The Hour (newspaper)

"The Evening Hour" redirects here. For the American drama film, see The Evening Hour (film).

The Norwalk Hour
TypeDaily newspaper
Owner(s)Hearst Communications
PublisherMike Deluca
Founded1871
LanguageEnglish
HeadquartersNorwalk, Connecticut
Circulation15,048
OCLC number27905790
Websitethehour.com

The Norwalk Hour is a daily newspaper published in Norwalk, Connecticut, by Hearst Media Services, Connecticut. It primarily covers and serves the city of Norwalk.

History

1912 postcard with the Norwalk Hour building at center

The newspaper was founded in 1871.[1][2] It was published under the title The Evening Hour from 1895 into the 1900s, at which point it was renamed The Norwalk Hour. Some time after 1971, it became simply The Hour.[3][4] The newspaper covers local news, business, sports, and entertainment,[2] and as of April 2003, had a circulation of 16,070.[5] In 2000, The Hour shifted from afternoon to morning deliveries.[6]

In 2003, competition between The Hour and its larger rival, The Advocate, came to a head. On May 15, the Stamford-based competitor began circulating a special Norwalk edition with significantly increased local coverage and a price that substantially undercut The Hour.[7] The rivalry escalated to barbs traded on editorial pages.[7][8]

Hearst, which took control of the Advocate in 2008, acquired The Hour for an undisclosed price in a deal announced in April 2016.[9] The seller was the Nellie M. Thomas Trust, owner of the Hour Publishing Co.[10] According to reports, its print circulation at the time was about 12,000 daily copies.

On June 25, 2017, the newspaper was reflagged The Norwalk Hour. The move coincided with its relocation to 301 Merritt 7 in Norwalk, along with the offices of Hearst Connecticut Media.[11]

References

  1. ^ "About The evening hour. (Norwalk, CT) 1895-190? « Chronicling America « Library of Congress". Chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  2. ^ a b The Hour's Directory, The Hour, retrieved June 11, 2009.
  3. ^ "1971 scans of the newspaper still titled "The Norwalk Hour"". News.google.com. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  4. ^ About this newspaper: The Hour, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, retrieved June 11, 2009.
  5. ^ Non-responders: Newspapers not replying to the ASNE newsroom survey, ranked by circulation (DOC), Power Reporting, retrieved June 11, 2009.
  6. ^ Norwalk Paper Shifts To Morning Delivery, The New York Times, September 18, 2000.
  7. ^ a b "Newspapers Are the News in Norwalk", The New York Times, July 27, 2003.
  8. ^ "Old-Fashioned Newspaper Circulation War on Westport's Doorstep", Westport Now, June 20, 2003.
  9. ^ "Hearst Acquires Print and Digital Assets of The Hour (Norwalk) and Wilton Villager in Connecticut". hearst.com. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  10. ^ "The Hour Newspaper in Norwalk Sold to Hearst". patch.com. April 13, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  11. ^ "At The Norwalk Hour, an old flag and a new headquarters". thehour.com. Retrieved April 12, 2018.