Cox Group: Landmarks

Landmarks

This chronology is indicative only. Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline.

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Early years

1898 James M Cox buys Dayton Evening (now Daily) News

1903 buys Springfield Daily News

1912 elected governor of Ohio

1920 James Cox makes unsuccessful bid for US Presidency (with FDR as running mate)

1923 buys Miami Metropolis, renamed Miami News

1923 buys Canton Daily News

1928 buys Springfield Morning Sun

1934 Cox establishes WHIO radio in Dayton

1939 Cox buys The Atlanta Journal and WSB radio in Atlanta

1948 buys Dayton Journal and Herald

1949 merges Dayton Journal and Herald

1950 buys Atlanta Constitution

1950 death of James M Cox

1962 Cox enters cable television business with purchase of systems in Pennsylvania, California, Oregon and Washington

1964 Cox Broadcasting Corporation, which operated cable systems, and radio and television properties, floated as public company

1976 Cox buys Waco Newspapers group

1984 Cox Broadcasting renamed Cox Communications

1984 Cox buys Yuma Sun from Donrey

1985 Cox Communications merged into Cox Enterprises, private company that owned and operated Cox's newspapers

1985 buys Orange Leader

1990s

1990 sells Orange Leader

1991 Cox creates UK Gold entertainment channel in partnership with BBC and Thames Television

1992 Cox is first cable company to invest in Teleport Communications Group

1993 Cox begins delivering cable and telephone service in UK through partnership with SBC CableComms, later TeleWest

1995 Cox buys Times Mirror Cable Television from Times Mirror Group and drops 'cable' from name, becoming Cox Communications

1995 sells 25% of cable arm

1996 Cox swaps cable television networks in New England, Omaha, Phoenix and Louisiana with Tele-Communications (Liberty Media) and US West Media Group

1996 spins off radio arm as Cox Radio (72% owned by parent)

1998 Cox Radio buys Long Island radio WBAB/WHFM, WBLI and WGBB from Capstar for US$48m

1999 Cox buys Multimedia Cablevision operations in Kansas, Oklahoma and North Carolina from Gannett

1999 Cox buys cable networks in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Tulsa, from AT&T cable operations

1999 Cox buys cable networks in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and four other states from TCA Cable

1999 Cox buys cable networks in northern Virginia from Media General for US$1.4bn

1999 sells 12% stake in UK Telewest Communications for £450m

2002 Bill Gates makes US$500m personal investment in Cox Communications

2004 Cox Enterprises announces plan to buy back public stake in Cox Communications