MEDIA FIRM FORMALIZES NETWORK

Rust Communications Inc., a new media company, has been founded by Gary Rust of Cape Girardeau.

Rust, president of Concord Publishing House Inc., is principal owner and president of the new company, which formalizes a networking arrangement with several Southeast Missouri publications and printing companies.

The list of publications includes four daily newspapers, three weekly newspapers, and four free publications.

Each newspaper will continue to operate independently, but they will participate in a regional news and advertising network that comprises the largest non-metropolitan circulated newspaper group in Missouri. Weekly distribution is more than 107,000 and paid, daily distribution tops 55,000.

Rust Communications' dailies include the Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau, the Statesman at Dexter, the Daily Democrat in Kennett, and the Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff. Also included in the participating group is a daily newspaper at Sikeston, the Standard Democrat.

The group is also actively seeking other media acquisitions in the mid-United States.

Wally Lage has been named first vice president and chief operations officer of Rust Communications. He will also continue to serve as publisher of the Southeast Missourian. Lage is former vice president of newspaper operations for Paducah (Ky.) Newspapers Inc. and general manager of the Paducah Sun. He was involved in the acquisition and management of three dailies and several weekly newspapers in Arkansas for Paducah Newspapers before joining Rust in March 1992.

Dick Caldwell, formerly with Knight Ridder Newspapers and Howard Publications, and business manager of the Missourian since 1990, will serve as treasurer of the new group. Jon K. Rust, editorial page editor at the Missourian and publisher of the Scott County News, will serve as secretary.

Board members of the communications group include Don Schreiber, publisher and part-owner of the Daily American Republic, and Barbara Hill, publisher of the Kennett and Dexter dailies and two paid weeklies.

Rust Communications is an outgrowth of one of the fastest growing independently-owned media companies in the country. Rust first became involved in publishing a daily newspaper only 12 years ago when he purchased the Dexter Statesman. He has been active in the publishing business since 1967, when he acquired a small weekly newspaper in Cape Girardeau.

Rust served as a Missouri state representative for six years and co-managed a family furniture store for 10 years. He formerly served as a Suburban Newspaper of America board member; is currently one of five newspaper representatives on the Certified Audit Circulation board, and serves on the board of the University of Missouri-Columbia daily newspaper, the Missourian.