Pittsburgh-Area's Largest Newspaper To Permanently Close

PITTSBURGH, PA — Western Pennsylvania's largest newspaper is going out of business.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced on Wednesday that it will publish its last edition and cease operations on May 3.

In a press release, the Post-Gazette’s owner, Block Communications Inc., blamed staggering ongoing financial losses for the impending closure.

“Over the past 20 years, Block Communications has lost more than $350 million in cash operating the Post-Gazette,” the release stated. “Despite those efforts, the realities facing local journalism make continued cash losses at this scale no longer sustainable.”

The announcement came just hours after Block failed to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a lower court order mandating the company to make changes to union employee health insurance coverage, according to Bloomberg Law.

According to Block Communications, recent court decisions would require the newspaper to operate under a 2014 labor contract the Block contends wields "outdated and inflexible operational practice unsuited for today's local journalism."

“We deeply regret the impact this decision will have on Pittsburgh and the surrounding region,” the release stated. “The Block family is proud of the service the Post-Gazette has provided to Pittsburgh for nearly a century and will exit with their dignity intact."

Block has owned the paper since 1927. The company also owns the Toledo Blade and several TV stations.y intact.”

The closure announcement comes a week after Block announced that a subsidiary of the company was closing the Pittsburgh City Paper after 34 years of the weekly alternative paper's operation.

Block has owned the paper since 1927. The company also owns the Toledo Blade and several TV stations.