Author Archives: Paul Amundson

Forum Communications to start Upper Midwest news service

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FARGO — Forum Communications Company is expanding its presence in the region with the launch of a multi-state news service, company President Lloyd Case announced today.

Existing FCC newspapers, websites, magazines and broadcast outlets in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin will provide content for the news service – an effort that will begin immediately. Over the next two years, the company will make continued investments into the news service with the intention of building the most comprehensive, affordable product to which other media outlets throughout the Upper Midwest can subscribe.

Mike Jacobs, editor and publisher of the Grand Forks Herald, has been selected to lead these efforts.

“Jacobs is a good, strong newsman and a good, strong manager,” Case said. “Nobody knows more about the region than he does.”

Mike Jacobs

Jacobs, a Stanley, N.D., native and the Herald’s editor since 1984, will continue as publisher, but the search for a new editor in Grand Forks will soon be under way.

One of Jacobs’ first tasks as head of the news service will be to establish a footprint for the company in northwestern North Dakota – specifically the Oil Patch. The search for a reporter to cover the state’s largest ongoing issue will begin immediately. The northwestern North Dakota bureau, as well as existing FCC bureaus in Bismarck, N.D., and St. Paul, Minn., will report to Jacobs.

In the next couple of years, additional bureaus and staff will be added in an effort to further boost the company’s reporting reach, Case said.

William C. Marcil, chairman of Forum Communications, said the Marcil family company continues to dedicate itself and its properties to providing the best-quality news and information to its audiences in the Upper Midwest.

The FCC properties will continue to publish the kinds of regional, national and international stories and photos offered by wire outlets such as the AP. However a company-wide task force will evaluate in the coming year which outside news providers are the best fit for the entire FCC network, which includes daily newspapers in Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown and Dickinson, N.D., as well as Mitchell, S.D., and Duluth, Bemidji, Willmar and Worthington in Minnesota.

Additionally, Forum Communications owns nearly two dozen weekly papers in the region, including concentrations in the Twin Cities suburbs, the Mississippi River Valley, northeastern Minnesota and the lakes country of west-central Minnesota. The company owns broadcast outlets in Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck and Minot, and publishes Prairie Business, a monthly magazine, and Agweek, from its Grand Forks offices.

The Grand Forks Herald claims digital sales prize

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Employees of The Grand Forks Herald were recognized and rewarded on June 8 with a cook-out provided by Forum Communications Co. executives.

The Herald met a challenge issued by CEO Lloyd Case to achieve 15 percent of ad sales coming from digital products for a single month. That achievement was met in March and again in April when the Herald achieved 19 percent of its ad sales online.

Case personally manned the grills. He was joined by Vice President of Newspapers Steve McLister, Vice President of Interactive Paul Amundson, Vice President of Finance John Hajostek, Digital Advertising Director Chris Dorsey, Human Resources Director Kate Freimanis and Executive Assistant Sonjia Anderson.

Prizes were also given out through a name drawing.

Microsoft series available for Kindle

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The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead’s reporting series regarding the 10th anniversary of Microsoft’s entrance into Fargo is available today to read on your Kindle or Kindle app for iPhone, iPad or Droid.

For only 99 cents, reader’s can purchase the entire seven-part series in advance of its complete publication in the newspaper or online.

Kindle download: Vistas and Visions: Microsoft in Fargo

To report the series, The Forum was granted unprecedented access inside Microsoft’s Fargo campus in May and the work is designed to serve as a window into the past, present and future of Microsoft in Fargo.

The Kindle version of the series not only represents a pre-release of this series, but it a great platform for readers to experience this long-form of journalism in its entirety in book form.

Driscoll and Tolliver to run ad operations team

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Cory Tolliver

Jeremy Driscoll

Jeremy Driscoll and Cory Tolliver will lead the newly formed ad operations department for Forum Communications Co.

The ad operations department will focus on assisting advertisers and advertising sales representatives with digital advertising campaign creation, placement and reporting.

Driscoll will be the ad operations manager. He previously managed HQ Productions, the company’s digital video production department. HQ production services will continue under the ad operations department.  Driscoll has worked at WDAY since 2000. He has held a variety of positions there, including director, production supervisor, and, most recently, the manager of HQ Productions. He has a BS in Mass Communications from MSUM. He is married with three children.

Tolliver will be the client services manager, working directly with advertisers in regard to campaigns and reporting.  Tolliver has worked at Forum Communications for close to five years.  Tolliver started in the WDAY TV Control Room and soon moved up to 5pm Weekday Director before moving to HQ Productions.

When an opportunity arose to join HQ Productions while the department was starting up, Tolliver leaped at the opportunity.

Other members of the ad ops team include Christopher Flynn, Justin Kavlie, Neil O’Laughlin and Cammie Wright.

King named Bemidji ad director

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Jaclyn King

Jaclyn King

Jaclyn King has been hired for the position of advertising director of The Bemidji Pioneer.

King has worked for the past three years as a digital media sales and marketing specialist in the interactive division of Forum Communications Company in Fargo.

King has been an instrumental part of the growth and success of the digital sales team the past three years.

“It has been her knowledge, hard work and success which has positioned and rewarded her with this opportunity to lead and manage her own sales team,” said Steve McLister, vice president of newspapers.

King is originally from Frazee, Minn.  She has a degree in mass communications with an emphasis in advertising from Minnesota State University- Moorhead.

King was previously an events manager for Casino Enterprise Management Magazine which is based in  Fargo.