The E.W. Scripps Co., owner of the Knoxville News Sentinel, the Halls Shopper, and Powell Shopper, is in negotiations to buy Knoxpatch.com. “It is our philosophy to control all sources of news within a community,” said Mark Consuelo, a big executive-type at Scripps. “We feel that bringing each of Knoxpatch.com’s 6 readers into our fold makes plenty of sense,” he added.
No comment was available from Knoxpatch.com’s founders, Bjorn Knoxley and Brehd Patchley, although sources close to the two suggested Bjorn was seen driving a new Lotus Elise while Brehd added six MINI’s to his collection (“A different color for each day of the week,” he is said to have said).
Industry analysts see this as a brilliant move for Scripps, or for Bjorn and Brehd. “Scripps continues to squelch the comp…er, I mean broaden its reader base, while Mr. Knoxley and Mr. Patchley probably were tired of writing stuff anyway,” said industry analyst Juan Castillo.
The deal is rumored to have already been completed, however no official announcement has been released. Unless you count this one. Pessimists see this as a blow to Knoxville’s independent press, but capitalists of the world are excited.