The company sold 11 community newspapers, five shoppers and two printing plants in Connecticut and Vermont to Hersam Acorn Newspapers. In Ohio, Journal sold eight shoppers, numerous specialty print products and the Advantage Press commercial printing business to Gannett Company. It also sold its Louisiana-based publishing business to a Target Media Partners affiliate. In 1999 Journal Communications acquired the Great Empire radio group (13 radio stations in 4 states). The corporation had its initial public offering of Class A shares in 2003. For decades, Journal Communications was criticized with concerns about being a media monopoly in the Milwaukee area. It created the now-defunct alternative papers "MKE" and "¡Aqui! Milwaukee" to regain advertising dollars lost to local independents like the "Shepherd Express" and the "Milwaukee Spanish Journal".