Antony Catalano charges spark ACM sale rumours

March 16, 2026 — 2:00am

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

Save this article for later

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.

After news broke last week that former Domain chief executive turned Australian Community Media chairman Antony Catalano had been charged with assaulting a woman, attention in media industry circles turned to the fate of his regional media assets.

Catalano, who was placed on an “immediate leave of absence” by Australian Community Media’s parent company following the news, bought ACM alongside Melbourne investor Alex Waislitz from Nine Entertainment, owner of this masthead, for more than $125 million in 2019.

In the days since news of the charges broke, the regional newspaper publisher – which operates The Canberra Times, The Newcastle Herald and the Illawarra Mercury, among other mastheads – has been the subject of mounting industry chatter over a possible sale of its media assets.

Over the past year, media industry executives have been sounded out over their possible interest in buying ACM’s publishing assets, but a buyer has yet to emerge, according to three sources familiar with its efforts, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential information. Now the company is expected to try again.

It’s difficult to imagine who would buy it. Nine offloaded the assets, and News Corp Australia’s interest in the regional media business is a relative unknown. Then there is Southern Cross Austereo, which........

© WA Today