Morris Communications buys British publishing company

AUGUSTA - Morris Communications, an Augusta-based media company that owns several newspapers, announced Friday it has bought British publishing company NBC Ltd. <br> <br> The London company is best known for its travel magazines, including ``Best of British Excellence&#39;&#39; magazine and the ``Britain by BritRail&#39;&#39; series. <br> <br> The merged companies will form a new Morris unit called Morris UK Ltd. with an annual circulation of about 2.4 million. <br> <br> Morris owns several newspapers, many of them in the South. The Augusta Chronicle, The Savannah Morning News and The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Fla., are among its holdings. <br> <br> The company also has divisions for outdoor advertising, radio broadcasting and book publishing. <br> <br> The publications of NBC Ltd. will be combined with two free-distribution Morris publications in London - ``Londinium&#39;&#39; and ``Best Read Guide/London&#39;&#39; - which have a circulation in excess of a half million. <br> <br> Purchase price was not disclosed.