Wilson & Horton: History

Landmarks

This chronology is indicative only. It covers -

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• antecedents (1863)
• beginnings (1876)
• the INM era (1995)
• merger with APN (2001)

Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline on this site.

Antecedents

1863 New Zealand Herald founded by William Chisholm Wilson

1863 Wilson founds The Weekly News

1874 Wairarapa News launched in Masterton

Beginnings

1876 Wilson & Horton founded when NZ Herald merges with Alfred George Horton's The Southern Cross

1878 Wairarapa News merges with Wairarapa Free Press as Wairarapa Daily

1879 New Zealand Press Association established as the United Press Association

1881 Wairarapa Star (later Wairarapa Age) launched

1938 Wairarapa Age and Wairarapa Daily Times merge as Wairarapa Times-Age

1939 The Listener launched by NZBC

1986 MBO of Wairarapa Times-Age

1989 Sky Television buys Northern TV Studios at Mt Wellington from W&H

The INM era

1995 Independent Newspapers PLC of Dublin buys stake in W&H

1995 W&H buys the Northern Publishing Company, publisher of the Northern Advocate and the Whangarei Report

1995 W&H buys the Hawkes Bay Sun, a community newspaper with 50,000 circulation

1996 W&H, APN and Clear buy Radio New Zealand's commercial stations, renamed The Radio Network of New Zealand (TRN)

1996 INM moves to control of W&H

1998 Independent buys remaining shares in W&H

1999 W&H establishes Hastings Hawkes Bay Today through merger of the Napier Daily Telegraph and Hawkes Bay Herald Tribune

2001 Cardcorp Pty Ltd acquired and renamed Security Plastics Pty Ltd, Australia

Merger with APN

2001 Wilson & Horton merges with Australian-based APN News & Media Ltd (APN), taking Independent News & Media PLC (INM) stake in APN from 39.6% to 45%

2002 buys The Wairarapa Times-Age