Since 1958 the number of United States cities with competing central-city newspapers has dwindled from 70 to 19. This evident drift toward monopoly has provoked public concern over the loss of independent editorial voices. Economically, it raises important questions about what cost structures can mandate a `natural monopoly' and how rival firms in small-numbers markets behave when structural conditions favor a monopoly equilibrium in the long run. In this paper, we explore the rival behavior of two or three sellers in a market where monopoly profits may substantially exceed those of duopoly or triopoly. We develop a theoretical model of the newspaper firm and derive its econometric implications for the demand for and pricing of central-city newspaper advertising and circulation. We test these implications using data for 50 major newspapers located in 30 US metropolitan areas.

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