Tolosa Press founders selling company

December 19, 2013

tolosaTolosa Press founders Mary and Chris Gardner are selling their 50 percent share of the local newspaper publisher to company co-owners Bret and Lani Colhouer. [Tribune]

The Gardners founded Tolosa Press in 2006, along with the newspaper SLO City News. In 2007, Tolosa Press merged with Bret Colhouer’s newspapers, The Bay News and The Coast News.

The sale of the Gardners’ share, which takes effect Dec. 23, will make the Colhouers the sole owners of Tolosa Press.

Mary Gardner told the Tribune that the newspapers were “going strong,” but it was time for her and her husband to move on.

“We started this business seven years ago, and we’ve worked very hard on it,” Gardner said. “We decided we’re going to force ourselves to move on.”

Gardner would not disclose the financial agreement.

The deal had been in the works for a while, and the newspapers are not expected to change, she said.

Tolosa Press has a readership of about 60,000 in San Luis Obispo County. It employs about 20 people and several freelancers.

 


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I am wondering if the Bay News will continue as I saw what happened at Spencers, described by Mr. Gary Johnson(Council woman Nancy’s husband), way differently. The NO RECALL supporter was simply asking the RECALLERS if they had the paper work required by law. The trouble maker Johnson, made up everything. NO ONE touched any papers!

The Recallers sound desperate when they must make up stories to try to stir up trouble. Not a problem before Gary came along.


Tolosa/CCN merger?


Get the fluff and the printing and the ad service from one side. Get the hard hitting news from the other. Badda bing.


Hope this doesn’t lead this paper to become the same as the Tribune and New Times, which are now good for nothing more than packing material or starting a fire


I wish the Gardeners well but have one last request. Please take Neil Farrell along with you.


Actually this weeks Bay News was pretty spot on with the news here in MB.


It’s not so much what they report as what they ignore. The average citizen learns more by watching channel 20. All those stories in the Bay News about the 5 Cities or SLO could be Morro Bay stories if they had someone out digging – it’s a lazy, ad-driven newspaper.


We need all the media we can get. It seems that when we look for ‘coverage’ there is always a gap, but honestly, I’m impressed with the on line newspapers/websites. Their ability to be selective as to articles and subjects and look into ‘the meat of the issues’ pleases me. Lately the Tolosa Press has had some biased reporting in Morro Bay and that is shocking. I hope the new owner can straighten that out. I’m looking forward to reading the first issue under new ownership. I wish you all the best of luck Mary and Chris Gardner.!!


So the news is that the Bay News will continue to “not-cover” the news, and cover the “not-news”, the way it has been for the last ten years? I know it’s not the best time in the world to start a newspaper, but Morro Bay could really use an objective, investigative online/print weekly that didn’t run from news. I don’t think it would take much to put Tolossa out of business, at least in Morro Bay. The Bay News is virtually useless.


We need a print media that will dig deep into all matters of importance in this county, even more than what CCN does. The Tribune and New Times have lost their taste for honest reporting, nothing but a couple of rags that I wouldn’t use to wrap fish. Apparently the

reporters there, if they can called that, are told what to write. They are getting paid what

they’re worth.


I prefer Tolosa press over the Tribune; used to like New Times (but that was years ago before it went to crap). I was hoping Tolosa’s three papers would pick up the style/tempo of the old New Times (before their total surge left).


I don’t mind left and right, but be honest about it at least. Try to get a contradicting opinion, etc. Seems like there’s just one or two big “alliances” or cliques in this area, and it seems to be effecting all media and we now have propaganda.


Нет Правда в Известия, нет Известия в Правду…

(no truth in the news; no news in the truth)