The FreeShopper has been continuously published since 1980, and serves the Chicago area to the Wisconsin border. It prints and distributes 20,000 copies per issue, and its news boxes are a common site on street corners in the Loop and the city’s neighborhoods.

Chicago — Chronicle Media, LLC, publisher of the Cook County Chronicle, Suburban Chronicle, and 11 other newspapers in Illinois, has acquired FreeShopper Publications.

The FreeShopper and its ancillary healthcare publication, the Vital Times, have been continuously published since 1980, and serve the Chicago area to the Wisconsin border. FreeShopper prints and distributes 20,000 copies per issue, and its news boxes are a common site on street corners in the Loop and the city’s neighborhoods.

FreeShopper Publications, which is headquartered in Lincolnwood, Ill., has been owned and operated by Publisher Rick Schwartz since 1990.

“FreeShopper and Vital Times are delighted and excited to be part of the Chronicle Media family of publications, “said Schwartz. “Chronicle Media offers our readers and advertisers additional coverage through their network of print and electronic options, which greatly enhances the value and experience of all the products.”

Chronicle Media, LLC, a new media start-up, first made news last December when it announced a merger with the Legal Record Corporation, owned by Brandon Bressner, which published seven “News Bulletin” newspapers across Illinois.

Since the merger, the company has recruited top advertising and journalism talent from the media community, including former Pioneer Press editor Rick Hibbert, editor-in-chief; former Sun-Times Media local managing and digital editor Judy Harvey, who serves as content editor; and many respected reporters and writers.

“We are pleased to welcome the FreeShopper.com products and staff into the Chronicle Media, LLC family,” said John Blais, publisher and president of Chronicle Media, LLC. “The addition of FreeShopper.com bolsters our Chicagoland footprint with increased print circulation and digital audience, and more options for our advertising partners. This is a stable, consistent advertising business that is ripe for growth, and we intend to introduce new sales technologies and digital products to take this wonderful company to new heights.”

Blais said that Chronicle Media intends to retain and increase the FreeShopper staff.

— Chronicle Media, LLC buys FreeShopper, FreeShopper.com —