8 FEBRUARY 4, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Schneps Media acquires QueensCountyPolitics.com
BY QNS STAFF
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Further expanding its commitment
to local journalism,
Schneps Media — publisher
of more than 70 daily, weekly and
monthly publications across New
York City, Long Island, Westchester
and Philadelphia — has acquired the
leading group of local political news
websites in New York City.
Founded in 2014 by Stephen
Witt, KingsCountyPolitics.com became
the go-to source of local political
news and information. Over the
past several years, Witt expanded
into Queens and Manhattan, developing
local political websites
dedicated to each borough.
Schneps Media, a family-run business
owned by Victoria and Joshua
Schneps, has deep media roots
throughout New York City and the
surrounding region. In addition to
the company’s print products, they
also publish dozens of websites, social
media channels and email newsletters,
boasting over half a million
email newsletter subscribers, as
well as being the leader in hosting
business, industry and consumer
events.
As part of the transaction, the sites’
founder and editor-in-chief, Stephen
Witt, will join Schneps Media as its
political editor-in-chief, along with
his team of reporters. Witt joins
Schneps Media as it gains a stronger
presence reaching deeper than ever
into the communities in which we
live and serve.
“We have great respect for Steve
and the business he has developed,”
said Victoria Schneps, president of
Schneps Media. “We have the best
local news team in the business
and now have a leader and more
resources to provide in-depth political
coverage for each district in
the city.”
The 2020 presidential election,
which led to record voter turnout,
raised awareness around the
importance of paying attention to
politics at all levels — city, state and
federal.
Schneps Media hopes to keep New
York City readers further engaged
in local politics and government,
especially with the important 2021
municipal elections approaching
this spring. It also aims to provide
Stephen Witt is joining Schneps
Media as its new political editor-inchief.
content informing the public not just
about their choices on the ballot, but
also the important issues at stake as
they head to the polls.
“The focus of our political coverage
will be hyper-local as we want
our readers informed about those
who will guide the future of their
neighborhoods, as well as issues on
education, public safety, real estate
values and quality of life,” said
Joshua Schneps, CEO of Schneps
Media. “We also intend to be a critical
source of information for those
interested in public policy and the
impact of legislation coming out
of City Hall and Albany. We look
forward to dramatically expanding
our political coverage across several
verticals including the websites, our
newspapers, email newsletters and
events.”
“I’m extremely thrilled to be joining
the largest media company team
covering community news in the
New York City metropolitan area,”
said Witt. “This is an exciting time
for local politics with the citywide
elections this year. And make no
mistake that while the mayoral
race matters, so do local city council
races. We look forward to continuing
the media’s historic government
watchdog role in ensuring the Big
Apple comes out the other side of
the COVID pandemic bigger, brasher
and stronger than ever.”
Make sure to sign up for our political
email newsletter by visiting kingscountypolitics.
com/subscribe.
Dime Community Bank puts bow on merger with BNB Bank
BY TIMOTHY BOLGER AND ROBERT
POZARYCKI
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Dime Community Bank has closed
its $489 million merger with BNB
Bank, boosting the local banking
giant into a force with 65 combined
locations from Montauk to Manhattan
now rebranded as Dime branches, the
company announced Monday.
Known as a merger of equals, or MOE
for short, as the two banks are about the
same size, the newly merged bank has
combined assets worth $12.5 billion and
$9 billion in total deposits. Headquartered
in Hauppauge, it’s positioned as
one of the largest independent banks in
the New York City region.
The BNB Bank locations in New York
City, now rebranded as Dime branches,
include two in Queens (35-02 Broadway,
Astoria; and 43-01 Bell Blvd., Bayside);
and one in Midtown Manhattan, at 34
East 51st St. But the newly merged bank’s
leaders maintain that personal relationships
with customers are central to its
operations.
“Our commitment is really to make this
a very smooth transition for our customers,”
said Stuart Lebow, president and
chief operating offi cer of Dime. “The new
company just provides additional capacity
to do so much more business with our
existing customers and all that are in our
marketplace who have not experienced
what true community banks are about.
Although we’re doubling our size, we’re
still community bankers and we’re still
dealing with relationships — we can just
do it even better now.”
Customers will not experience any
immediate changes to their accounts,
loan payment terms, access to account
information, use of debit cards or access
to ATMs. The company expects to combine
its banking technology platforms
by early in the second quarter of 2021
without any disruption to customers.
“The only thing that was a little bit
diff erent is that at one time we thought
we’d keep the name BNB at some of the
East End branches, and then we made
the decision that we’re one company; let’s
have one identity,” said Kevin O’Connor,
who was chief executive offi cer of BNB
and is now CEO of the merged banks. “It’s
really not about the name on the door, it’s
the people inside.”
Both banks have been serving the
community for more than a century.
Dime was founded 156 years ago, while
BNB was founded in 1910.
L. to R.: Stuart Lubow and Kevin O’Connor
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