Rosebud Media Chairman Steven Saslow assumed the role of publisher of the Mail Tribune and Daily Tidings Monday.

Saslow's acquisition of both newspapers, as well as the Nickel, from New Media Investment Group was announced in January.

Saslow will be the first local owner and publisher of the Mail Tribune since Dow Jones-affiliated Ottaway Newspapers acquired the company from the Ruhl family in the early 1970s.

Saslow succeeds Grady Singletary, who will remain as a vice president with GateHouse Newspapers, the newspaper operations arm of New Media. Singletary became publisher of the Mail Tribune in June 1998.

Saslow said the fast-growing and diverse Rogue Valley, with its influx of people from California and the East Coast, provides a lot of opportunity for a 21st century media company.

"The big thing is not to be cookie-cutter, it's to basically take the Rogue Valley and the areas outside this and say this is what we need and we need to do to serve the community," Saslow said Monday.

To become a 21st century media company, Saslow said, an organization can't take the same approach newspapers did 60 or 70 years ago.

"We don't have to say we're going in one direction," he said. "We're not left, we're not right, we are a variety of different things to mirror the growth that is in this area. Whatever we do, we want to cover thoroughly and credibly. You want to read it, you want to see it, you want to hear it."

Saslow said he believes in the importance of newspapers as a news source, and he planned to add to the news staff and add more perspective to content.

"The moment something national or international hits, everybody has it. But the moment something happens in the Rogue Valley, where are you going to get that from? That's a responsibility and an area we need to grow."

Saslow moved to Ashland from the Pocono Valley, outside of Philadelphia.

His previous ventures and pursuits include: True North Entertainment, a media content provider, where he was CEO; co-founder and CEO of THINK Televisual Network Inc.; director of special programming for NBC Radio; and Westinghouse's Group W Satellite Communications, which launched Nashville Network, Home Team Sports and Satellite News Channel, among others.

Saslow said he appreciated Singletary's efforts during the transition.

"Grady has been the most credible positive force I've seen in the news business in a long time," Saslow said. "He's a guy with ultimate credibility. There's nobody I've met that doesn't like Grady Singletary and there's a real reason for that. He's authentic, credible and A-plus guy."

— Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or business@mailtribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31.