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Journal Communications group

This page looks at the US Journal Communications group.


It covers -

  • overview
  • the group
  • holdings
  • studies
  • chronology

Overview

Milwaukee-based Journal Communications Inc is a minor US media conglomerate with operations in publishing, radio and television broadcasting, telecommunications and printing services.

Its corporate site is here.

The group

Journal Communications centres on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the only major daily newspaper for the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) metropolitan area.

The group also encompasses

  • over 90 community newspapers and shoppers in eight states.
  • 38 radio stations and seven television stations in 11 states on an own & operate basis
  • operation of an additional television station under a local marketing agreement
  • a regional fiber optic network in the US upper Midwest, with integrated data communications solutions for SMEs and network transmission solutions for other service providers.
  • commercial printing services, including printing for professional journals and electronic publishing, kit assembly and fulfillment.
  • direct marketing services

Founder Lucius Nieman (1857-1935) - commemorated by the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University - worked at The Milwaukee Sentinel (moving from composing room to editorship), before acquiring control of the Milwaukee Daily Journal in 1882. It was subsequently renamed the Milwaukee Journal, providing the basis for expansion by the Journal Company. The Sentinel was founded by Solomon Juneau (1793-1856), acquired by Hearst in 1924, sold to the Journal Company in 1962 and merged with the Milwaukee Journal as the Journal Sentinel in 1995.

Nieman's liberalism and abhorrence of yellow journalism has perhaps been exaggerrated - the paper received a Pulitzer Prize in 1919 for its

courageous campaign for Americanism in a constituency where foreign elements made such a policy hazardous from a business point of view

and coverage was often as sensationalist as as its Hearst competitors - but the Journal was distinguished by its opposition to Senator Joseph McCarthy. The paper has since moved to the right.

Holdings

Radio stations include -

Nebraska

  • WTMJ-AM Milwaukee
  • WKTI-FM Milwaukee
  • KOSR-AM Omaha
  • KHLP-AM Omaha
  • KEZO-FM Omaha
  • KKCD-FM Omaha
  • KSRZ-FM Omaha
  • KOMJ-AM Omaha
  • KQCH-FM Omaha
  • KBBX-FM Nebraska City

Arizona

  • KFFN-AM Tucson
  • KMXZ-FM Tucson
  • KZPT-FM Tucson
  • KGMG-FM Oracle

Tennessee

  • WQBB-AM Powell
  • WMYU-FM Karns
  • WWST-FM Sevierville
  • WBON-FM Knoxville

Idaho

  • KGEM-AM Boise
  • KJOT-FM Boise
  • KQXR-FM Boise
  • KTHI-FM Caldwell
  • KRVB-FM Nampa
  • KCID-AM Caldwell

Kansas

  • KFTI-AM Wichita
  • KFDI-FM Wichita
  • KICT-FM Wichita
  • KFXJ-FM Augusta
  • KYQQ-FM Arkansas City
  • KMXW-FM Newton

Missouri

  • KSGF-AM Springfield
  • KTTS-FM Springfield
  • KSPW-FM Sparta

Oklahoma

  • KFAQ-AM Tulsa
  • KVOO-FM Tulsa
  • KXBL-FM Henryetta

Television stations include -

  • Nebraska
  • WTMJ-TV Milwaukee 1947
  • Nevada
  • KTNV-TV Las Vegas 1979
  • Minnesota
  • WSYM-TV Lansing 1984
  • California
  • KMIR-TV Palm Springs 1999
  • Idaho
  • KIVI-TV Boise 2001
  • KSAW-TV(2) Twin Falls 2001

Studies

There have been no major studies of the Journal Communications group.

Chronology

1837 Milwaukee Sentinel founded as weekly by Solomon Juneau

1882 launch of Milwaukee Daily Journal

1882 control acquired by Lucius Nieman, later renamed Milwaukee Journal

1924 Journal Company launches radio station WHAD Milwaukee in partnership with Marquette University

1924 Sentinel acquired by Hearst

1924 Sentinel and Hearst's afternoon The Wisconsin News launch joint Sunday edition as The Sunday Telegram

1927 Journal launches WTMJ-AM Milwaukee following end of WHAD partnership

1937 Agnes Wahl Nieman establishes Nieman Foundation at Harvard "to promote and elevate the standards of journalism"

1937 employees buy 25% interest in Journal Company under employee-ownership plan

1940 Journal launches W9XAO FM

1941 launche W55M FM (later WTMJ-FM)

1947 launches WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee

1962 buys Milwaukee Sentinel from Hearst

1968 establishes Midwestern Relay

1979 acquires KTNV-TV Las Vegas

1984 acquires WSYM-TV Lansing, MI

1991 acquisition of Norlight fiber-optic private carrier by Midwestern Relay

1995 Milwaukee Journal and Sentinel merge

1995 divestiture of Perry Printing

1995 acquires KOSR-AM, KEZO-FM and KKCD-FM Omaha

1996 acquires KFFN-AM, KMXZ-FM and KZPT-FM Tucson

1997 acquires WMYU-FM Karns, WWST-FM Sevierville and KBBX-FM Nebraska City

1998 acquires KHLP-AM and KSRZ-FM Omaha, WBON-FM Knoxville, KGEM-AM, KJOT-FM and KQXR-FM Boise, KGMG-FM Oracle, WQBB-AM Powell, and KTHI-FM and KCID-AM Caldwell

1999 acquires KMIR-TV Palm Springs

1999 buys Great Empire radio group (13 radio stations in 4 states) - KFTI-AM KFDI-FM KICT-FM Wichita, KOMJ-AM Omaha, KQCH-FM Omaha, KFXJ-FM Augusta, KYQQ-FM Arkansas City, KSGF-AM KTTS-FM Springfield, KSPW-FM Sparta, KFAQ-AM KVOO-FM Tulsa, OKXBL-FM Henryetta

2000 acquires KMXW-FM Newton and KRVB-FM Nampa

2001 acquires KSAW-TV Twin Falls and KIVI-TV Boise

2003 IPO of Class A shares

2005 announces agreement to purchase WFTX-TV (Fort Myers), KMTV-TV (Omaha) and KGUN-TV (Tucson) from Emmis for US$235m