RISN Operations

RISN Operations Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Newspaper publishing
Founded	January 2007
Headquarters	Warwick , United States
Key people	Melanie Radler (President), Roland McBride (Vice President and Treasurer)
Products	Daily and weekly newspapers
Owner	Horizon Publications (shared ownership connections)

RISN Operations Inc., operating under the name Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers, is a privately held publisher overseeing three daily newspapers and several weeklies within Rhode Island. Established in January 2007 by newspaper executives from Illinois, RISN acquired the Rhode Island newspaper holdings of the Journal Register Company for $8.3 million.

The firm expanded its portfolio through a series of acquisitions, including the purchase of the Yuma Sun and Porterville Recorder from Freedom Communications in 2013. In 2018, RISN added South County Newspapers—which includes The Independent and South County Life—to its holdings following their acquisition from GateHouse Media.

Further growth occurred in 2019 when RISN obtained The Westerly Sun and Sun Publishing Company from Connecticut’s Record-Journal Publishing Company, as well as California’s The Union Democrat. Most recently, in 2022, RISN incorporated The Chronicle of Willimantic, Connecticut into its collection.

These calculated acquisitions have enhanced RISN’s regional presence and broadened its range of publications across several states, thereby solidifying its position in the competitive landscape of local newspaper publishing.

Officers

At its inception, RISN was led by Melanie Radler as president and Roland McBride as vice president and treasurer. Both executives hail from Illinois and have ties to Conrad Black’s former Hollinger International newspaper network. Radler is the daughter of F. David Radler, a former Hollinger executive; meanwhile, McBride previously served as CFO at Horizon Publications Inc., a company founded by Radler after his departure from Hollinger.

McBride also held the CFO role at American Publishing Co., another former Hollinger subsidiary, and was involved in legal proceedings concerning the misappropriation of $5.5 million during the transfer of newspaper assets from Hollinger to Horizon.

RISN maintains its headquarters in Warwick, Rhode Island, although its incorporation paperwork lists a Delaware address. The company shares ownership connections with Horizon Publications.

Dailies

RISN manages seven daily newspapers distributed across various states:

• The Call (Woonsocket, Rhode Island)
• Kent County Daily Times (West Warwick, Rhode Island)
• Porterville Recorder (Porterville, California)
• The Times (Pawtucket, Rhode Island)
• The Union Democrat (Sonora, California)
• The Westerly Sun (Westerly, Rhode Island)
• Yuma Sun (Yuma, Arizona)
• The Chronicle (Willimantic, Connecticut)

Additionally, RISN briefly operated the Warwick Daily Times, based out of West Warwick’s newsroom—a publication initially launched by JRC in 2006 but discontinued by RISN in 2007.

Weeklies

RISN’s weekly newspapers are collectively known as Southern Rhode Island Newspapers and are based in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Their combined weekly circulation dropped from 16,140 copies in 2001 to approximately 13,000 by 2007.

The Southern Rhode Island Newspapers offices are located at 187 Main Street in Wakefield.

The East Greenwich Pendulum

Serving East Greenwich since 1854, this paper had a Thursday circulation of 2,040 in 2006.

The Narragansett Times

The largest publication based in Wakefield with a twice-weekly circulation of 5,006 in 2006; it covers Narragansett and South Kingstown and has been published since 1855.

The Standard-Times

Established in 1888, this newspaper serves Exeter, North Kingstown, and Jamestown with a Thursday circulation of 3,854 as of 2006.

The Independent

Covering South Kingstown—including Kingston, Wakefield, Peace Dale—Narragansett, and North Kingstown. Launched in 1997 originally as two competing papers against Southern Rhode Island Newspapers, it was consolidated into a single publication in 2015 under Edward A. Sherman Publishing. Gatehouse Media acquired Sherman Publishing in 2017. In June 2018, RISN purchased both The Independent and its associated magazine South County Life from Gatehouse.

Sun Publishing Company also produces weekly newspapers within RISN’s portfolio.

Closure of The Chariho Times and The Coventry Courier

In August 2023, RISN discontinued publication of both The Chariho Times and The Coventry Courier, citing increased operational expenses, reduced resources, and declining local advertising revenues. Founded in 1993, The Chariho Times served the rural communities of Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Richmond—three towns forming the Chariho Regional School District. Established in 1996, The Coventry Courier provided coverage for Coventry and West Greenwich located within Kent County.

Plagiarism controversies

In April 2013, an assistant editor at The Narragansett Times copied the opening paragraph from a rival publication, the South County Independent. The latter demanded a prominent apology on the front page, prompting The Narragansett Times to publish a statement explaining that the error resulted from unintentional transcription and expressing regret for any confusion caused to readers.