Richner Communications acquires Oyster Bay Guardian

Publishers Clifford and Stuart Richner announced Oct. 20 that Richner Communications has acquired the Oyster Bay Guardian, a weekly publication covering Oyster Bay and several surrounding communities on Long Island’s North Shore that once counted President Teddy Roosevelt among its subscribers.

Richner Communications Inc., based in Garden City, publishes 15 award-winning editions of the Herald Community Newspapers, the 10-edition PrimeTime Xpress shopping guide, The Jewish Star and The Riverdale Press. The company also owns and operates LIHerald.com and FinditLI.com.

Founded in 1899 by Nelson Discrow, the Oyster Bay Guardian has published continually for over a century. Richner Communications acquired the Guardian from the Dolan family, which owns Cablevision and Newsday. The Dolans bought the paper a little over a decade ago in a quiet deal. The Richners are only the third family — among a handful of owners — to oversee the Oyster Bay Guardian over the past century.

“Cliff and I are pleased to add another strong community newspaper to our fold,” said Stuart Richner. “We are optimistic about the future of community newspapers, as evidenced by our investment in the Guardian. As national and world news increasingly becomes a commodity instantly available from many sources at the click of a mouse, our papers and websites focus on the news that has the most direct impact on our readers — their neighborhoods, their schools, religious institutions and all the other organizations that shape daily life in our communities. In most cases we are the only source for independent, original reporting on these issues. In that regard, the Oyster Bay Guardian and Herald Community Newspapers are a perfect match.”

The Herald newspapers have a strong tradition of their own for independent-minded community journalism. The papers have won more than 100 awards in recent years from state and national press associations, often for their outspoken stands on community issues. Whether fighting to close a polluting power plant or to preserve the Island’s dwindling open spaces and scenic wetlands, the Heralds have frequently been cited as a catalyst for community action.

“A good newspaper helps build and support its community and, in turn, draws support from the people it serves,” said Cliff Richner. “The Guardian has been doing just that since the 19th century. We intend to keep what’s best about the Guardian while bringing it into the 21st century.”

The Guardian is RCI’s second acquisition beyond the Island’s South Shore. The first was The Riverdale Press, a Pulitzer Prize-winning publication in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, in 2008. The Richners purchased the Press from another pair of brothers, their longtime friends Bernard and Richard Stein. Richard Stein has gone on to play a leading role in developing LIHerald.com.

Robert and Edith Richner founded Richner Communications in 1964, when they purchased the Nassau Herald and Rockaway Journal. Since assuming leadership of the company in 1987, their sons Clifford and Stuart have steadily expanded into communities across Nassau County and beyond.