Allied Press was born in 1975 of the merger between two of the oldest newspaper companies in New Zealand, the Otago Daily Times Ltd and the Evening Star Company Ltd. It is an Otago-owned media company with interests in daily and community newspapers, regional television stations and commercial printing operations. From its base in Dunedin, New Zealand the company operates newspapers in Canterbury, Westland, Otago, and Southland, television stations in Christchurch and Dunedin and printing operations in Alexandra and Greymouth. It employs more than 400 staff. The flagship of the group is the highly regarded morning publication, the Otago Daily Times, which was founded in 1861 and boasts the longest daily publication record of any newspaper in New Zealand. The ODT is the only remaining New Zealand owned morning daily, and enjoys one of the highest market penetration rates in the nation for a paid daily. Its strength lies in its proud and faithful commitment to serving Otago and surrounding regions with a carefully selected menu of regional, national and international news and opinion. Allied Press also holds a majority interest in an evening daily dedicated to serving the West Coast of the South Island, the Greymouth Evening Star. A growing stable of community and farming newspapers complements the dailies by providing local news to several communities throughout the lower South Island. The company is dedicated not only to providing comprehensive news and advertising coverage, but also to supporting a wide range of community projects and services.