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Hub AI
Country Media, Inc. AI simulator
(@Country Media, Inc._simulator)
Hub AI
Country Media, Inc. AI simulator
(@Country Media, Inc._simulator)
Country Media, Inc.
Country Media, Inc. is an American media and web design company based in Salem, Oregon, which owns 10 community newspaper properties in Oregon and one in California. The company previously owned newspapers in the West North Central states.
Country Media, Inc. was largely founded by Steve Hungerford, a Nebraska-native who earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska and a master's in journalism from the University of Oregon. He moved to Oregon in 1973 to purchase the weekly Milwaukie Review newspaper. In the mid-1980s, he was named director of human resources at the Salem Statesman Journal and, in 1988, became executive editor and publisher of the Daily Enterprise Courier in Oregon City. Hungerford and his wife Carol moved to Nebraska in 1990 when he was named publisher of the Scottsbluff Star-Herald. A decade later Hungerford left his job in March 2000 to found Country Media, Inc. with his wife and a group of investors from across the United States. Soon after, the newly formed company based in Scottsbluff, Nebraska purchased 18 weekly newspapers.
In September 2000, Country Media purchased several papers from the Virginia-based Dickson Media, Inc. Included in the sale were South Dakota newspapers based in Sturgis, Deadwood, Newell, Lemmon and Belle Fourche; and North Dakota newspapers based in Hettinger, Langdon, Killdeer, New England along with Baker, Montana. A national agribusiness weekly based in Sturgis called Tri-State Livestock News was also included in the sale.
In October 2000, Country Media purchased the Chadron Record in Chadron and the Hot Springs Star in Hot Springs from CNHI, which had owned the two papers since March 1998.
Country Media marked its first year in business by purchasing the Farmer & Rancher Exchange, a weekly agribusiness advertising publication in Pierre with a 43,000 circulation. It had previously been owned by Roger and Helen Merriman for 25 years. This purchase in September 2001 was the 18th paper County Media acquired.
In December 2004, Country Media sold eight weekly newspapers, two shoppers and a monthly gaming publication to Lee Enterprises. The sale included South Dakota papers Meade County Times-Tribune, Black Hills Press, Butte County Valley Irrigator, Belle Fourche Post, Belle Fourche Bee, Lawrence County Centennial and Hot Springs Star. Lee also bought the Chadron Record in Nebraska, Star Extra shopper in South Dakota, Your Neighbor shopper in Nebraska, and monthly Deadwood Gaming in South Dakota. Country Media retained ownership of eight newspapers and two agriculture publications.
In February 2014, Country Media shuttered the Lemmon Leader. The paper founded in 1906 was closed due to "a financial challenge," in part attributed to competition from rival newspaper The Dakota Herald.
In November 2019, Country Media announced plans to close three North Dakota newspapers: the Adams Country Record in Hettinger, The Herald in New England, and the Dunn County Herald. According to Steve Andrist, executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association, Country Media told him the company's newspapers were profitable, but that profit didn't justify the time and effort it took to properly manage them. After failing to find a buyer, the company decided to close the three papers. After news of the closures broke, by December, the Adams County Record and The Herald avoided closure after selling to Grant County News owner Jill Friesz. The Dunn County Herald closed for good in 2019.
Country Media, Inc.
Country Media, Inc. is an American media and web design company based in Salem, Oregon, which owns 10 community newspaper properties in Oregon and one in California. The company previously owned newspapers in the West North Central states.
Country Media, Inc. was largely founded by Steve Hungerford, a Nebraska-native who earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska and a master's in journalism from the University of Oregon. He moved to Oregon in 1973 to purchase the weekly Milwaukie Review newspaper. In the mid-1980s, he was named director of human resources at the Salem Statesman Journal and, in 1988, became executive editor and publisher of the Daily Enterprise Courier in Oregon City. Hungerford and his wife Carol moved to Nebraska in 1990 when he was named publisher of the Scottsbluff Star-Herald. A decade later Hungerford left his job in March 2000 to found Country Media, Inc. with his wife and a group of investors from across the United States. Soon after, the newly formed company based in Scottsbluff, Nebraska purchased 18 weekly newspapers.
In September 2000, Country Media purchased several papers from the Virginia-based Dickson Media, Inc. Included in the sale were South Dakota newspapers based in Sturgis, Deadwood, Newell, Lemmon and Belle Fourche; and North Dakota newspapers based in Hettinger, Langdon, Killdeer, New England along with Baker, Montana. A national agribusiness weekly based in Sturgis called Tri-State Livestock News was also included in the sale.
In October 2000, Country Media purchased the Chadron Record in Chadron and the Hot Springs Star in Hot Springs from CNHI, which had owned the two papers since March 1998.
Country Media marked its first year in business by purchasing the Farmer & Rancher Exchange, a weekly agribusiness advertising publication in Pierre with a 43,000 circulation. It had previously been owned by Roger and Helen Merriman for 25 years. This purchase in September 2001 was the 18th paper County Media acquired.
In December 2004, Country Media sold eight weekly newspapers, two shoppers and a monthly gaming publication to Lee Enterprises. The sale included South Dakota papers Meade County Times-Tribune, Black Hills Press, Butte County Valley Irrigator, Belle Fourche Post, Belle Fourche Bee, Lawrence County Centennial and Hot Springs Star. Lee also bought the Chadron Record in Nebraska, Star Extra shopper in South Dakota, Your Neighbor shopper in Nebraska, and monthly Deadwood Gaming in South Dakota. Country Media retained ownership of eight newspapers and two agriculture publications.
In February 2014, Country Media shuttered the Lemmon Leader. The paper founded in 1906 was closed due to "a financial challenge," in part attributed to competition from rival newspaper The Dakota Herald.
In November 2019, Country Media announced plans to close three North Dakota newspapers: the Adams Country Record in Hettinger, The Herald in New England, and the Dunn County Herald. According to Steve Andrist, executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association, Country Media told him the company's newspapers were profitable, but that profit didn't justify the time and effort it took to properly manage them. After failing to find a buyer, the company decided to close the three papers. After news of the closures broke, by December, the Adams County Record and The Herald avoided closure after selling to Grant County News owner Jill Friesz. The Dunn County Herald closed for good in 2019.