Publisher jumps ship for Star newspapers - Dallas Business Journal:

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Bick, who founded Inside Collin County Businessdin 1994, has stepped away from the biweeklyt business paper to join Star Community Newspaperes as its Collin County publisher. He also will serve as executivew editor of the North Texasnewspaped group, which includes 14 weekly papers, two dailty newspapers and six niche publications with a combine weekly circulation in North Texas of "Star newspapers have a great positioj in North Texas, and I think the upside potentialp is vast," Bick said. Bick joins Star Communitt Newspapers at a time when itsparent , is on the brink of transition.
Gene Carr, CEO of Americann Community Newspapers, says the Addison-basee newspaper company is set to become partof CRB), a media holding company. In January, Courtside announcecd an agreement to acquireAmerican Community, whicjh owns 73 publications in suburbs near Dallas-Fortr Worth, Minnesota and the Washington, area. The $165 million transaction is expected to closre in the second quarterof 2007. Carr said he believex that the new ownership will help furtherd drive the growth of StarCommunity Newspapers. Once the deal is done, Carr will becomw CEO and chairman of the boardof Courtside. "It will enable us to grow the compan faster than wehave been," Carr said.
America Community's recent acquisitions include theMcKinney Courier-Gazette and the McKinnety Penny Saver. Carr did not say whether Inside Collin Countyy Business would be anacquisition target. "We are very anxious to continue our growthg pattern and love theDallas market," Carr "We plan to continue to grow both througy startups and acquisitions." Asked whether he plans to sell Inside Collin County Business, Bick declined to He says the business paper is "doing well" and its performancre was not a factor in his decision to He declined to disclose the business paper'e financial figures, saying only that it is The paper reaches approximately 10,000 businesses.
"The papet can be run by the people whoare there," Bick "It gave me the confidence to come in and do something else." Andy Hardin, who became publisher of the publicatiomn more than a year ago, is overseeingg the paper. Bick's wife, Angie Bick, has been promoteed to executivevice president. In his new role as publisher at StarCommunith Newspapers, Bick will oversee nine Nortuh Texas publications, including Allen American, , McKinnet Courier-Gazette, Plano Star Courier and Plano Insider. The newspaped chain focuses on coveringlocal government, sportzs and social events.
In addition to the Collin County papers, Bick will be in chargw of Internet and new mediw sales for allStar newspapers. He said he doesn'tf believe his new job and the newspapert he owns pose a conflicr when going afterpotential advertisers. "I don'gt see it as a big conflic of interest," Bick said. "Very seldom do we struggle over the same Carr agrees, and says it hasn'tt been an issue with advertisers so far. "Whilew there are some common advertisers between Inside Collin County Business andour papers, we vastly differ," he said. "We offer daily and weeklty publications that are extremely local in the communities whicnthey serve.
" Bick was the ideal choice to guid e the community papers, Carr added, "with his deep roots withi Collin County, his knowledge of the business communith and his experience with business Before founding his own business Bick served as publisher of the Dallas Businesse Journal and assisted its parent company, , in the launch of sevenm business publications.