Forecaster

Local Newspaper / Community Journalismtheforecaster.net

The Forecaster is a nearly four-decade-old Maine regional weekly newspaper covering Midcoast to southern Cumberland County, owned by the nonprofit Maine Trust for Local News and recently transitioning from print to digital-only distribution for local community subscribers.

Company typePrivate
Founded1985
HeadquartersSouth Portland, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What Forecaster does

The Forecaster is a regional weekly newspaper that has covered communities across Maine's Midcoast and southern Cumberland County since 1985, including Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Falmouth, Cumberland, Freeport, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, and Chebeague Island. Its editorial scope is hyperlocal: municipal meetings, school and education coverage, local sports, arts and entertainment calendars, community events, politics, and opinion columns aimed at residents of the towns it serves. Sub-brands extend this footprint to specific municipalities, including Northern Forecaster, Portland Forecaster, Scarborough Leader, and South Portland Sentry, alongside the American Journal and Lakes Region Weekly. The Forecaster is owned and operated by Maine Trust for Local News, a nonprofit network that also runs the Portland Press Herald, Central Maine, Sun Journal, and Times Record, and content is distributed through the pressherald.com/forecaster hub, ePaper, mobile apps, and email newsletters.

In March 2025, The Forecaster announced the end of its print edition, transitioning to electronic editions and digital newsletters as the primary distribution format. The revenue model is a consumer subscription plus advertising model, with a promotional $1/month digital subscription offer and customer service contact routed through (207) 791-6000. There is no disclosed proprietary technology stack; the publication is positioned as a traditional news brand rather than a software platform, and no APIs, integrations, or AI/ML capabilities are in evidence. The strategic posture is defensive: the digital pivot is a survival move within a structurally declining U.S. local-weekly newspaper sector, with the broader Maine Trust for Local News network providing scale, shared back-office, and audience cross-promotion that a standalone title could not replicate.

Forecaster firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Forecaster
Legal name: Maine Trust for Local News
Website: https://theforecaster.net
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1985
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: The Forecaster is a nearly four-decade-old Maine regional weekly newspaper covering Midcoast to southern Cumberland County, owned by the nonprofit Maine Trust for Local News and recently transitioning from print to digital-only distribution for local community subscribers.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Forecaster industry classification

Industry

Product category: Local Newspaper / Community Journalism
NAICS: Newspaper Publishers (513110)
SIC: Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
akta.pro primary industry: Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

Local newspaper
Hyperlocal news coverage
Community journalism
Weekly news publication
Digital news subscription

Where Forecaster is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: South Portland
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Markets served

Forecaster business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	Digital subscription

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Forecaster product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Forecaster is a local weekly news publication covering Midcoast to southern Cumberland County, Maine, providing hyperlocal reporting on community meetings, sports, arts, opinion, local events, and regional news. It distributes content digitally through a website (theforecaster.net on pressherald.com), an ePaper, mobile apps, and email newsletters, and is part of the Maine Trust for Local News nonprofit network.

Product overview

The Forecaster is a local weekly news publication serving the Midcoast to southern Cumberland County in Maine, published by The Portland Press Herald. It is not a technology product or software platform — it is a traditional news outlet providing local community news coverage, including local events, sports, politics, arts, and community calendars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Northern Forecaster: Local weekly news covering Chebeague Island, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, North Yarmouth and Yarmouth.
Portland Forecaster
Scarborough Leader
South Portland Sentry

Products and services

The Forecaster Weekly Local News Weekly local news publication covering community meetings, sports, arts calendars, opinion columns, local events, and regional news for residents of Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Falmouth, Freeport, Yarmouth, Cumberland, North Yarmouth, Chebeague Island, and surrounding areas.
Northern Forecaster Sub-brand local weekly news covering Chebeague Island, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, North Yarmouth and Yarmouth.
Portland Forecaster Sub-brand local weekly news covering the Portland, Maine area.
Scarborough Leader Sub-brand local weekly news covering the Scarborough, Maine area.
South Portland Sentry Sub-brand local weekly news covering the South Portland, Maine area.
Digital Subscription Monthly digital subscription providing access to The Forecaster's online news content, available at $1 for a 1-month promotional offer, billed monthly thereafter.

Companies that use Forecaster

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Forecaster technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Forecaster partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Maine Trust for Local NewscoreOthersThe Forecaster is owned and operated by the Maine Trust for Local News, a network of local news publications including Portland Press Herald, Central Maine, Sun Journal, and Times Record. The Forecaster serves as a hyperlocal brand covering Midcoast to southern Cumberland County.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Forecaster competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Portland Press Herald: Sister publication within the same Maine Trust for Local News network. The Forecaster is distributed through pressherald.com/forecaster, making the Portland Press Herald the most directly comparable peer — same owner, same distribution platform, overlapping southern Maine audience, and shared editorial infrastructure.
Bangor Daily News: Another Maine-based regional daily newspaper serving a different geography within the state. Comparable as a New England regional news publisher with a similar digital + print business model targeting local audiences and advertisers.
The Ellsworth American: Weekly local newspaper covering Hancock County, Maine. Closely comparable in format (weekly cadence), coverage style (hyperlocal community news), and audience (rural/small-town Maine residents) to The Forecaster.
Central Maine Newspapers: Sister publication within Maine Trust for Local News serving central Maine communities. Directly comparable in business model, geographic focus on Maine regions, and audience type to The Forecaster.
Times Record (Brunswick): Sister publication within Maine Trust for Local News covering Midcoast Maine. Directly comparable as a network-affiliated weekly newspaper with overlapping Midcoast coverage territory and the same parent organization's editorial and subscription infrastructure.
Sun Journal (Lewiston): Sister publication within the Maine Trust for Local News network covering the Lewiston-Auburn area. Directly comparable as a same-network local newspaper with shared ownership, distribution, and editorial model focused on a distinct Maine community.

Regional players

VillageSoup (Camden, Maine): Independent community news outlet covering the Midcoast Maine area — the same broad geography as The Forecaster. Comparable as a local Maine digital-first publisher with overlapping audience interest in Midcoast towns, though operated independently.
Seacoast Media Group / Seacoastonline: Regional news publisher covering the New Hampshire/Maine seacoast. Comparable in regional scope and local-news focus, but geographically adjacent rather than overlapping directly with The Forecaster's Cumberland County footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Forecaster financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Forecaster leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Forecaster subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries6 records

Forecaster funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Forecaster M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forecaster

What does Forecaster do?

Is Forecaster a public or private company?

Forecaster is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Forecaster founded?

Forecaster was founded in 1985. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Forecaster based?

Forecaster is headquartered in South Portland, United States, in the North America region.

Who are Forecaster's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Portland Press Herald, Bangor Daily News, The Ellsworth American, Central Maine Newspapers, Times Record (Brunswick) and Sun Journal (Lewiston). Regional players are VillageSoup (Camden, Maine) and Seacoast Media Group / Seacoastonline.

Does Forecaster have an API?

No public API is recorded for Forecaster.

What industry is Forecaster in?

Forecaster's product category is Local Newspaper / Community Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.