Telluride has joined the ranks of the one-newspaper-town club, more or less.
The Telluride Daily Planet has purchased The Watch, bringing it into a family that also includes The Norwood Post.
The Watch, a weekly, will continue to be published. Daily Planet publisher Andrew Mirrington said that while the Planet will continue to offer hard news coverage, The Watch may shift to longer features of regional interest and might have a different focus on arts and entertainment.
The acquisition happened quickly, so details are still being worked out. The Watch’s first edition under its new owner is scheduled to be issued Dec. 4.
The Watch was founded by Marta Tarbell and her husband, Seth Cagin, in 1996 as a faxed newsletter after the Telluride Times-Journal went out of business. They began their newspaper careers in New York City. Tarbell worked for the Herald-Tribune, New York Post and Condé Nast publications. Cargin worked for Rolling Stone and has written several books.
Mirrington said staff members of The Watch have been offered the opportunity to work for the Daily Planet. Some personnel from each of The Watch’s departments will be needed. He did not return calls asking for information on how many jobs will be eliminated because of the acquisition.