GateHouse Media Inc., which owns the MetroWest Daily News and other daily and weekly newspapers in Central Massachusetts and MetroWest, lost $17.5 million in the first quarter on revenue of $133.2 million.
In the same quarter a year ago, the company lost $31.9 million on $138.6 million in revenue.
The Fairport, N.Y., company said it remains focused on cutting costs as the steep revenue declines of previous quarters begin to shrink.
Advertising revenue fell from $94.3 million a year ago to $92.5 million. Circulation revenue fell from $35.6 million last year to $34.1 million.
The company runs 87 daily newspapers, and hundreds of non-daily papers, shoppers and websites. It has operations in 21 states.