IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2011
Five ANI Publications to be Sold by Calista Corporation
Entrepreneurial Husband-Wife Team Assumes Ownership Late August
Calista Corporation and Alaska Newspapers, Inc., a wholly-owned Calista subsidiary, welcomes Jason Evans and Kiana Peacock as the new publishers of three weeklies and two specialty shoppers, effective late August. The newspapers are The Arctic Sounder, The Dutch Harbor Fisherman and The Bristol Bay Times. The specialty publications are The Equipment Shopper and The Bush Shopper.
Evans, an Inupiat born and raised in Nome, is vice president of consulting for Alaska Growth Company and owner of Financial Alaska. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alaska Pacific University. Kiana Peacock, born and raised in Kotzebue, works for Alaska Airlines and has a B.A. degree from Notre Dame University.
Both Evans and Peacock are active in community service roles.
Evans serves as a board member for Alaska Community Foundation; chairman of Sitnasuak Native Corporation; Bering Straits Native Corporation board director; community Advisory Member for KNBA Radio; and former board member for Ryan Air, Salvation Army and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska.
Peacock is the president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 601. She also serves as chief shop steward for employees of Alaska Airlines.
“Calista has been honored for the past 19 years to have provided a voice to communities across Alaska, many of which are hundreds or thousands of miles off the road system,” said Calista Corporation Senior Vice President Margaret Nelson. “We look forward to Evans and Peacock continuing that tradition.”
“I am very proud to be an owner of my local hometown paper and excited to be a part of its new life,” said Peacock.
“It is important to ensure the stories and experiences of our communities are shared,” said Evans. “The next few weeks will be spent evaluating the publications. We hope to announce soon afterward the expected publication dates.”
Management and employees of ANI have made great strides to make the subsidiary profitable in the past few years. However, the increasing costs of fuel, paper and print technology prevented the subsidiary from contributing to Calista’s long-term financial interests and service to Shareholders. At a quarterly meeting on July 22, Calista’s Board of Directors voted to shut down and liquidate ANI after 19 years of ownership.
Since the announcement ANI has been entertaining offers for the publications. The final publications by ANI will be the week of August 15, and the ANI offices will close August 31.
