Battle Born Media acquires Sparks Tribune

SPARKS — A Nevada-based newspaper chain that owns publications in Ely and Mesquite has acquired the Sparks Tribune.

Officials for Battle Born Media announced Monday they have purchased the more than century-old newspaper from Sparks Tribune LLC.

Battle Born Media is owned by Sherman Frederick, the former president of Stephens Media and ex-publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal; and Tim Dahlberg, a national sports writer for The Associated Press based in Las Vegas.

The company also owns and operates The Ely Times, Mineral County Independent-News, Lincoln County Record, Eureka Sentinel and Mesquite Local News.

“We’re especially excited about acquiring the Tribune, which has served as the local news source for many generations in Sparks,” Frederick said in a statement Monday. “We know the people of Sparks are involved in their community and interested in local news and sports. We have a lot of plans to make the paper better and more relevant, both in print and with a robust online presence.”

The Sparks Tribune opened in 1910, and Dahlberg got his start in journalism there in the 1970s. Its new publisher and editor will be Kent Lauer, a former reporter for the Review-Journal who also worked as executive director of the Nevada Press Association.

Sparks Tribune LLC was owned by Randy Frisch, Dominic Welch and A.L. Alford Jr.

Details of the sale were not released. Frederick said the transaction was effective immediately.