Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee)

The Daily Herald

Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Broadsheet
Owner	Stephens Media LLC
Publisher	Mark Palmer Ad Director: Craig Duncan
Editor	Chris Fletcher
Language	English
Headquarters	1115 South Main Street, Columbia, TN, 38401  United States
Circulation	11,500 Daily 13,500 Sunday [1]
Official website	Daily Herald On-Line

The The Daily Herald is a daily newspaper in Columbia, Tennessee. It is owned and published by Stephens Media LLC. The newspaper is published six days a week Sunday through Friday, the paper does not publish on Saturday. Although it is primarily distributed to Maury County, Tennessee its Newspaper Designated Market (N.D.M.) stretches into five counties in Southern Middle Tennessee. The five county distribution area of The Daily Herald includes: Maury County, TN; Marshall County, TN; Lewis County, TN; and the northern halves of both Giles County, TN and Lawrence County, TN.

History

The Daily Herald was founded as a weekly newspaper in 1848, when Columbia's population was only 1,700 people. In 1899, the newspaper converted from weekly to daily delivery. The city now has a population 34,811 in 2010 with a county population exceeding 81,956.^[2] Weekday circulation (Monday-Friday) is 11,500 and Sunday circulation is 13,500, according to audited figures.^[3]

Ownership

In 1916 the newspaper was purchased by Walter D. Hastings and James I. Finney. Beginning in 1965 the newspaper was purchased by local businessman and politician Sam Delk Kennedy who also served as Publisher. Kennedy served as either Editor or Publisher or both from 1965 to 1983. It was acquired by the Donrey Media Group (founder Donald W. Reynolds), a predecessor of the current owner, in 1983. Reynolds died in 1993. The company was then sold to the Stephens family of Arkansas, best known for their investment banking business Stephens Inc. in Little Rock, AR. After Stephens acquired the group, some of Donrey's properties were sold off, and the company moved its headquarters to Las Vegas, home of its largest newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The company was re-named Stephens Media Group in 2002. Most of Stephens newspapers operate in small to medium-sized towns and cities, but the company also owns the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a 186,000 circulation newspaper.

In June 2006 the company became officially known as Stephens Media LLC and continued Mr. Reynolds' business philosophy of locally operated companies. Stephens Media LLC is a Nevada diversified media holding company that publishes over 11 daily and 64 weekly newspapers in 9 states, primarily in Nevada and Arkansas.

Recent Publishers

Sam Kennedy served as the newspaper's Publisher during the decades of the 1960s through 1983. Douglas Beel (from Arkansas) became the newspaper's Publisher from 1983 until 1996. In 1996 Mark Palmer (from Oklahoma) was named Publisher and still serves in that position as of 2011. Major Department Heads at the newspaper currently include; Editor Chris Fletcher, Advertising Director Craig Duncan and Circulation Director Dean Cole.

Subsidiary Publications

• The Advertiser News {Weekly} (Spring Hill & Thompson's Station, TN) Advertiser News On-Line
• The Value Guide {Weekly} (Maury County, TN)
• Franklin Life {Monthly} (Franklin, TN)
• Brentwood Life {Monthly} (Brentwood, TN)
• Healthy Living {Monthly} (6 Counties in Southern Middle Tennessee)

References

1. ^ Finder Binder: Oklahoma's Updated Media Directory, 2010 Winter Issue.
2. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, 2010; State & County QuickFacts
3. ^ C.A.C.; Certified Audit Circulation, March 31, 2011

External links

• The Daily Herald official web site
• Stephens Media official web site