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Journal Media Group

{{Short description|Newspaper publishing company}}

{{More citations needed|date=January 2015}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Journal Media Group

| logo = Journal Media Group logo.png

| image = Journal Communications Building Milwaukee Wisconsin.jpg

| image_caption = Journal Communications building

| former_name = The Journal Company
Journal Communications

| type = Public

| traded_as = NYSE: JMG

| industry = Media

| founded = {{start date and age|1882}}

| defunct = {{end date and age|2016|4|8}}

| fate = Acquired by Gannett
Broadcast assets acquired by E. W. Scripps Company

| successor = Gannett Company
E. W. Scripps Company

| hq_location_city = Milwaukee, Wisconsin

| hq_location_country = United States

| area_served = Nationwide

| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Timothy E. Stautberg
{{small|(CEO)}}|Stephen J. Smith
{{small|(Chairman)}}}}

| revenue = $400 million{{cite web|url=http://thomson.mobular.net/thomson/7/3335/4732|title=Journal Communications, Inc. 2012 Annual Report|publisher=Journal Communications|access-date=August 2, 2013}}

| revenue_year = 2012

| operating_income = $60 million

| income_year = 2012

| net_income = $33.3 million

| net_income_year = 2012

| assets = $625.8 million

| assets_year = 2012

| equity = $205.5 million

| equity_year = 2012

}}

Journal Media Group (formerly Journal Communications) was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based newspaper publishing company. The company's roots were first established in 1882 as the owner of its namesake, the Milwaukee Journal, and expanded into broadcasting with the establishment of WTMJ radio and WTMJ-TV, and the acquisition of other television and radio stations.

On April 1, 2015, the E. W. Scripps Company acquired Journal Communications, and spun out the publishing operations of both Scripps and Journal into a new company known as Journal Media Group. It is led by Timothy E. Stautberg—the former head of Scripps' newspaper business, joined by previous Journal CEO Stephen J. Smith as a chairman. In 2016, Journal Media Group was acquired by Gannett.

History

The Milwaukee Journal was started in 1882, in competition with four other English-language, four German- and two Polish-language dailies. It launched WTMJ-AM (620) in 1927, and WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) in 1947. The Journal Company, until then primarily owned by local interests, introduced an employee stock trust plan in 1937, and as a result most Journal stock was eventually held by its employees (under certain restrictions). A small bloc of Journal stock was given to Harvard to fund the Nieman Fellowship program for promising journalists, and another bloc was still held by the original owning families until the IPO.

The Milwaukee Sentinel, begun in 1837 as a weekly published by city co-founder Solomon Juneau, passed through the hands of several owners before being sold to the Hearst Corporation in 1924. Hearst operated the Sentinel until 1962, when, following a long and costly strike, it abruptly announced the closing of the paper. Although Hearst claimed that the paper had lost money for years, The Journal Company, concerned about the loss of an important voice (and facing questions about its own dominance of the Milwaukee media market), agreed to buy the Sentinel name, subscription lists, and goodwill associated with the name. In 1995 the Journal and Sentinel were consolidated. The new Journal Sentinel then became a seven-day morning paper. In 1964, Journal Communications bought a part interest in Perry Printing, a commercial printer specializing in printing magazines, catalogs and free-standing inserts for publications.[http://www.perryjudds.com/about/history/default.asp About Perry Printing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818225629/http://www.perryjudds.com/about/history/default.asp |date=2006-08-18 }}, perryjudds.com; accessed January 22, 2015. A decade later, in 1974, it purchased the remaining shares of the company. In 1995, it sold the operation (which by then had about 1000 employees and sales of $123 million) to the Milhous Group of California.[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4207/is_19950127/ai_n10182933 Perry Printing sold to Milhous Group]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}, google.com; accessed January 22, 2015.

File:Journal Communications logo.png

In 1968, the Midwestern Relay cable transmission division of the Journal Company was developed out of broadcast-related expertise; in 1991, Midwestern Relay acquired Norlight, a fiber-optic private carrier, and adopted the Norlight name. On February 26, 2007, Journal Communications sold the regional telecommunications provider to privately held Q-Comm Corp of Delaware. Upon closing the transaction, Q-Comm terminated Jim Ditter, who had been president of Norlight since 1995, and chief financial officer Phillip Garvey. What is now known as the Journal Community Publishing Group began in Waupaca, Wisconsin in 1972 as a publishing and printing company called Add Inc. A majority interest was purchased by Journal Communications in 1981, and the remainder in 1986. In June 2007, Journal Communications sold off its JCP interests in Louisiana, Ohio, Connecticut and Vermont. The sales brought in a combined $30 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.journalcommunications.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001018191045/http://www.journalcommunications.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 18, 2000|access-date=January 22, 2015}}

The company sold 11 community newspapers, five shoppers and two printing plants in Connecticut and Vermont to Hersam Acorn Newspapers. In Ohio, Journal sold eight shoppers, numerous specialty print products and the Advantage Press commercial printing business to Gannett Company. It also sold its Louisiana-based publishing business to a Target Media Partners affiliate. In 1999 Journal Communications acquired the Great Empire radio group (13 radio stations in 4 states). The corporation had its initial public offering of Class A shares in 2003. For decades, Journal Communications was criticized[https://web.archive.org/web/20090113204339/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,879032,00.html "Duel in Milwaukee"], time.com, January 3, 1972.Hoffmann, Gregg. [http://wisbusiness.com/index.iml/index.iml?Article=30761 "WisBiz In-Depth: Newspaper chain ownership explodes in state"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718070052/http://wisbusiness.com/index.iml/index.iml?Article=30761 |date=2011-07-18 }}, wisbusiness.com, January 31, 2005. with concerns about being a media monopoly in the Milwaukee area. It created the now-defunct alternative papers MKE and ¡Aqui! Milwaukee to regain advertising dollars lost to local independents like the Shepherd Express and the Milwaukee Spanish Journal.Miranda, Robert. [http://www.hispanicvista.com/HVC/Opinion/Guest_Columns/060605Miranda.htm "Taking Sides: What ¡Aquí! Milwaukee Really Represents"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724150251/http://www.hispanicvista.com/HVC/Opinion/Guest_Columns/060605Miranda.htm |date=2008-07-24 }}, hispanicvista.com, June 6, 2005.

=As Journal Media Group=

On July 30, 2014, it was announced that Journal would be acquired by the E. W. Scripps Company in an all-stock transaction. Scripps would retain the two firms' broadcasting properties, while both the Scripps and Journal print properties would be spun off as Journal Media Group.{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/business/news31-b99321641z1-269303021.html|title=Journal, Scripps deal announced|last=Glauber|first=Bill|date=30 July 2014|work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|access-date=July 30, 2014}} The FCC approved the deal on December 12, 2014, and it was approved by shareholders on March 11, 2015.{{cite web|title=Journal, Scripps shareholders OK transaction; closing expected by early April|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2015/03/11/journal-scripps-shareholders-ok-transaction.html|website=Milwaukee Business Journal|access-date=11 March 2015}} The merger and spin-off were finalized on April 1, 2015; Stephen J. Smith was replaced as CEO by Timothy E. Stautberg—the former head of Scripps' newspaper operation.{{cite news|last1=Gores|first1=Paul|title=Journal, Scripps merger creates two closely aligned media companies|url=http://www.jsonline.com/business/journal-scripps-merger-creates-two-closely-aligned-media-companies-b99472706z1-298243741.html|access-date=3 April 2015|work=Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel|date=1 April 2015}} Although Journal Media Group was based at Journal Communications' old headquarters in Milwaukee, the latter company was legally defunct, having been absorbed into Scripps and renamed "Desk BC Merger, LLC".{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1232241/000110465915024859/a15-7690_1posam.htm |title=Post-effective Amendment No. 1 to Form S-3 Registration Statement Under the Securities Act of 1933 Journal Communications, Inc. |date=April 1, 2015 |access-date=2020-09-19|website=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission }}

On October 7, 2015, it was announced that Gannett would acquire Journal Media Group for $280 million.{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/10/07/gannett-buy-journal-media-group-280-million/73548926/|title=Gannett to buy Journal Media Group for $280 million|last=Yu|first=Roger|date=2015-10-07|work=USA TODAY|access-date=2018-11-25|language=en}} The deal was finalized on April 8, 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/04/07/gannetts-acquisition-journal-media-group-approved/82761978/|title=Gannett's acquisition of Journal Media Group approved|website=USA TODAY|access-date=2016-04-08}}

Former assets

=Newspapers=

=Community Publishing Group=

Florida

Wisconsin

=Other holdings=

  • IPC Print Services
  • PrimeNet

=Television stations=

Stations are arranged alphabetically by city of license.

  • (**) – Indicates station was built and signed on by Journal.

class="wikitable"
scope="col" | City of license / Market

! scope="col" | Station

! scope="col" | Channel

! scope="col" | Years owned

! scope="col" | Current status

Appleton–Green Bay, WI

! scope="row" | WACY-TV

| 32

2012–2015{{efn|Operated by Journal Media Group from 2004 to 2012.}}Independent station owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Caldwell–Boise, ID

! scope="row" | KNIN-TV

| 9

2009–2015Fox affiliate owned by Marquee Broadcasting
Cape Coral–Fort Myers–Naples, FL

! scope="row" | WFTX-TV

| 36

2005–2015Fox affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Green Bay, WI

! scope="row" | WGBA-TV

| 26

2004–2015NBC affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Lansing, MI

! scope="row" | WSYM-TV

| 47

1985–2015Fox affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Las Vegas, NV

! scope="row" | KTNV-TV

| 13

1979–2015ABC affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Milwaukee, WI

! scope="row" | WTMJ-TV **

| 4

1947–2015NBC affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Nampa–Boise, ID

! scope="row" | KIVI-TV

| 6

2002–2015ABC affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company.
Nashville, TN

! scope="row" | WTVF

| 5

2012–2015CBS affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Omaha, NE

! scope="row" | KMTV-TV

| 3

2007–2015CBS affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Palm Springs, CA

! scope="row" | KMIR-TV

| 36

1999–2014NBC affiliate owned by Entravision Communications
Palm Springs, CA

! scope="row" | KPSE-LP

| 50

2008–2014MyNetworkTV affiliate KPSE-LD, owned by
Entravision Communications
Sierra Vista, AZ

! scope="row" | KWBA-TV

| 58

2008–2015Independent station owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Sturgeon Bay, WI

! scope="row" | WLWK-CD{{efn-ua|Translator of WGBA-TV.}}

| 22

2004–2015NBC affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Tucson, AZ

! scope="row" | KGUN-TV

| 9

2005–2015ABC affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Twin Falls, ID

! scope="row" | KSAW-LD{{efn-ua|Semi-satellite of KIVI-TV.}}

| 6

2002–2015ABC affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company

{{notelist-lr}}

{{notelist-ua}}

{{notelist}}

=Radio stations=

  • (**) – Indicates station was built and signed on by Journal.

style="border: 1px solid #a3b0bf; cellpadding="2"; margin: auto" bgcolor="#cedff2" | AM Station

! style="border: 1px solid #a3b0bf; cellpadding="2"; margin: auto" bgcolor="#ddcef2" | FM Station

class="wikitable"
scope="col" | City of license / Market

! scope="col" | Station

! scope="col" | Years owned

! scope="col" | Current status

rowspan="8" | Boise, ID

! style="background: #cedff2;" | KGEM 1140

| 1998–2009

Owned by Salt & Light Radio
style="background: #cedff2;" | KSRV 1380

| 1998–2000 || Defunct, ceased operations in 2019 as KBXN

style="background: #cedff2;" | KCID 1490

| 1998–2009 || Owned by Salt & Light Radio

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KRVB 94.9

| –2015 || Owned by Lotus Communications

style="background: #decff2;" | KSRV-FM 96.1

| 1998–2000 || Owned by Iliad Media Group

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KQXR 100.3

| 1998–2015 || Owned by Lotus Communications

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KJOR/KJOT 105.1

| 1998–2015 || Owned by Lotus Communications

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KCID-FM/KTHI 107.1

| 1998–2015 || Owned by Lotus Communications

Kansas City, MO

! style="background: #ddcef2;" | KCWV/KRVK/KQRC-FM 98.9

| 1989–1997

Owned by Audacy, Inc.
rowspan="5" | Knoxville, TN

! style="background: #cedff2;" | WQBB/WKTI 1040

| 1998–2012

WJBE, owned by Joe E. Armstrong
style="background: #ddcef2;" | WWST/WMYU/WCYQ/
WNOX 93.1

| 1997–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | WNOX/WCYQ 100.3

| 2013–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | WMYU/WWST 102.1

| 1997–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | WQBB-FM/WQIX/
WBON/WKHT 104.5

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

rowspan="2" | Milwaukee, WI

! style="background: #cedff2;" | WTMJ 620

| 1927–2015

Owned by Good Karma Brands
style="background: #decff2;" | WTMJ-FM/WKTI-FM/
WLWK-FM 94.5 **

| 1959–2015 || WKTI, owned by Good Karma Brands

rowspan="8" | Omaha, NE

! style="background: #cedff2;" | WOW/KOMJ/KXSP 590

| 1998–2015

Owned by SummitMedia
style="background: #cedff2;" | KBBX/KHLP 1420

| 1998–2005 || KXCB, owned by Steven Seline

style="background: #cedff2;" | KEZO/KOSR/KOMJ 1490

| 1995–2005 || KIBM, owned by Steven Seline

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KEZO-FM 92.3

| 1995–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | WOW-FM/KSSO/KMXM/
KQCH 94.1

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KOSJ/KEZY/KQCH/
KBBX-FM 97.7

| 1996–2006 || Owned by Flood Communications

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KSRZ 104.5

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KKCD 105.9

| 1995–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

rowspan="5" | Springfield, MO

! style="background: #cedff2;" | KTTS/KTTF/KSGF 1260

| 1998–2015

Owned by SummitMedia
style="background: #ddcef2;" | KTTS-FM 94.7

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KLTQ/KMXH/KSPW 96.5

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KZRQ/KSGF-FM 104.1

| 1999–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KRVI 106.7

| 1999–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

rowspan="4" | Tucson, AZ

! style="background: #cedff2;" | KNND/KFFN 1490

| 1995–2018

Owned by Lotus Communications
style="background: #ddcef2;" | KMXZ-FM 94.9

| 1995–2015 || Owned by Lotus Communications

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KKHJ/KZPT/KQTH 104.1 **

| 1994–2015 || KFLT-FM, owned by Family Life Broadcasting

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KLQB/KIXD/KGMG/
KTGV 106.3

| 1998–2015 || Owned by Bustos Media

rowspan="5" | Tulsa, OK

! style="background: #cedff2;" | KVOO/KFAQ 1170

| 1998–2015

KOTV, owned by Griffin Communications
style="background: #ddcef2;" | KBEZ 92.9

| 2012–2015 || Owned by Griffin Communications

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KVOO-FM 98.5

| 1998–2015 || Owned by Griffin Communications

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KCKI/KXBL 99.5

| 1998–2015 || Owned by Griffin Communications

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KHTT 106.9

| 2012–2015 || Owned by Griffin Communications

rowspan="6" | Wichita, KS

! style="background: #cedff2;" | KFDI/KFTI/KLIO 1070

| 1998–2015

KFTI, owned by SummitMedia
style="background: #ddcef2;" | KMXW/KFTI-FM 92.3

| 1999–2015 || KKGQ, owned by Union Broadcasting

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KICT-FM 95.1

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KFDI-FM 101.3

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KLLS/KFXJ 104.5

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

style="background: #ddcef2;" | KYQQ 106.5

| 1998–2015 || Owned by SummitMedia

rowspan="4" | Wausau, WI

! style="background: #cedff2;" | WSAU 550

| 1985–1996

Owned by Midwest Communications
style="background: #cedff2;" | WSAU 1400

| 1947–1951 || WRIG ({{frequency|1390|AM}}), owned by Midwest Communications

style="background: #ddcef2;" | WSAU-FM 95.5 **

| 1947–1950 || Defunct, ceased operations in 1950

style="background: #ddcef2;" | WIFC 95.5

| 1985–1996 || Owned by Midwest Communications

Controversies

Before its merger with Journal, the papers of E. W. Scripps were known for having several controversies within the newspapers it ran.

Hugo Zacchini performed a human cannonball act in 1972 at the Geauga County Fair in Burton, Ohio. Scripps television station WEWS-TV recorded and aired the entire act against his wishes and without compensating him, as was required by Ohio law. In Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co., the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment did not shield the broadcaster from liability from common law copyright claims.{{cite web|author=White, Byron|title=HUGO ZACCHINI, PETITIONER, V. SCRIPPS-HOWARD BROADCASTING COMPANY.|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/433/562|work=Legal Information Institute|publisher=Cornell Law School|date=June 28, 1977|access-date=April 27, 2014|author-link=Byron White}}

The Commercial Appeal posted a controversial database listing Tennessee residents with permits to carry handguns in 2008.{{cite news|title = Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Database | url = http://www.commercialappeal.com/data/gunpermits/ | work = The Commercial Appeal | location = Memphis | date = November 8, 2008 | access-date = 2009-06-29 | author = public record}} The database is a public record in Tennessee, but had not previously been posted online.

Scripps owns and operates the Ventura County Star, which has faced many complaints involving its circulation practices rather than its editorial content. As of April 2, 2011, the Better Business Bureau listed ten (10) separate "significant" complaints from the previous three years, of which two alleged the company made unauthorized debits from customers' checking accounts, four alleged problems obtaining refunds, two alleged the company harassed a customer or former customer, two alleged improper billing, and two alleged delivery continuing after customers tried to cancel.[http://www.santabarbara.bbb.org/PublicComplaints.aspx?CompanyID=306300 "Significant Complaints"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929125714/http://www.santabarbara.bbb.org/PublicComplaints.aspx?CompanyID=306300 |date=2011-09-29 }}, The Better Business Bureau of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, Inc. (The total number of allegations does not add to the total number of complaints because two complaints made multiple allegations.)

In May 2013, Scripps News Service discovered and published a security breach on the websites of Oklahoma-based TerraCom Inc. and an affiliate, YourTel America Inc. in which the personal information of tens of thousands of low-income Americans was publicly exposed. In response, the two companies accused Scripps of "hacking" and of violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.{{cite news | title = My Social Security Number Is Posted Where? | date = May 21, 2013 | url = https://www.npr.org/2013/05/21/185788193/my-social-security-number-is-posted-where | work = NPR | access-date = May 21, 2013}} The Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan subsequently announced an investigation into the two companies.{{cite news | title = Illinois AG to review online privacy breach | date = May 21, 2013 | url = http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/21/illinois-ag-to-review-online-privacy-breach/ | work = Knoxville News Sentinel | access-date = May 21, 2013}}

Board of directors

{{update|section|date=April 2015}}

Source:[http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=145779&p=irol-govBoard Board of Directors], phx.corporate-ir.net; accessed January 22, 2015.

  • Steven J. Smith - Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Journal Communications
  • David Drury - President & Chief Executive Officer, Poblocki Sign Company, LLC
  • David Meissner - Former Chairman, Public Policy Forum, Inc.
  • Jonathan Newcomb - Senior Advisor, Coady Diemar Partners
  • Roger Peirce - Retired Vice Chairman & CEO, Super Steel Products Corporation
  • Ellen Siminoff - CEO, Shmoop, and Chairman, Efficient Frontier
  • Mary Ellen Stanek - Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer, Baird Advisors, Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc
  • Owen Sullivan - CEO, Right Management
  • Jeanette Tully - President and CEO, Radiovisa Corporation

References

{{reflist|25em}}

{{GCI}}

{{EWS CORP}}

{{Milwaukee Based Companies}}

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 Milwaukee

Category:Mass media companies established in 1882

Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 2016

Category:1882 establishments in Wisconsin

Category:2016 disestablishments in Wisconsin

Category:Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange

Category:Gannett

Category:E. W. Scripps Company

Category:2015 mergers and acquisitions

Category:2016 mergers and acquisitions