The Countywide, a weekly newspaper serving Karnes County Texas, has recently seen a change in ownership.

Moser Community Media, LLC, purchased The Countywide on October 1 from Karnes Multi Media, Inc.

Moser Community Media, LLC, is a community-minded media management company with newspapers in DeWitt County (Cuero Record and Yorktown News-View) and Jackson County (Jackson County Herald-Tribune).

The staff of The Countywide will remain, continuing in the same capacity as always, working under a new company – Karnes County Publishing, L.P.

The Countywide’s editor and publisher Joe Baker said he expected any changes under the new ownership will be for the better, further enhancing the quality of the newspaper and giving it tools that will allow it to better serve the community.

Baker said that Karnes Multi Media. Inc., who have owned the newspaper over the last 17 years, have shown outstanding stewardship and management and this has allowed the newspaper to experience success on many different levels.

"From very humble beginnings, this newspaper has grown to become one of the best, award-winning weekly newspapers in Texas," Baker said. "For that, we owe Karnes Multi Media a tremendous amount of gratitude."

"Majority interest in KMM has been jointly held by the John Bianchi Estate, managed by Cletus Bianchi and his sisters Marta Bianchi and Beth Frantes. The Bianchi family and the other shareholders of Karnes Multi Media have always been there for The Countywide when we needed support, and they have always been there for the whole community, as well."

"I know I can speak for the whole staff when I say it’s been an honor to work for Karnes Multi Media," Baker said.

Karnes Multi Media President Cletus Bianchi said the decision to sell to Moser Community Media, LLC was based on several factors.

"I think it’s going to mean a better paper for the community," Bianchi said. "That, and the fact that they can do good things for the employees were the two main considerations for us deciding to sell to them."

Looking back on the past 17 years, Bianchi credited the staff for the success of the newspaper.

"It’s a steadily improving product," Bianchi said. "It’s an award-winning newspaper, readership is up, it’s doing very well for a small town newspaper. We have been fortunate to have good people working there and doing a great job of reporting what’s going on in Karnes County."

"My dad, John C. Bianchi, Jr. felt like small communities should have their own paper and we’ve tried to maintain that commitment to the communities of Karnes County since he died," Bianchi added.

The newspaper’s editor said that the change of ownership marks another turning point for a newspaper that’s seen many changes over the past two decades.

"In 1998, when two newspapers – the Karnes Citation and the Kenedy Advance-Times combined to become The Countywide – one newspaper serving all of Karnes County, that was a significant turning point," Baker said. "Not just for our business, but for Karnes County in general. Looking back over the past 10 years, I can clearly see that it was a change for the better."

"Joining Moser Community Media, LLC, will give us access to numerous resources by becoming part of a larger group of newspapers, and having access to these expanded resources will help make the newspaper even better," Baker explained.

"We are very excited about the future of The Countywide under the new ownership. Jim Moser and his company have a long and distinguished history in the newspaper business and a tradition of bringing the highest level of excellence to the newspapers under their leadership. We are confidant that they will help The Countywide continue to serve the people of Karnes County as a newspaper of the highest quality."

Jim Moser, with Moser Community Media, LLC, said he is looking forward to what the future holds for Karnes County, in general, and The Countywide, in particular.

"My family and our partners are proud to now be a part of Karnes County and The Countywide," Moser said. "The Bianchi family has established a tradition of community-first journalism here at The Countywide, and we will work hard to continue with that."

"We feel like we have inherited a strong staff and look forward to working with them – and the community as a whole – to continue the quality product and services that have been in place here," Moser explained. "We are excited about the opportunities here in Karnes County. The potential growth and strong community spirit make it a great place to be."