The Herald-Dispatch

The Herald-Dispatch
Type Daily newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Owner(s) Douglas Reynolds
Publisher Edward Dawson
Founded 1909
Headquarters 946 Fifth Avenue
Huntington, West Virginia 25701  United States
Circulation 25,684 Daily
27,828 Sunday
(March 2013)[1]
Website herald-dispatch.com

The Herald-Dispatch is a daily newspaper that serves Huntington, West Virginia, and neighboring communities in southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. It is currently a subsidiary of Champion Publishing, Inc., based in Huntington.[2]

History

The Herald-Dispatch was founded in 1909 when two Huntington newspapers, Herald and the Dispatch, merged.[3] In 1927, the newspaper became a part of the Huntington Publishing Company, operated by Joseph Harvey Long, the owner of the Huntington Advertiser. The company was operated by the Long family until 1971, when it was sold to the Honolulu Star Bulletin and then to Gannett ten months later.[3]

Its companion afternoon paper, the Huntington Advertiser, ceased as a separate publication in 1979. Prior to the Huntington Advertiser's demise, the combined Sunday newspaper was referred to as the Herald-Advertiser, correctly depicted in the movie We Are Marshall. Today, it also publishes the Putnam Herald and the Lawrence Herald, more localized editions of The Herald-Dispatch serving Putnam County, West Virginia and Lawrence County, Ohio, respectively.

For the six-month period ending March 31, 2005, the total average paid circulation was 29,098 for the daily edition and 35,552 for the Sunday edition.

On May 8, 2007, the newspaper was sold to Gatehouse Media,[3] and to Champion Industries on June 29.[4]

On May 23, 2009, the newspaper revealed that it was in defaut of a 70 million dollar loan from the Fifth-Third Bank and the previous owners and fired 24 employees, representing about 15% of its work force. In October 2011, they were forced to lay off more employees, suggesting that they were still in difficult financial straits.

In 2013, Champion Industries sold The Herald-Dispatch to Douglas Reynolds, the son of the CEO.[5]

References

  1. "Total Circ for US Newspapers". Alliance for Audited Media. March 31, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  2. "Champion Industries: Subsidiaries". Champion Industries. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The Herald-Dispatch now officially owned by GateHouse Media". Herald-Dispatch. 8 May 2007. p. 5A.
  4. Chambers, Bryan (29 June 2007). "Local company to buy Herald-Dispatch". Herald-Dispatch. p. 1A.
  5. [Champion to sell Herald-Dispatch for $10 Million http://www.statejournal.com/story/22682907/champion-to-sell-herald-dispatch-for-10-million]

External links