Media Watch

NH daily shuts down with no notice, a hundred lose jobs

The Eagle ran out of Time, State Will Investigate
Another New England daily closes

By Walter Brooks

     The Eagle Times closes
         No notice required

The publisher of The Eagle Times in Claremont says his family spent more than $1 million of its own money to keep the daily newspaper going before filing for bankruptcy.
The paper published its last edition yesterday, laying off 66 full-time and 29 part-time workers.
Publisher Harvey Hill said the paper had been for sale through a broker for a year but no one showed interest, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.
Because the paper has fewer than 100 employees, it's not required under federal law to give 60 days notice of the closing to them.
A meeting was scheduled at US Bankruptcy Court in Manchester on Aug. 7. Globe.

With the Boston Globe awaiting the Newspaper Guild vote later this month before its potential buyers will make a legally binding offer New England's biggest daily newspaper, another New England daily newspaper has folded.

According to the Manchester NH Union-Leader, New Hampshire officials say they will investigate whether a state law requiring employers to give workers and communities a 60-day notice before closing applies to The Eagle Times newspaper in Claremont NH which closed the doors on Friday.

Eagle Times publisher Harvey Hill sent an e-mail to staffers Thursday saying Friday's edition of the paper will be the newspaper's last. The company had declared bankruptcy on July 11, 

Hill told employees he had done his best to keep the daily paper going, but the economy and changes in the newspaper industry have made it impossible to survive. He said his family is unable to continue underwriting the losses of the company, which also includes three weekly publications.

Roy Duddy, interim director of the state Division of Economic Development, said the state will initiate its Rapid Response Team on Friday to assist workers and their families facing layoffs, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.

Duddy says he believes about 120 people work for the company.