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O’Rourke Media Group acquires RiverTown Multimedia

The O’Rourke Media Group grew its Minnesota and Wisconsin portfolio on Thursday with the acquisition of two weekly newspapers.

Forum Communications Company sold RiverTown Multimedia, which publishes the Republican Eagle and Star-Observer newspapers, to O’Rourke Media Group.

Earlier this year, O’Rourke Media Group acquired the Cannon Falls Beacon, located just outside of Minneapolis.

“I’m thrilled that RiverTown Multimedia will be joining our company,” said Jim O’Rourke, CEO of O’Rourke Media Group. “These are well respected newspapers and combined with the Cannon Falls Beacon, this acquisition significantly strengthens our competitive position in Goodhue County. We can’t wait to get to know these communities and work with their talented employees to effectively serve readers and advertisers.”

The acquisition will close on Jan. 1. The sale includes the news, sales and IT staff of the newspaper group but does not include the RiverTown office and production facility.

The family-owned and operated O’Rourke Media Group launched in 2018 and now publishes 16 newspapers and affiliated websites in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont and Arizona.