current Birmingham News President and Publisher Pam Siddall. Both companies are owned by Advance Publications, Inc.

Driving these changes are rapid advances in how readers engage with news content across all platforms, print and digital, said Martin, who is currently the President and CEO of al.com.

"We're excited to bring together the quality journalism of The Birmingham News, the Press-Register of Mobile and The Huntsville Times and the up-to-the minute immediacy of al.com," Martin said. "This is obviously a dramatic change, but we believe our award-winning journalism, top-notch advertising services and the largest website in Alabama position us to be a healthy, growing company."

Siddall, who will be President of Advance Central Services Alabama, said the launch of the new companies is a difficult but necessary move.

“We have seen such dramatic growth at al.com and have such strength and familiarity with our printed newspapers, the time is now for these changes,” said Siddall. “We have to be bold when it comes to positioning ourselves for the future.”

The Wednesday, Friday and Sunday newspapers will be enhanced to add features and be more robust than the papers’ current offerings, Martin said. The three newspapers will include more sports and entertainment coverage, and will include a full week’s worth of puzzles and comics in the three days of publication. The three newspapers also plan to expand their reporting resources to provide more focus on local news.

In Birmingham and Mobile, the company will expand those newspapers' hyper-local zones. In Huntsville and Mobile, the addition of a new Sunday Forum section will add greater depth and analysis to news coverage, Martin said. And Mobile will continue to produce a standalone edition of the Mississippi Press.

The change in organizational structures across all departments will lead to a reduction in the overall size of the workforce. Details are still being worked out, Martin said.

“There are always painful choices when you begin a process that will lead to people losing their jobs,” Martin said. “But at the same time, we must position ourselves to be sustainable businesses going forward. The new companies we launch in the fall, we believe, not only achieve that, but will serve our growing audiences and advertisers better than ever before."

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