A husband and wife team with roots in Nome and Kotzebue have purchased five publications from the recently shuttered Alaska Newspapers Inc.
Jason Evans and his wife Kiana Peacock have purchased the weeklies: The Arctic Sounder, The Dutch Harbor Fisherman and The Bristol Bay Times. The sale also includes the specialty publications The Equipment Shopper and The Bush Shopper. Evans was born and raised in Nome, and his wife is from Kotzebue. Evans says he and his wife initially wanted to keep the Arctic Sounder alive, and they later began looking at the other publications.
The Calista Corporation cited increasing costs of fuel, paper and print technology in its decision to liquidate the newspapers. Evans says he’ll take a tough look at the logistics of selling newspapers in rural Alaska.
Evans says he plans to keep printing papers as well as maintain a web presence. Local news will be the priority for the publications.
The final publications by ANI will be released the week of August 15. Evans says the next few weeks will be spent evaluating the newspapers and planning for publication.
Evans says there are no immediate plans to expand into the Nome region.
Evans works as the Vice President of Consulting for Alaska Growth Capital and is the owner of Financial Alaska. He serves as the President of the Sitnasuak Board of Directors. Kiana Peacock was born and raised in Kotzebue and works for Alaska Airlines.
At a quarterly meeting on July 22, Calista’s Board of Directors voted to shut down and liquidate Alaska newspapers Inc after 19 years of ownership. The Cordova Times was sold this week to the paper’s editor, Jennifer Gibbons.
Ben Matheson is a contributor with the Alaska Public Radio Network.
