Freedom Communications
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Freedom Communications, Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California, owns more than 75 publications newspapers in the US, with a combined daily circulation of more than 1.2 million subscribers, and also operates over seventy local news websites. The broadcast division includes eight television stations, including five CBS network affiliates, one CW Television Network affiliate and two ABC network affiliates.
Freedom's flagship newspaper is the Orange County Register, based in Santa Ana, California with a circulation of 360,000. The Register has won three Pulitzer Prizes. The Orange County Register website is the largest, most in-depth of Freedom's websites, drawing the most daily traffic and unique visitors of all of the local news sites. It received both high interest and criticism for the website's open forums, allowing visitors to openly comment on stories and features.
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[edit] Leadership
Founder and chief executive officer 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. After Hoiles' death in 1970, he was succeeded as CEO by his son C.H. Hoiles (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 Flanders, 2006-
[edit] Interactive
Freedom Interactive was formed in June 2006. This division, also headquarted in Irvine, California, is solely responsible for the online presence of Freedom's media properties. All interactive advertising, marketing, content, business development, finance, and technology management is centralized within this arm of the organization. Early partnerships with search giant Google, user submitted calendar program Zvents, and employment site Monster.com gained recognition for the newly formed interactive division in early 2007. Financially, Freedom Communications is an investor of USIS, the nation's largest investigative company for government level security clearances.
- Michael Mathieu, 2006-
[edit] Properties
[edit] Newspapers
- East Valley Tribune of Mesa, Arizona
- Ahwatukee Foothill News of Phoenix, Arizona
- Daily News-Sun of Sun City, Arizona
- The Sun of Yuma, Arizona
- Desert Dispatch of Barstow, California
- Colusa County Sun-Herald of Colusa, California
- Corning Observer of Corning, California
- Hesperia Star of Hesperia, California
- Appeal-Democrat of Marysville, California
- Orland Press-Register of Orland, California
- Porterville Recorder of Porterville, California
- The Orange County Register of Santa Ana, California
- OC Post of Santa Ana, California
- Daily Press of Victorville, California
- Willows Journal of Willows, California
- The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado
- The Destin Log of Destin, Florida
- Northwest Florida Daily News of Fort Walton Beach, Florida
- The News Herald of Panama City, Florida
- The Star of Port St. Joe, Florida
- The Walton Sun of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
- The Telegraph of Alton, Illinois
- Jacksonville Journal-Courier of Jacksonville, Illinois
- The Tribune of Seymour, Indiana
- Sedalia Democrat of Sedalia, Missouri
- Clovis News Journal of Clovis, New Mexico
- Portales News-Tribune of Portales, New Mexico
- The Quay County Sun of Tucumcari, New Mexico
- Times-News of Burlington, North Carolina
- The Havelock News of Havelock, North Carolina
- The Gaston Gazette of Gastonia, North Carolina
- The Daily News of Jacksonville, North Carolina
- The Free Press of Kinston, North Carolina
- New Bern of New Bern, North Carolina
- The Shelby Star of Shelby, North Carolina
- The Topsail Advertiser of Surf City, North Carolina
- Jones Post of Trenton, North Carolina
- The Lima News of Lima, Ohio
- The Brownsville Herald of Brownsville, Texas
- Valley Morning Star of Harlingen, Texas
- The Monitor of McAllen, Texas
- Odessa American of Odessa, Texas
- Mid Valley Town Crier of Weslaco, Texas
[edit] Television stations
| Current DMA # | Market | Station | Channel (DT) | Affiliation | Acquired | Notes |
| 38. | West Palm Beach, Florida | WPEC | 12 (13) | CBS | 1996 | |
| 39. | Kalamazoo, Michigan | WWMT | 3 (2) | CBS | 1998 | The CW on DT2 |
| 56. | Schenectady, New York | WRGB | 6 (39) | CBS | 1986 | |
| WCWN | 45 (43) | The CW | 2006 | |||
| 86. | Chattanooga, Tennessee | WTVC | 9 (35) | ABC | 1983 | Freedom's first broadcast property (with KFDM) |
| 112. | Lansing, Michigan | WLAJ | 53 (51) | ABC | 1998 | Operated by WWMT The CW on DT2 |
| 140. | Medford, Oregon | KTVL | 10 (35) | CBS | 1996 | The CW on DT2 |
| 141. | Beaumont, Texas | KFDM | 6 (21) | CBS | 1983 | The CW on DT2 |
[edit] External links
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