Dear Loyal Readers,

For 110 years, it has been our family’s great privilege to own and operate a daily newspaper that grew to become central Ohio’s leading provider of news and information.

When our family purchased The Dispatch in 1905, Columbus had four daily newspapers. The telegraph, telephone and electric lighting were recent technological innovations.

With the development of radio in the 1920s and television in the 1940s and ‘50s, we were able to expand into these new lines of communications, and establish successful radio and television operations.

From the 1964 purchase of its first computer, an IBM 1620 with 8K of memory, to the 1996 launch of www.dispatch.com, The Dispatch has recognized the need to adapt to the computer and digital age.

Over its entire history, The Dispatch Printing Company owes much of its success to having embraced such technological progress, and having the loyal and dedicated associates who adapt to change and pursue excellence in their crafts.

Despite all the technological upheaval, throughout most of the 20th century print newspapers remained the unquestioned news leaders in their communities, and most of them were family-owned.

In the last two decades, however, the unprecedented speed, breadth and depth of change affecting the newspaper industry redefined the fundamentals necessary for continued success.

Single-city, independent, family-owned newspapers – long the traditional model of American journalism -- found they lack the economies of scale necessary to adapt in our fast-changing, digitally-dominant information marketplace. As a result, few retain that traditional ownership model.

After several years of operational adjustments and careful assessment of the factors influencing The Dispatch’s performance, we concluded the paper’s future success is most enhanced within a newspaper company that has both regional and national reach, as well as strong marketing and digital operations, providing the economies of scale essential for optimum efficiency.

Our agreement to sell The Dispatch and its sister print publications to the New Media Investment Group Inc., which has 126 dailies in 32 states, reflects the conclusion of that assessment process.

While our family no longer will be in the print business, we will continue to own and operate our television, radio, and commercial and agricultural real-estate enterprises.

We also will maintain our historic involvement in civic, community and philanthropic endeavors that contribute substantially to the quality of life we all enjoy in central Ohio.

We are deeply grateful for the contributions of thousands of loyal Dispatch associates over the years, proud of the quality of their work, and appreciative of the longstanding support of our readers and advertisers.

Sincerely yours,
John F. Wolfe