Walter E. Hussman, Jr.

Walter E. Hussman, Jr. (born 1947), is a third-generation newspaper publisher and chief executive officer of a mass media conglomerate known as WEHCO Media, Inc. He is the publisher of the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette" in Little Rock, the largest newspaper in Arkansas, directs a chain of smaller newspapers, including the "Chattanooga Times Free Press" and the "Texarkana Gazette", and owns cable television companies in four states.

Early years and education

Hussman was born in Texarkana, Texas, but moved to Camden, Arkansas in 1949 with his parents, Walter E. Hussman, Sr. (1906-1988), and the former Betty Palmer (1911-1990), and two older sisters. Hussman, Sr., published the "Camden News", which he had purchased from his father-in-law, Clyde E. Palmer (1876-1957).

Hussman earned his bachelor's degree in journalism at the University of North Carolina] and his master's of business administration from Columbia University. In 1970, Hussman worked as a reporter for "Forbes" magazine. Later he became his father's administrative assistant, then general manager of the "Camden News". He moved to Hot Springs in 1973 to become vice president and general manager of the Palmer Newspapers, which became a division of WEHCO Media.

A newspaper "war"

In 1974, Hussman, Jr., left Hot Springs for Little Rock when WEHCO purchased the "Arkansas Democrat", the afternoon daily in the state capital. Hussman implemented a strategy of reducing operating costs and expanding subscriptions within the metropolitan area. Nevertheless, the advertising and circulation trends continued to be unfavorable. In 1977, Hussman sought a joint operating agreement with the rival morning newspaper, the "Arkansas Gazette". However, "Gazette" publisher Hugh Patterson rejected the overtures, spurring a competitive 13-year newspaper "war" between the "Democrat" and the "Gazette".

In late 1978, Hussman offered free want ads -- a move which tripled the size of the "Democrat"'s classified sectionFact|date=October 2007 and made it the only Arkansas newspaper to publish more than 1 million classified advertisements in a single yearFact|date=October 2007. Hussman hired reporters, editors, and photographers to enhance local news coverage and named former hard-hitting Associated Press bureau chief John Robert Starr as managing editor. In 1979, the "Democrat" switched to morning publication, a trend already underway in the industry, to better compete with the "Gazette".

Readership increased dramatically. Circulation totals showed that in 1980, the "Democrat" was the fastest growing newspaper in the United States.Fact|date=October 2007 Innovations continued, including the use of color with offset lithography printing presses. The "Democrat"'s revenues increased from $6.7 million in 1979 to $18.4 million in 1984. The "Democrat" increased its daily circulation from 53,671 to 76,119. Its Sunday circulation leaped from 98,237 to 140,642 over the same period. Distraught "Gazette" management filed a federal antitrust suit, accusing Hussman of trying to put the "Gazette" out of business. On March 26, 1986, a federal jury exonerated Hussman in a verdict rendered in the Little Rock courtroom of U.S. District Judge William R. Overton.Fact|date=October 2007

On December 1, 1986, the Virginia-based Gannett Corporation, the nation's largest newspaper chain, purchased the "Gazette" from the Heiskell-Patterson family. Within five years the "Democrat" closed the circulation gap. "Gazette" circulation was still substantially larger than that of the "Democrat" in 1986, but within five years, the "Democrat" virtually tied the "Gazette" in daily circulation: 133,753 to 134,027 for the "Gazette". On Sundays, the "Democrat" actually led the "Gazette", 241,361 to 225,326.Fact|date=October 2007

Meanwhile, Gannett suffered increasing financial losses and published the final "Gazette" on October 18, 1991, just days after then Governor Bill Clinton announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Later that day WEHCO purchased all "Gazette" assets, including its subscription list. The new publication was called the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette". Hussman claimed his company had "survived the greatest competitive onslaught in the newspaper business."Fact|date=October 2007

In 1999, WEHCO purchased the "Chattanooga Times" and the "Chattanooga Free Press" in Tennessee and combined the rival newspapers into the "Chattanooga Times Free Press".

Newspaper philosophy

Hussman sums up his philosophy about newspapers by referring to a statement from his father.

"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."Fact|date=October 2007

For years the "Democrat" was considered the conservative newspaper in Little Rock, compared to the liberal "Gazette". In the merger, the conservative viewpoint seemed to emerge triumphant in the combined "Democrat-Gazette".

Hussman, Jr., is a former chairman of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. He was instrumental in funding the "Traveling Campus" program, which educated some 7,000 persons during 2002. Through his efforts, more than $4 million was pledged to the SNPA Foundation in 2002. He was the first recipient of the Frank Mayborn award, given in honor of the late publisher of the "Temple Daily Telegram" in Temple, Texas.Fact|date=October 2007

Hussman, in a May 7, 2007"Wall Street Journal" op-ed column, urged newspapers to stop providing free content online. Too many potential readers, he said, settle for "limited" online coverage and never consider traditional newspaper subscriptions. Hussman called the online posting of so much of the newspaper product a "self-inflicted wound"."How to Sink a Newspaper," Wall Street Journal May 7, 2007

Hussman lives in Little Rock with his wife, the former Robena Kendrick (b. June 26, 1946). They have three children. The late federal Judge Richard S. Arnold of Texarkana and Little Rock, was Hussman's former brother-in-law. Arnold was married to Hussman sister, Gale, from 1958-1975. His other sister is Marilyn Augur of Dallas.

External links

*http://www.oldstatehouse.com/educational_programs/classroom/arkansas_news/detail.asp?
*http://www.ardemgaz.com/info/histfam.asp
*Walter E. Hussman, Jr., speech to the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association, 100th anniversary edition, November 2004
*http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=47696 Mayborn award to WEH, Jr.
*http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2191
*http://books.google.com/books?id=dZbjtGC48-8C&pg=PA305&lpg=PA305&dq=clyde+e+palmer&source=web&ots=JCErbEtIaP&sig=cwkKt4Ceh0sOOQ_uq06pLJr0NP8
*http://courts.state.ar.us/opinions/2003a/20030612/01-1228.html
*http://courts.state.ar.us/opinions/20030612.htm
*http://www.audiodizer.com/blog/?feed=rss2
*http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010038