• Jim Cook Jr.

The South Jersey Times will launch this Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. It will be a culmination of the Gloucester County Times, Today's Sunbeam and News of Cumberland County.

Today, history will be made when the news racks throughout the region begin carrying theSouth Jersey Times.

The Times will be a culmination of theGloucester County Times,The News of Cumberland County andToday's Sunbeam in Salem County. TheSouth Jersey Times will cover Camden, Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland counties and is expected to expand to the entire South Jersey region.

The new publication is managed byJoseph P. Owens, former vice president of content forThe Express-Times in Easton, Pa.,now, General Manager of South Jersey Media Group.

Today, those three papers carried their last printing before the merger.

All three publications have been printing since the 1800s. The new publication will continue to serve the community seven-days-per-week, and can be found onNJ.com.

GLOUCESTER COUNTY TIMES

In 1897, theWoodbury Daily Times began printing, founded by J. Frank Wilson who served as publisher, along with partner C. Walter Hawn.

The Monday, July 21, 1969 edition of the Woodbury Daily Times breaking news of the moon landing.

In 1918, J. Frank Wilson Jr. — the publisher’s son — became the managing editor when his father died.

For the majority of the paper's life, it was owned by the Wilson Family, with Jack H. Wilson serving as the paper's managing publisher until 1972. Around that time, theWoodbury Daily Times changed names and became theGloucester County Times.

The paper covered all news in Gloucester County, including news extending from Burlington to Salem counties. When it changed names, the paper added a Sunday edition.

In 1972, the paper was sold by the Wilson family to Harte-Hanks Newspapers, which publishes papers primarily based in Texas — most notably theSan Antonio Express-News.

By 1983, the Times was again sold, this time to MediaNews Group, under the direction of Walter Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. TheGloucester County Timeswas the first publication owned by MediaNews Group, which currently owns 56 daily newspapers.

TheTimes was sold again in 2000 to Advance Publication, forming South Jersey Newspapers, which also ownedToday's Sunbeam and theBridgeton Evening News.

TheGloucester County Times was most recently managed by Vice President of AdvertisingCathy Clark, Managing EditorJessica Beym and Vice President of CirculationJohn Petracci.

TODAY’S SUNBEAM

The oldest publication in theSouth Jersey Times merger,Today's Sunbeam was founded in 1819 as theSalem Messenger, only serving Salem City.

The final edition (Nov. 3, 2012) of Today's Sunbeam, the oldest daily paper owned by South Jersey Media Group -- founded in 1819.

Publications for the small Salem County communities were separate, but eventually merged.

In 1972, theWoodstown Monitor-Register, Penns Grove Sun, Pennsville Progress, Salem Standard and Jerseyman andSalem Sunbeam all merged to form theSunbeam, which was later renamedToday's Sunbeam.

In 1990, Today's Sunbeam was purchased by MediaNews Group, then sold to Advance Publications in 2000.

Most recently,Today's Sunbeam was managed byCeil Smith as publisher,Bill Gallo Jr. as editor andJaime Marine as managing editor. They will carry over to theSouth Jersey Times.

NEWS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY

TheBridgeton Evening News — the name the publication held most of its life — was founded in 1879 and concentrated mostly on the city of Bridgeton, with a separateEvening News supplement for the city of Millville.

The Bridgeton Evening News reporting the arrival of President William Howard Taft to the area.

During the early-to-mid 1900s, the Bridgeton Evening News boasted a circulation of over 25,000 — the largest in New Jersey south of Camden.

The Schofield Family sold theBridgeton Evening News to the American Publishing Company (now Hollinger International) in 1989. TheEvening News was later purchased by MediaNews Group in 1996.

In 2000, Advance Publications purchased theBridgeton Evening News, renaming it theBridgeton News (with a zonedMillville News).

On Nov. 3, 2008, theBridgeton News combined zoned editions and was renamedThe News of Cumberland County— exactly four years to the date of its final publication.

The News of Cumberland Countywas most recently managed byMatt Gray as editor,Ceil Smith as publisher andLauren T. Taniguchi as city editor. They will carry over to the new publication.

SOUTH JERSEY TIMES

Earlier this fall, South Jersey Media Group general managerJoseph P. Owens announced the three publications would merge to form theSouth Jersey Times.

Current subscribers to the three publications will carry over when theSouth Jersey Times begins its 30,000 circulation.

Reporters, editors and photographers from all three newspapers will contribute to the zoned north and south editions of theSouth Jersey Times and its affiliate websiteNJ.com, according to Owens. Sales, distribution, artists, business officials and all other staff members will continue with their roles at theSouth Jersey Times.

It will also carry over columns byBob Shyrock,Jim SixandCarly Romalino, as well as theBEN Column.

The South Jersey Times offices are located at 309 South Broad Street in Woodbury, and 93 Fifth Street in Salem.

For subscriptions, contact the circulation department at1-888-686-0060.

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ContactJim Cook Jr. at856-845-3300 ext. 282 orjcook@southjerseymedia.com