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By Bob Watson
bwatson@newstribune.comArkansas media group set to purchase Jefferson City, Fulton, California newspapers
Meet Walter E. Hussman Jr.
He's negotiating the final details to buy the Jefferson City News Tribune and its sister newspapers, the Fulton Sun dailies and the weekly California Democrat.
A purchase price was not announced.
“We usually don't disclose what we pay, and don't plan to in this case,” Hussman said, after introducing himself to the Jefferson City paper's employees Thursday morning.
He expects the ownership change to occur about May 1.
“We're excited about working with you all and putting out great newspapers,” he told the employees.
Hussman followed his father and grandfather into the newspaper business.
His family-owned company, WEHCO Media, Inc., owns seven other newspapers, including Little Rock's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Hussman, 61, joined the family business in 1970. They acquired the Arkansas Democrat in 1974.
Several things attracted his interest in the News Tribune.
“Being in the state capital was a big plus, and this very stable employment base here was a big plus,” he explained. “The facilities, particularly the new printing press - which is really state-of-the-art and really terrific - was a major plus.
“(And) the fact that it was a family-owned newspaper and we're a family-owned newspaper and would share a lot of the same kind of values with the people who worked here.”
Neither readers nor employees should expect any immediate or wholesale changes, Hussman said.
“They won't see instant changes. They might see gradual changes, over time, but whatever changes they see will be changes that evolve in working with the news staff and management staff here,” he explained. “I think the niche that newspapers have is to be the most complete, well-written, well-presented source of local information that's available.
“From what I see, the Jefferson City paper is already doing that. As long as they do that, I don't see a great threat to newspapers from other media.”
Hussman believes newspapers can “add value for readers” by providing detailed, informative stories.
His publishing philosophy comes from his father - Walter E. Hussman Sr., who died in 1988 - and is shown at the top of the company history link of WEHCO Media's Web page:
“A newspaper has a number of constituencies. Among those are readers, advertisers, employees, creditors, and stockholders. If a newspaper and its publisher always keep those constituencies in that order: readers first, advertisers second, employees third, creditors fourth, and shareholders last, then the newspaper will do well journalistically and financially, and the interests of all constituencies will be well served."
When his family acquired the Arkansas Democrat in 1974, it was an afternoon paper competing with the larger, morning Arkansas Gazette.
To help in the competition, the afternoon paper was switched to mornings.
But, Hussman said, there's no commitment to changing the News Tribune's present afternoon publication.
“We'll evaluate that, along with everything else,” he said, “and also try to do some reader research on that.”
He told the paper's employees Thursday the company strives to be a stable operation, and has many employees who've been with the business for years.
They've sold some radio and TV properties over the years, but “we've never sold a newspaper and don't plan to,” Hussman said.
WEHCO Media operates about a dozen cable television franchises, mostly in Arkansas.
Its other newspaper holdings include the Chattanooga, Tenn., Times Free Press, purchased a decade ago; Hot Springs and El Dorado, Ark., and Texarkana, Texas.
The Texarkana paper actually is the oldest of the family holdings, purchased by Hussman's grandfather - Clyde E. Palmer - in 1909.
Hussman said his father was born in Bland in 1906.
Hussman's parents were married in 1931, after meeting at the University of Missouri Journalism School in Columbia.
Hussman and his wife, Robena - “Everybody calls me ‘Ben'” - have been married 32 years and have three children.
Their son, 24, graduated from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, after spending about 1 1/2 years at Westminster College, Fulton.
Their twin daughters, 21, are juniors at the University of North Carolina.
He's negotiating the final details to buy the Jefferson City News Tribune and its sister newspapers, the Fulton Sun dailies and the weekly California Democrat.
A purchase price was not announced.
“We usually don't disclose what we pay, and don't plan to in this case,” Hussman said, after introducing himself to the Jefferson City paper's employees Thursday morning.
He expects the ownership change to occur about May 1.
“We're excited about working with you all and putting out great newspapers,” he told the employees.
Hussman followed his father and grandfather into the newspaper business.
His family-owned company, WEHCO Media, Inc., owns seven other newspapers, including Little Rock's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Hussman, 61, joined the family business in 1970. They acquired the Arkansas Democrat in 1974.
Several things attracted his interest in the News Tribune.
“Being in the state capital was a big plus, and this very stable employment base here was a big plus,” he explained. “The facilities, particularly the new printing press - which is really state-of-the-art and really terrific - was a major plus.
“(And) the fact that it was a family-owned newspaper and we're a family-owned newspaper and would share a lot of the same kind of values with the people who worked here.”
Neither readers nor employees should expect any immediate or wholesale changes, Hussman said.
“They won't see instant changes. They might see gradual changes, over time, but whatever changes they see will be changes that evolve in working with the news staff and management staff here,” he explained. “I think the niche that newspapers have is to be the most complete, well-written, well-presented source of local information that's available.
“From what I see, the Jefferson City paper is already doing that. As long as they do that, I don't see a great threat to newspapers from other media.”
Hussman believes newspapers can “add value for readers” by providing detailed, informative stories.
His publishing philosophy comes from his father - Walter E. Hussman Sr., who died in 1988 - and is shown at the top of the company history link of WEHCO Media's Web page:
“A newspaper has a number of constituencies. Among those are readers, advertisers, employees, creditors, and stockholders. If a newspaper and its publisher always keep those constituencies in that order: readers first, advertisers second, employees third, creditors fourth, and shareholders last, then the newspaper will do well journalistically and financially, and the interests of all constituencies will be well served."
When his family acquired the Arkansas Democrat in 1974, it was an afternoon paper competing with the larger, morning Arkansas Gazette.
To help in the competition, the afternoon paper was switched to mornings.
But, Hussman said, there's no commitment to changing the News Tribune's present afternoon publication.
“We'll evaluate that, along with everything else,” he said, “and also try to do some reader research on that.”
He told the paper's employees Thursday the company strives to be a stable operation, and has many employees who've been with the business for years.
They've sold some radio and TV properties over the years, but “we've never sold a newspaper and don't plan to,” Hussman said.
WEHCO Media operates about a dozen cable television franchises, mostly in Arkansas.
Its other newspaper holdings include the Chattanooga, Tenn., Times Free Press, purchased a decade ago; Hot Springs and El Dorado, Ark., and Texarkana, Texas.
The Texarkana paper actually is the oldest of the family holdings, purchased by Hussman's grandfather - Clyde E. Palmer - in 1909.
Hussman said his father was born in Bland in 1906.
Hussman's parents were married in 1931, after meeting at the University of Missouri Journalism School in Columbia.
Hussman and his wife, Robena - “Everybody calls me ‘Ben'” - have been married 32 years and have three children.
Their son, 24, graduated from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, after spending about 1 1/2 years at Westminster College, Fulton.
Their twin daughters, 21, are juniors at the University of North Carolina.
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zandar wrote on Apr 18, 2008 8:54 AM:
That is a likely outcome. This is why I'm cancelling now. "