Rocky Mountain News owner E.W. Scripps is shipping out information packages this week to a handful of parties potentially interested in buying the newspaper.
Scripps said earlier this month it will attempt to sell the News but that the paper could be shut down if a buyer can’t be found by mid-January.
Scripps spokesman Tim King declined to identify the interested parties or say how many inquiries have been received.
“More than one or two parties were interested, but not as many as dozens,” King said Tuesday.
Many analysts have said the chances are slim for a buyer to purchase the News, which lost $11 million in the first nine months of 2008.
King said the so-called “deal books” sent to possible buyers contain detailed information about the finances and operations of the News and its 50 percent share of the Denver Newspaper Agency, which handles business operations of the News and The Denver Post.
Denver Post publisher Dean Singleton said he has neither asked for nor received a deal book from Scripps.
Under terms of a joint operating agreement between The Post and the News, Post owner ap can approve, deny or match any purchase offer for the News.
