“I think you’ll see a continued, steady pace for the next few years and then you’ll get close to a critical mass, but my hunch would be no. You won’t get all 50.”
In 1970, newspapers were doing OK, still making money from subscriptions, display advertising, and want ads (remember those?). Many big markets had two papers, and perhaps one was "failing." Who could have accurately predicted where the newspaper business would be in 2026?