Freedom Communications

Founder R.C. Hoiles gained a one-third interest in his first newspaper (The Alliance Review in Ohio) sometime in the 1910s. He and his brother Frank bought many more local newspapers over the next several decades. In 1935 he moved his base of operations to Santa Ana, California, and in 1950 he incorporated his syndicate as Freedom Newspapers, Inc. It was renamed Freedom Communications in 1993.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives|title=Archives|website=Los Angeles Times}} The company became a television station owner in 1984, with the acquisition of its first two stations WTVC-TV, Chattanooga, Tennessee and KFDM-TV, Beaumont, Texas. The Freedom television group eventually grew to six stations, including WRGB-TV Albany, New York, WPEC-TV West Palm Beach, Florida, WWMT-TV, Kalamazoo, Michigan and KTVL-TV Medford, Oregon. Freedom was operated as an entirely family-owned business until 2004, when private-equity firms Blackstone Group and Providence Equity Partners acquired a 40 percent share in Freedom for about $460 million. As part of this transaction, Freedom had acquired substantial debt.

On September 1, 2009, Freedom Communications went into a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125166593642570507|title=Paper Owner Freedom Plans to File For Chapter 11|work=Wall Street Journal|date=August 31, 2009|author1=Peter Lattman |author2=Russell Adams }}{{cite news|url=http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/freedom-communications-files-for-bankruptcy|title=Freedom Communications Files for Bankruptcy|work=The New York Times|date=2009-09-01|access-date=2009-09-02|last=de la Merced|first=Michael}} The company left bankruptcy on April 30, 2010, under the ownership of investment firms Alden Global Capital, Angelo, Gordon & Co. and Luxor Capital Group. Lenders to the company also retained a stake in Freedom.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

The company announced on November 2, 2011 that it would sell its entire television division to Sinclair Broadcast Group for $385 million in a move to eliminate the company's debt. The sale was completed on April 2, 2012.{{cite news|last=Milbourn|first=Mary Ann|title=O.C. Register owner sells TV stations|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/sinclair-324997-stations-company.html|access-date=November 2, 2011|newspaper=Orange County Register|date=November 2, 2011}}

Freedom began selling the majority of its newspaper portfolio in 2012. Four papers in the Midwest were sold to Ohio Community Media, an affiliate of the private equity firm Versa Capital Management, in May.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2012/05/17/freedom-communications-sells-4-midwest-papers/|title=Freedom Communications sells 4 Midwest papers|date=May 17, 2012}}{{Cite web |url=http://newsdemocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=135718&TM=28723.68 |title=OCM purchases the Lima News |access-date=2012-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604234806/http://newsdemocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=1 |archive-date=2012-06-04 |url-status=dead }} The Clovis News Journal and other newspapers in New Mexico were sold to Stevenson Newspapers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.freedom.com/company/full_news2.asp?id=2126 |title=Freedom Communications Announces Sale Of Clovis, NM, News Journal to Clovis Media Inc. |access-date=2012-06-04 |archive-date=2012-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510112250/http://freedom.com/company/full_news2.asp?id=2126 |url-status=dead }} Freedom papers in Texas were sold to AIM Media Texas.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oaoa.com/articles/texas-87557-llc-media.html|title=AIM Media Texas, LLC acquires Texas newspapers|access-date=2012-06-04|archive-date=2012-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523151547/http://www.oaoa.com/articles/texas-87557-llc-media.html|url-status=dead}} Its Florida and North Carolina papers were sold to Halifax Media Group.{{Cite web|url=http://www.starfl.com/news/news-24960-properties-florida.html|title=Freedom announces sale of Florida, N.C. properties to Halifax Media Group|access-date=2012-06-04|archive-date=2012-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604012612/http://www.starfl.com/news/news-24960-properties-florida.html|url-status=dead}}

On June 11, 2012, Freedom Communications Holdings, Inc., announced an agreement to be acquired by 2100 Trust, LLC. in a merger with a subsidiary of 2100 Trust. On July 25, 2012, the latter, led by entrepreneur Aaron Kushner, acquired Freedom's dailies, associated non-daily publications and digital properties. The company continued to operate under the name Freedom Communications.{{cite news |url=http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/irvine-35749-parent-press.html

|title=2100 Trust buys Daily Press parent company

|work=Victorville Daily Press

|date=July 25, 2012

|access-date=November 30, 2012}}

Kushner, who "preached the virtues of local journalism and a print product," bought Freedom in 2012 for $50 million plus assumption of pension liabilities. He increased staff and added new sections at the Orange County Register and began a new daily, the Long Beach Register. In January 2014, however, he announced heavy layoffs in Orange County and at the Riverside Press-Enterprise, which he also owned.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-register-layoffs-20140117-story.html|title=Dozens laid off at Freedom papers|date=January 17, 2014|website=Los Angeles Times}} The Register launched a Los Angeles edition, the Los Angeles Register, on April 16, 2014, but the venture ended five months later.{{cite news |last=Khouri |first=Andrew |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-la-register-20140922-story.html |title=Freedom Newspapers Ceases Publication of L.A. Register |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 23, 2014 |access-date=September 23, 2014}} The Long Beach Register became a Sunday-only publication in June 2014,{{Cite news | issn = 0458-3035 | last = Lopez | first = Ricardo | title = O.C. Register owner to cut staff, merge Long Beach and L.A. newspapers | work = Los Angeles Times | access-date = 2014-06-15 | date = 2014-06-03 | url = http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-register-problems-20140604-story.html }} and ceased publication in December 2014.{{cite news |last1=Pfeifer |first1=Stuart |last2=Khouri |first2=Andrew |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-long-beach-register-stops-publishing-20141228-story.html |title=Long Beach Register stops publishing |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 28, 2014 |access-date=2014-12-30 }}

Freedom closed the sale of The Gazette (Colorado Springs) to Clarity Media, a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, on November 30, 2012.{{cite web

|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2012/11/30/anschutz-buys-colorado-springs-gazette.html

|title=Anschutz buys Colorado Springs Gazette

|last=Avery | first=Greg

|work=Denver Business Journal

|date=November 30, 2012

|access-date=November 30, 2012}} In 2013, Freedom Communications sold the Yuma Sun and the Porterville Recorder to Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers and the Appeal-Democrat to Horizon Publications.{{Cite web|url=http://www.yumasun.com/articles/yuma-87169-newspapers-rhode.html|title=Yuma Sun under new ownership|access-date=2013-04-30|archive-date=2013-06-30|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630182611/http://www.yumasun.com/articles/yuma-87169-newspapers-rhode.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_23368084/sales-four-north-valley-newspapers-announced |title=Sales of four north-valley newspapers announced |access-date=2013-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004115935/https://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_23368084/sales-four-north-valley-newspapers-announced |archive-date=2014-10-04 |url-status=dead }} In 2014, Freedom sold the Daily Press and the Desert Dispatch to New Media Investment Group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2014/03/03/register-owner-sells-victorville-barstow-newspapers/|title=Register owner sells Victorville, Barstow newspapers|first=Mary Ann Milbourn | Orange County|last=Register|date=March 3, 2014}}

On November 1, 2015, Freedom Communications filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.{{cite web|title=Chapter 11 Petition|url=http://www.pacermonitor.com/view/E2KX7FY/Freedom_Communications_Holdings__cacbke-15-15312__0001.0.pdf|website=PacerMonitor|access-date=2 November 2015}}

In January, Freedom closed several of its weekly papers in Orange County.{{Cite web| title = OC Register To Cut a Bunch of Community Weeklies, Among Other Belt-Tightening Moves| work = OC Weekly| access-date = 2018-05-30| date = 2016-01-08| url = https://www.ocweekly.com/oc-register-to-cut-a-bunch-of-community-weeklies-among-other-belt-tightening-moves-6885791/}} On March 21, 2016 a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of Freedom Communications and its two major newspapers, the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise to Digital First Media (DFM). DFM is the parent of the Los Angeles News Group (LANG), which was renamed the Southern California News Group on the same day, and which owns eleven daily newspapers in Southern California.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200729230146/http://www.talkingnewmedia.com/2016/03/21/bankruptcy-judge-approves-digital-first-media-purchase-of-freedom-communications-assets/ Talking New Media blog: "Bankruptcy judge approves Digital First Media purchase of Freedom Communications assets"], by D.B. Hebbard21 March 2016.[http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2016/03/memo_la_news_group_now_so.php LA Observed blog: "Memo: LA News Group now So Cal News Group"], by Kevin Roderick, 21 March 2016.

Founder and chief executive officer R.C. Hoiles led Freedom until his death in 1970. He was succeeded as chief executive officer by his son, C.H. Hoiles, who served until 1981, and then by:

• D.R. Segal (1981–1992)
• James N. Rosse (1992–1999)
• Samuel C. Wolgemuth (1999–2002)
• Alan Bell (2002–2006)
• Scott N. Flanders (2006–2009)
• Burl Osborne (2009–2010)
• Mitchell Stern (2010–2012)
• Aaron Kushner (2012–2015)
• Rich Mirman (2015−2016)

{{refimprove section|date=January 2014}}

Freedom's newspaper portfolio consists of:

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

Los Angeles County

• Weekly newspapers:
• Easy Reader of Hermosa Beach (managed by Freedom pursuant to long-term agreement);Mary Ann Milbourn, [http://www.ocregister.com/articles/easy-598237-reader-angeles.html "Register owner expands in L.A."], Orange County Register, January 21, 2014. includes 3 Easy Reader magazines:

::*Beach

::*Peninsula People

::*Drop Zone

Riverside County

• The Press-Enterprise of Riverside
• Weekly newspaper:
• Desert Enterprise of Palm Springs{{Cite web|url=https://archive.kpcc.org/blogs/economy/2014/02/12/15841/o-c-register-parent-to-expand-into-palm-springs/|title=OC Register parent to expand into Palm Springs (updated)|first=Southern California Public|last=Radio|date=February 12, 2014|website=Southern California Public Radio}}

Regional

• Unidos en el Sur de California (regional Spanish-language weekly)Mediha deMartino, [http://www.ocbj.com/news/2014/mar/07/freedom-consolidate-spanish-language-weeklies/ "Freedom to Consolidate Spanish-Language Weeklies"], Orange County Business Journal, March 7, 2014

{{col-2}}

Orange County

• The Orange County Register of Santa Ana
• Weekly newspapers:
• Anaheim Hills News of Anaheim Hills
• Anaheim Bulletin of Anaheim
• Capistrano Valley News of San Juan Capistrano[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-18-fi-343-story.html Media General Puts 31 Papers, Including 13 in County, Up for Sale]
• The Current of Newport Beach{{Cite web|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/oc-register-current-newport-beach-costa-mesa_b87493|title=OC Register Ramps Up Newport Beach, Costa Mesa Coverage|access-date=2014-01-01|archive-date=2014-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102232715/http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/oc-register-current-newport-beach-costa-mesa_b87493|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news | last = DiMartino | first = Mediha | title = Sources Say Freedom to Furlough Staff, Trim Long Beach to Weekly Schedule | work = Orange County Business Journal | access-date = 2014-06-15 | date = 2014-05-30 | url = http://www.ocbj.com/news/2014/may/30/sources-say-freedom-furlough-staff-trim-long-beach/ }}
• Dana Point News of Dana Point
• Fountain Valley View of Fountain Valley
• Fullerton News Tribune of Fullerton
• Huntington Beach Wave of Huntington Beach
• Irvine World News of Irvine[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-may-26-fi-34213-story.html Register Parent Buys 3 Weekly Newspapers]{{Cite web|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2013/07/22/irvine-world-news-officially-becomes-daily-newspaper/|title=Irvine World News officially becomes daily newspaper|date=July 22, 2013}}
• La Habra/Brea Star Progress of La Habra{{Cite web |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/168407538 |title=La Habra, Brea Papers Purchased |access-date=2017-07-06 |archive-date=2016-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422030403/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/168407538.html |id={{ProQuest|168407538}} |url-status=live }}
• Ladera Post of Ladera Ranch
• Laguna News-Post of Laguna Beach
• Laguna Niguel/Aliso Viejo News of Laguna Niguel
• Laguna Woods Globe of Laguna Woods
• Orange City News of Orange
• Placentia News-Times of Placentia
• Rancho Canyon News of Rancho Santa Margarita
• Saddleback Valley News of Lake Forest
• Saddleback Valley News of Mission Viejo
• Sun Post News of San Clemente
• Tustin News of Tustin
• Yorba Linda Star of Yorba Linda

{{col-end}}

• Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.

{{reflist|colwidth=26em}}

• {{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20160330025310/http://www.freedom.com/|name=Archive of the official website on March 30, 2016}}

{{Freedom Communications}}

{{Digital First Media}}

{{SBGI}}

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Category:Defunct mass media companies of the United States

Category:Defunct newspaper companies of the United States

Category:Defunct broadcasting companies of the United States

Category:Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles

Category:Digital First Media

Category:Sinclair Broadcast Group

Category:Companies based in Santa Ana, California

Category:Publishing companies established in 1950

Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 2016

Category:1950 establishments in California

Category:2016 disestablishments in California

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015