Levittown Patch and AOL’s other Patch.com sites will be sold to a Hale Global, according to an announcement from the company.
Patch, a nationwide network of community information platforms with a site covering Levittown, will be operated by Hale Global. An AOL news release says the company will become a minority owner and still “contribute Patch into a new limited liability company.”
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The network of sites, which totals more than 900, features local news articles produced by a staff of one editor to two or three sites and information uploaded by users. The Levittown site launched 2010 and is currently run by editor James Boyle.
“We are committed to bringing users, local businesses, writers and advertisers together into a Patch experience full of innovation and growth. “Along with AOL, we are committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure Patch remains a vibrant part of the community.” CEO of Hale Global Charles Hale said in a written statement.
AOL and Hale Global officials did not outline whether any sites would be closed or staff would be laid off or reassigned. Over the past two years, layoffs and site closure rumors have spread throughout the media world. In 2013, AOL let go of several hundred Patch employees and contractors. Various media reports indicate that AOL has lost more than $300 million on the websites.
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The sale was part of AOL’s plan to stop financial loses incurred by the Patch network. Patch operates 8 websites in Bucks County and more than 50 throughout the region.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. That probably means AOL got little or zero money from Hale Global for Patch. It’s possible that AOL has even committed to investing cash into the joint venture. An AOL spokesman wouldn’t say either way.
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“The companies are committed to re-launching Patch as an efficient platform that allows citizens and businesses to create and share locally-themed news and content — not just with those in their own communities but to the wider world,” according to an AOL press release.
Local Patch sites have seen a decrease in freelance and full-time editors over the past few years since launching locally.
The Patch network rapidly expanded and was touted for hiring such a large amount of journalist. The company turned away from the heavy amount of local news content and slowly turned toward posts from the community that were mixed in with content produced by professional journalists.
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Patch was founded in New England by AOL CEO Tim Armstrong in 2007 and sold to AOL in 2009.
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Disclosure: LevittownNow.com Publishers and Editors Jeff Bohen and Tom Sofield were both previously employed by the Patch and AOL/Huffington Post Media Group. Bohen covered local news in a freelance capacity for several Patch sites starting in 2011. Sofield worked as a freelancer reporter and contract editor later, running the Newtown and Levittown Patches for a period of time.
