The Real Cities Network, a collection of local online news sites, has added the Denver-based Media News Group's 51 newspaper websites. This new alliance gives Real Cities, which is run by McClatchy's (NYSE: MNI) interactive unit (used to be run by Knight Ridder prior to its acquisition and obliteration), access to 1,500 news sites. Media News joins other publishers including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Cox (NYSE: COX), Hearst, Media General (NYSE:MEG), Scripps (NYSE: SSP) and others. When combined with Media News, which owns papers in several New England states, as well as in California, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, Real Cities claims it will have a combined reach of 44 million monthly uniques.

While it didn't say so, the arrangement with Real Cities should also serve to augment Media News' existing relationship with the Yahoo Newspaper Consortium, which includes many of its fellow Real Cities members. Release