Solomon Neuhaus born in New York City. Later changes name to Samuel Irving Newhouse (Si).
1911
Newhouse works his way up from office boy to managing the Bayonne Times
1920
Newhouse purchases a stake in the Fitchburg Daily News. Newhouse owns the paper for less than a year. After struggling with circulation and revenue, Newhouse makes a deal with the other newspaper in town, The Sentinel, to be bought out. The owner of the Sentinel pays $15,000 to have the Daily News go out of business to ensure that there is only one newspaper remaining.
1922
Newhouse purchases stake in the Staten Island Advance
1923
Newhouse takes over the position of publisher of Staten Island Advance
1932
Newhouse purchases a 51% stake in the Long Island Press from the Ridder brothers for $600,000
1934
Newhouse purchases a 51% stake in the Newark Ledger for $310,000
1939
Newhouse purchases two Syracuse, NY newspapers, the Herald and Journal (from William Randolph Hearst). Both newspapers are combined to form The Syracuse Herald-Journal
1939
Newhouse purchases the Newark Star-Eagle. Combines both newspapers in Newark to form The Star-Ledger
1942
Newhouse purchases Syracuse Post-Standard. Announcement of purchase is delayed until 1944 to avoid criticism from employees that the Syracuse papers would be merged and jobs cut
1945
Newhouse purchases stake in the Jersey Journal
1947
Newhouse associate Edwin Russell purchases the Harrisburg Patriot and Evening News
1948
Newhouse purchases the Harrisburg Telegraph. Less than two months later the newspaper goes out of business
1950
Newhouse purchases The Oregonian for $5.6 million, at the time the largest newspaper sale ever
1955
Newhouse purchases St. Louis Globe-Democrat for $6.5 million, another record
1955
Newhouse purchases Birmingham News and Huntsville Times for a combined $18.7 million, another record
1959
Newhouse acquires Street & Smith magazine group
1959
Newhouse acquires Conde Nast magazine group
1961
Newhouse acquires the Oregon Journal for $8 Million
1962
Newhouse purchases New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper group (includes the Times-Picayune and States-Item) for $42 million, another record
1962
Samuel Newhouse appears on the July 27 cover of Time magazine
1964
Syracuse dedicates its new School of Communications Center in the name of Samuel Newhouse, the largest gift to Syracuse by a living donor
1966
Newhouse acquires three Springfield (Mass) newspapers News, Republican, and Union
1966
Newhouse acquires Mobile Register, Mobile Press and Mississippi Press-Register
1967
Newhouse purchases the Cleveland Plain-Dealer for $54.2 million, another record
1976
Newhouse gains total ownership of the eight Booth newspapers and Parade Magazine for $305 million
1977
Long Island Press ceases operations
1979
Samuel Sr. dies from complications of a stroke. Si Jr. controls the magazine operations while Donald Newhouse oversees the newspapers.
1980
Advance Publications purchases Random House book publishers from RCA for $70 million
1980
Advance sells five television stations to the Times Mirror Publishing Company for $82 million. Part of the funds from the sale helps Advance purchase cable television systems
1980
New Orleans Times-Picayune merges with the Statesman
1981
Advance has over 500,000 cable television subscribers
1982
Advance purchases Fawcett Books from CBS
1982
Portland Oregon Journal merges with the Oregonian
1982
Cleveland Press ceases operations. Advance's Cleveland Plain-Dealer becomes the city's only daily newspaper. Allegations are made against Si. Jr. and Donald that they paid The Press' owner Joseph Cole to go out of business
1983
Advance re-launches Vanity Fair as a glossy celebrity magazine
1984
Advance sells the St. Louis Globe-Democrat
1985
A grand jury begins an anti-trust investigation centering on Advance's role in the demise of the Cleveland Press. Charges are never filed
1986
Random House acquires Fodor's Travel Guides
1988
Random House buys Crown Publishing Group
1995
Newhouse and Time Warner Cable combine cable systems to create large clusters
1998
Advance Publications sells the Random House-Alfred A. Knopf-Crown Publishing group to Bertelsmann
1999
Disney sells Fairchild Publications (W, Jane and Women's Wear Daily) to Advance
2000
Advance acquires a group of newspapers in New Jersey and Easton, PA from MediaNews. Titles include: Gloucester County Times, Today's Sunbeam (Salem), Bridgeton Evening News, and Express-Times (Easton).
Movielink (jointly owned with Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures
Entertainment, Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Studios)
Music
Sony BMG Music Entertainment (50% with Bertelsmann)
Labels include: Arista Records, BNA Records, Burgundy Records, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, RCA Records, RCA Victor Group, RLG - Nashville, Sony Classical, Sony Music International, Sony Music
Nashville, Sony Wonder, So So Def Records, Sony BMG Masterworks, Sony BMG US Latin, Verity Records
Sony/ATV Music Publishing (joint venture with Michael Jackson)
Music Choice (venture with Time Warner, EMI, Motorola, Microsoft, and
several cable companies: Cox, Comcast, Time Warner Cable)
Other
Sony Electronics
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Sony Corporation of America
Sony DADC Americas
Sony Plaza Public Arcade and Sony Wonder Technology Lab (NYC)
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications
PlayStation
Sony Connect Inc.
Metreon
Sony Signatures (clothing, accessories, apparel)
Sony Financial Holdings, Inc. (65%)
Psygnosis Limited (Video game developer)
TheStation@sony.com (Online entertainment network)
Molded under the watchful eye of Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. continues to evolve and serve as a model for the modern vertically integrated media conglomerate. Aided by the acquisition of 20th Century film studio, News Corp. went from primarily a newspaper company in Australia and England to an influential force in American media. The Fox Network broke ground in the late 1980s as the first successful broadcast network to break through against the powerful Big 3. Recently, viewership for its Fox News Network surpassed the once formidable CNN. This proved to be another sign that American viewers favor News Corp.'s irreverent style.
1915
William Fox leads successful fight against Thomas Edison's Motion Pictures Patents Company. The Patents Company is dissolved in the face of anti-trust legislation.
1931 (March 11)
Rupert Keith Murdoch is born in Australia. Father, Keith Murdoch, is an established newspaper man in the country
1935
Century Pictures and Fox Film merge to form 20th Century-Fox
1952
Murdoch inherits Adelaide News, an Australian mid-size daily, and the Adelaide Sunday Mail
1960
Murdoch's Australian newspaper holdings increase with the acquisition of Cumberland Newspapers, and Mirror Newspapers, Ltd., publishers of Sydney's Daily and Sunday Mirror
1964
Murdoch launches The Australian as the first national newspaper
1969
Murdoch takes over News of the World and launches London Sun
1972
Murdoch purchases Sydney Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph
1973
Murdoch purchases his first newspaper in the U.S.
San Antonio Express and News
1974
Enters the supermarket tabloid business by launching The National Star
1977
Murdoch buys New York Post for $30 million from liberal socialite Dorothy Schiff. He continues his New York buying spree by purchasing New York magazine, Village Voice and New West from Clay Felker
1979
Diversifies by acquiring Ansett Transport Industries which owns Melbourne TV station, Channel 10. Australia modifies media ownership laws to allow the deal. Critics call the move "The Murdoch Amendments"
1980
News Corp. forms
1981
Takes over Times and Sunday Times in London
1982
Buys the Boston Herald-American and changes the name to Boston Herald. News Corp. also buys Australian book publisher Angus & Robertson
1983
Sky, the first satellite TV channel launches. News Corp. buys Chicago Sun Times for $90 million
1984
Murdoch and News Corp. make take over bid of Warner Brothers but are thwarted
1985
Murdoch becomes United States citizen in order to purchase more American media outlets. Sells Village Voice. News Corp. buys TCF Holdings Inc., parent company of Twentieth Century Fox Film. In a related deal, News Corp. purchases seven television stations from Metromedia for $1.55 billion (WNEW-TV, New York; KTTV-TV, Los Angeles; WFLD-TV, Chicago; WTTG-TV, Washington, DC; KNBN-TV, Dallas; KRIV-TV, Houston, WFXT-TV in Boston. These stations reach 22% of all television households in the United States. These two deals help to form backbone of a new broadcast television network
1986
Fox Broadcasting Company is established. News Corp. moves its UK newspaper printing operations to new plant in Wapping. A protracted labor strike ensues. Murdoch sells Chicago Sun-Times
1987
Takes control Melbourne Herald and Weekly Times, Australia's largest media group. News Corp. becomes world's largest newspaper publisher. News Corp. also purchases the South China Morning Post, UK newspaper Today and United States book publisher Harper and Row. Murdoch now controlled approximately sixty percent of Australian newspapers and thirty-five percent of UK newspapers
1988
Purchases Triangle Publications (main holding TV Guide) from Walter Annenberg for $3 billion. Sells off New York Post
1989
Harper Collins is formed after newly acquired William Collins Publishing is merged with Harper and Row. The Simpsons becomes Fox Network's first hit program. Satellite television provider Sky TV is launched.
1990
- BSkyB is formed after Sky merges with British Satellite Broadcasting. Accumulation of large debts leads News Corp. down the road to bankruptcy. Citibank, the company's prime lender, takes active role in saving News Corp.
1991
News Corp. undergoes massive sell off to help lower corporate debt. The properties sold off include: New York, Seventeen, Soap Opera Digest, Soap Opera Weekly, Premiere, and Daily Racing Form
1992
Buys broadcasting rights for the Premier League, an Australian rugby league, for $300 million
1993
Gains controlling interest in Asian satellite television service, Star TV. Acquires the right to broadcast NFL games. The move shakes up American sports television as it leaves the NBC network without football coverage. Obtaining the NFL broadcasting rights costs over $1 billion but seen as a necessary investment to help promote fledging Fox Network. News Corp. reacquires New York Post
1996
HarperCollins sells its education unit to Pearson
1997
Acquires Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodgers stadium from the O'Malley family for $311 million
1998
Orders HarperCollins to squash the memoirs of Chris Patten, Hong Kong's last governor and vocal critic of the Communist China government
1999
Acquires William Morrow and Avon Books in a deal with Hearst
2001
Sells stake in Fox Family Network to Disney. Duopolies established in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., and Houston
2002
Duopolies established in Chicago and Orlando
2003
Puts LA Dodgers up for sale. Spends $6.6 billion for stake in Hughes Electronic, the parent company of DirecTV
2004
Los Angeles Dodgers sold to real estate developer Frank McCourt for
$430 million
Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times (Madison)
Daily Citizen (Beaver Dam, WI)
Portage Daily Register (WI)
Baraboo News Republic (WI)
North County Times (CA)
The Times (Munster, IN)
Lincoln Journal Star (NE)
Columbus Telegram (NE)
Fremont Tribune (NE)
Beatrice Daily Sun (NE)
Quad-City Times (IA)
Muscatine Journal (IA)
The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL)
Billings Gazette (MT)
The Courier (Waterloo, IA)
Sioux City Journal (IA)
Herald & Review (Decatur, IL)
Journal Gazette (Mattoon, IL)
Times-Courier (Charleston, IL)
The Post-Star (Glen Falls, NY)
La Crosse Tribune (WI)
Winona Daily News (MN)
The Daily Herald (Provo, UT)
Casper Star-Tribune (WY)
Missoulian (MT)
Ravalli Republic (Hamilton, MT)
Rapid City Journal (SD)
The Journal Times (Racine, WI)
The Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale, IL)
The Bismarck Tribune (ND)
The Times-News (Twin Falls, ID)
South Idaho Press (Burley, ID)
Elko Daily Press (NV)
The Daily News (Longview, CA)
Santa Maria Times (CA)
The Lompoc Record (CA)
Globe Gazette (Mason City, IA)
Napa Valley Register (CA)
The Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, SC)
Democrat-Herald (Albany, OR)
Corvallis Gazette Times (OR)
The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA)
Independent Record (Helena, MT)
Montana Standard (Butte, MT)
The Sentinel (Hanford, CA)
The World (Coos Bay, OR)
The Citizen (Auburn, NY)
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ)
Daily Chronicle (DeKalb, IL)
The Garden Island (Lihue, HI)
The Ledger Independent (Maysville, KY)
The Chippewa Herald (WI)
Shawano Leader (WI)
The Daily News (Rhinelander, WI)
Other Publications
Greater St. Louis
Bellefontaine Neighbors/Jennings North County Journal
Belleville Journal
Cahokia/Dupo Journal
Chesterfield Journal
Citizen Journal
Clarion Journal
Collinsville Herald Journal
East St. Louis Journal
Edwardsville Journal
Enterprise Journal
Ferguson/Berkeley North County Journal
Florissant/Black Jack North County Journal
Granite City Press-Record Journal
Hazelwood/ Bridgeton North County Journal
Jefferson County Journal
Ladue News
Meramec Journal
Mid-County Journal
News Democrat Journal
North Side Journal
Oakville/Mehlville Journal
O'Fallon Journal
O'Fallon-Fairview Journal
Overland/ St. Ann North County Journal
Press Journal
savvyfamily
South City Journal
South County Journal
South Side Journal
Southwest City Journal
Southwest County Journal
St. Charles Journal
St. Peters Journal
Tri County Journal
Warrenton Journal
Webster-Kirkwood Journal
Wentzville Journal
West County Journal
Arizona
Flagstaff Live!
Mountain Living Magazine
California
Hanford region
The Avenal Progress; Coalinga Record
Las Noticias del Valle
Kingsburg Recorder
Lemoore Advance
The Selma Enterprise
The Twin City Times
Central Valley Guides
Napa region
The Weekly Calistogan
American Canyon Eagle
St. Helena Star
Sampler
Business Times
Inside Napa Valley
Oceanside/Escondido
Coupon Clipper
Oceanside Magazine
Super Savers
Santa Maria/Lompoc region
Adobe Press
Times Press Recorder
Space and Missile Times
El Tiempo
Santa Ynez Valley News
Santa Ynez Extra Edition
Central Coast Preview
Hawaii
Lihue
Kauai Beach Press
Japanese Beach Press
The Island Shopper
Kauai Business Report
TGI Homes
Idaho
Twin Falls
Ag Weekly
Dairy Monthly
Horse Quarterly
Cattle Country
Magic Values Shopper & Auto Trader
Southern Idaho Business
Twin Falls region
Minidoka County News
Wood River Journal
The Gooding County Leader
Northside News
Lincoln County Journal
Super Tuesday
Illinois
Bloomington region
Woodford County Journal
Farmer City Journal
The Gibson City Courier
The Heyworth Star
LeRoy Journal
Woodford Star
Community News
Auto Dealer
Business to Business
House to Home
HomeFinder Magazines
Carbondale
Flipside
Southern Business Journal
SI Real Estate
At Home With Flipside
Wheels and Deals For You
Decatur
Business Journal
Homes
Limited Edition
Prairie Shopper
DeKalb
The Midweek
NI Business Connections
Prime Country Real Estate
DeKalb County Weekly
Iowa
Cedar Rapids
Iowa Farmer Today
Davenport
Bettendorf News
On the River
Quad-City Advertiser
Quad-City Business Journal
Wheels For You
Thrifty Nickel
Wheels For You
Work For You
Your Mom
Winc
Muscatine
Classic Images
Films of the Golden Age
The Post
Sunday Express
Hispanos Unidos
Mason City region
Business Journal
Globe Advertiser
Mason City Shopper
North Iowa Women
Prime Time
Real Estate Extra
Wheels For You
Britt News-Tribune
Forest City Summit
Winnebago/ Hancock Shopper
Mitchell County Press-News
Town & Country Shopper
Sioux City
Siouxland Weekly Shopper's Guide
Active Seniors
Siouxland Business Journal
Hispanos Unidos
Work For You
Wheels For You
Siouxland Home and Living
Waterloo/Cedar Falls
The Insider
Wheels For You
Attitudes For Women
In Business
BizLink
House-to-Home
Kentucky
Maysville
The Advertiser
Minnesota
Minnesota Farm Guide
Montana
Billings
Thrifty Nickel
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Work For You
Yellowstone Shopper
Montana Land Magazine
Magic City Magazine
Bozeman
Mini Nickel
Explore
The Tributary
Butte region
In The News
Work For You
Western Shopper
Three Rivers Edition
In Business
Helena
The Adit
Montana Magazine
Missoula
The Autofinder
Entertainer
The Messenger
Western Montana In Business
Hamilton
Ravalli Wrapper
Great Falls
Prairie Star
Missouri
Park Hills region
The Farmington Press
Democrat News
Parkland Advantage
Parkland Business Review
Nebraska
Beatrice
Penny Press
Daily Sun Extra
Columbus
Columbus Area Choice
AdVantage
Hispanos Unidos
David City
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Fremont Area Shopper
Homefront Buyers Guide
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Work For You
Hispanos Unidos
Home Showcase
L Magazine
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Neighborhood Extra
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Star City Health
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ONE Magazine
Wheels For You
Plattsmouth
Plattsmouth Journal
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Sand Hills region
Chadron Record
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Schuyler
Schuyler Sun
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Midwest Messenger
Burt County Plaindealer
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Elko
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The Weekly Citizen
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The Scene
Wheels For You
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Bismarck
Farm & Ranch Guide
The Finder
Your Home
Mandan News
Jobs Magazine
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Enterprise Connection
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Business Watch
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Dickinson
PennySaver
Minot
Minot Finder
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Albany/Corvallis region
Lebanon Express
Mid-Valley Real Estate Extra
This Week
House to Home
Coos Bay region
Bandon Western World
The Umpqua Post
Business Watch
Spotlight
Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Newport
Newport News-Times
Coast On Over
This Week
Portland
Nickel Ads
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The Springfield News
Pennsylvania
Carlisle
The Sentinel Direct
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Orangeburg
Shopper's Extra
Wheels For You
South Dakota
Black Hills region
Black Hills Bandit
Black Hills Press
The Valley Irrigator
Belle Fourche Post
Belle Fourche Bee
Lawrence County Journal
Meade County Times-Tribune
Hot Springs Star
Star Extra
Deadwood Gaming
Rapid City
Rapid City Advertiser
Wheels for You
Spearfish
Northern Hills Advertiser
Sioux Falls
Tri-State Neighbor
Utah
Provo region
Eureka Reporter
New Utah! American Fork Citizen
New Utah! Lone Peak Citizen
New Utah! Pleasant Grove Review
New Utah! Pony Express
Orem-Geneva Times
The Pyramid
Spanish Fork Press
Springville Herald
Central Utah Quality Buys
The Pyramid Shopper
HomeChoice Magazine
Job Finder
Washington
Longview
Neighbors
Real Estate Magazine
Second Half
Kennewick
Nickel Nik Classifieds
Wheel Deals
Moses Lake
Nickel Saver
Homes
Seattle/Lynnwood
Little Nickel
Spokane
Nickel Nik
Nickel Nik Wheel Deals
Nickel Nik RV Wheel Deals
Driveline
Home Buyers
Wenatchee
NCW Nickel Ads
NCW Real Estate Guide
Walla Walla
Buyline Classifieds
Wisconsin
Chippewa Valley
Chippewa County Advertiser
Your Family Shopper
Chippewa Valley Business Report
Marketplace Homes
Tradin' Post Buyer's Guide
Dunn County News
Dunn County Reminder
Dunn County Shopper
Dunn County Homes
La Crosse (River Valley) region
Tri-County Foxxy Shopper
Wheels For You
Work For You
Home Buyers Guide
River Valley Business Report
Viroqua Foxxy Shopper
Vernon County Broadcaster
Westby Times
Coulee News
Jackson County Chronicle
Melrose Chronicle
Onalaska Community Life and The Holmen Courier
Home Buyers Guide
Senior Sampler
Triad
Sparta Foxxy Shopper
Tomah Journal and Monitor Herald.
Tomah Foxxy Shopper
Racine
Pennysaver
Rhinelander region
The Forest Republican
Advantage Time
Northwoods Business WatchMadison Newspapers Inc., doing business as Capital Newspapers, publishes the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times. MNI also publishes the Daily Citizen in Beaver Dam, the Baraboo News Republic, the Portage Daily Register and the Shawano Leader, as well as other publications in Wisconsin. Lee Enterprises owns 50% of Madison Newspapers Inc. and supplies news and editorial content for the Wisconsin State Journal. The Capital Times Company oversees news and editorial content of The Capital Times.
Cincinnati Reds (Partial - through the Cincinnati Enquirer)
Classified Ventures Com LLC (owned with Knight Ridder, New
York Times Company, Times Mirror, Washington Post Company, Tribune
Company, Central Newspapers Co., and McClatchy Company)
Gannett Media Technologies International (develops and markets
publishing software)
Nursing Spectrum (periodicals specializing in advertising
for nursing employment)
Gannett Offset print group ( 9 printing facilities located
in Chandler, AZ; Atlanta, GA; Minneapolis, Minn; Miramar, Fla; Nashville, Tenn; Norwood, Mass; Pensacola, Fla; Olivette, Mo; Springfield, Va)
BrassRing, Inc. (23%)
Space.com (partial investment with GE)
CareerBuilder (with Knight Ridder and Tribune)
Action Advertiser/Action Printing (Fond du Lac, WI)
Mickey Mouse is featured for the first time in the short animated film, Steamboat Willie
1929
Walt Disney Productions formed
1937
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is released. It is Disney's first full length animated film
1940
Walt Disney Productions offers stock as the company goes public to help lower debt. The company also moves its operations from Hollywood to Burbank, CA.
1941
Disney animation workers go out on strike for five months. Deal to return back to work is finally brokered by federal mediators
1943
The American Broadcast Company network is formed after the FCC rules that NBC must sell one of its two radio networks. The NBC Blue network is sold to Edward J. Noble for $8 million. Noble made his money as the creator of Lifesavers candy.
1945
Walt's brother, Roy, becomes president of company
1947
Walt Disney testifies in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities
1951
Leonard Goldstein and United Paramount Theaters buy ABC for $25 million
1953
Buena Vista Distribution Company is formed to act as Disney film distributor
1954
Disneyland, the first weekly television series from the studio debuts on ABC
1955
Disneyland opens in Anaheim, CA at a cost of $17 million. The ABC television network is partial investor in Disneyland. The Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC for the first time. Howard Hughes offers to sell Disney the RKO studio but Walt and Roy decline the deal
1960
Disney buys out ABC's remaining financial interest in Disneyland
1966
Walt Disney dies from lung cancer
1970
Monday Night Football debuts
1971
Walt Disney World opens in Orlando, FL.
1979
ESPN is launched
1983
Tokyo Disneyland opens. The Disney Channel makes its debut on cable television
1984
Michael Eisner becomes the new CEO for Walt Disney Productions. ABC in a deal with Getty Oil acquires ESPN. ABC sells 20% of the sports cable network to Nabisco who in turn later deals the stake to Hearst
1986
Company changes name from Walt Disney Productions to the Walt Disney Company. Capital Cities Communication, a large broadcasting group, acquires the ABC television network for 3.5 $billion.
1987
ESPN is awarded the National Football League's first cable broadcasting deal
1992
Disney is awarded a National Hockey League expansion team to be called The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim make their league debut. ESPN Radio is launched
1993
Disney acquires Miramax Films
1995
Disney announces its intent to purchase Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion. The deal is the largest media merger in history to the point and the second largest sum of money ever paid for a U.S. company
1996
Capital Cities/ABC officially becomes part of the Disney Company. Disney.com is launched. Disney gains ownership stake in Major League Baseball's California Angels. Team later changes its name to the Anaheim Angels. Radio Disney is launched
1997
Knight Ridder purchases Disney's four newspapers (Kansas City Star, Forth Worth Star-Telegram, Wilkes Barre Times Leader, Belleville News-Democrat) for $1.65 billion
1998
ESPN The Magazine is launched
1999
Fairchild Publications is sold to Advance Publications. The magazine chains includes such titles as W, Jane, and Women's Wear Daily
2000
Robert Iger becomes president and COO
2001
News Corp. sells Fox Family Worldwide to Disney. Cable channel later becomes known as ABC Family
2002
ESPN and ABC announce their acquisition of the National Basketball Association's television broadcasting rights
2003
Anaheim Angels sold to Phoenix businessman Arturo Moreno for just over $180 million
2003
Roy Disney resigns as vice-chairman of the Walt Disney entertainment group
2005
Bob Iger replaces Michael Eisner as CEO
2006
Disney purchases the rights to Pixar
2008
Disney buys back rights to Disney Store, which had previously been owned by The Children's Store
One of the largest global media empires, Viacom has a financial interest in broadcast and cable television, radio, Internet, book publishing, and film production and distribution. Some of this vertically integrated conglomerate's highly recognizable properties include the CBS network, MTV, Infinity broadcasting, Simon & Schuster, Blockbuster and Paramount Pictures. With such a diverse portfolio of properties, Viacom is one of the most profitable media giants as CBS is a top draw for older viewers while MTV remains the most popular teen orientated media outlet.
1912
Adolph Zukor founds the Famous Players Film Corp
1916
Famous Players becomes Paramount Pictures becomes
Famous Players-Lasky Corp.
1916
Westinghouse engineer Dr. Frank Conrad begins experimental
radio broadcasts from his home in Pittsburgh
1920
Westinghouse's KDKA in Pittsburgh
begins scheduled radio programming with the Harding-Cox Presidential
election returns
1924
Richard L. (Dick) Simon and M. Lincoln (Max) Schuster
form Simon & Schuster. First publication is a cross word puzzle
book.
1928
William S. Paley purchases the Columbia Broadcasting
System for $400,000. Paley first became interested in the radio
business after purchasing advertising time for his La Palina Cigar
company.
1935
Famous Players-Lasky Corp. becomes Paramount Pictures
after bankruptcy and reorganization.
1937
Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer do a radio
news program which eventually becomes The CBS World News Roundup
1938
CBS buys American Record Company, owner of the
Columbia Phonograph label. CBS renames the division Columbia Record
Corp.
1941
CBS launches the first commercial black & white
television broadcast
1949
Department of Justice announces the Paramount decree
which forces the film studios to sell off their movie theaters
1954
Sumner Redstone takes control of National Amusements
Inc. (NAI), a chain of movie theaters
1961
Murrow resigns from CBS
1964
CBS purchases the New York Yankees
1966
Diversified conglomerate, Gulf + Western, buys
Paramount Pictures. Gulf + Western is owned by Charles Bluhdorn
1968
CBS teams up with a Japanese company to form CBS-Sony
Records
1970
FCC's Fin-Syn ruling limits the financial interest
television networks can have in syndicated programming. As a result,
Viacom is formed after CBS spins off its television programming
arm
1973
CBS sells Yankees to George Steinbrenner
1981
Dan Rather replaces Walter Cronkite as anchor on
the CBS Evening News
1981
(August 1) MTV is launched
1985
Ted Turner makes a takeover attempt on CBS. Loew's
president, Laurence Tisch, buys a 25% share in CBS to block Turner's
takeover. Loews is a multi-national conglomerate with interests
ranging from tobacco to insurance. Jesse Helms and Ivan Boesky
also make unsuccessful bids for CBS.
1985
First Blockbuster Video store opens in Dallas
1986
Tisch becomes CEO of CBS
1987
Redstone becomes Chairman of the Board of Viacom
after NAI buys a majority interest in it
1987
CBS sells its entire book publishing division for
$500 million
1987
Wayne Huizenga, who made his money in the waste
business, buys Blockbuster
1989
Gulf + Western changes its name to Paramount Communications
1990
Paley dies of a heart attack at age 89
1994
Viacom acquires Paramount Communications for $10
billion. Viacom was in a bidding war for Paramount with USA Networks.
1994
Viacom acquires Blockbuster Video from Huizenga
for $8.4 billion
1995
Viacom sells Madison Square Garden and its related
properties to Cablevision, and ITT for $1 billion
1995
Viacom sells its cable systems to John Malone's
TCI
1995
(November) CBS is sold to the Westinghouse Corporation
for $5.4 billion
1995
(January 16) UPN network hits the television airwaves
1996
Redstone becomes Viacom's CEO
1996
Westinghouse/CBS buys Infinity radio broadcasting
and outdoor advertising group for $4.7 billion. This deal is mainly
a result of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which heavily deregulated
the media industry and allowed a company to significantly increase
the amount of radio stations it could own.
1997
CBS buys American Radio Systems chain
1997
Viacom deals its educational, professional and
reference publishing businesses to Pearson for 4.6 billion. Viacom
retains Simon & Schuster.
1997
Westinghouse changes name to CBS and sells its
hardware and manufacturing operations
1999
CBS buys King World Productions, leading television
program syndicator, for $2.5 billion
1999
Infinity buys Outdoor Systems billboard group for
$8.3 billion.
1999
(September, 7) Viacom and CBS announce merger.
The $50 billion deal, the largest media merger of the time, comes
one month after the FCC gives approval to duopolies. The new Viacom
has 33 television stations which eclipse the FCC's 35 % ownership
cap. The cap is based on the amount of stations one company owns
that reach 35% or more of the nation's television households.
2001
United States Court of Appeals, DC Circuit gives
Viacom temporary approval to exceed the 35% ownership cap
2001
Viacom completes $3 billion deal for BET Inc.
2002
Viacom completes acquisition of KCAL-TV (Los Angeles)
from Young Broadcasting Inc. for $650 million. The deal forms
a Viacom duopoly in Los Angeles raising the number of markets
where it owns two broadcast stations to eight.
2003
Infinity Broadcasting owns and operates 185 radio
stations, second in size to only Clear Channel Communications.
Viacom Outdoor is the largest outdoor advertising entity in North
America. Viacom Television Stations Group owns and operates 39
TV stations.
2004
After years of internal battles with Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone, Mel
Karmazin, resigns as the company's chief operating officer. Karmazin was
formely the president and CEO of CBS
2005
The "new" Viacom gains control of trendy Neopets, a popular children's website. Through Paramount, they also acquire DreamWorks.
2006
Viacom acquires several new holdings: Xfire, Atom Entertainment, and Harmonix.
2007
Viacom engaged in disputes with YouTube over copyrighted video clips, and removed their leaked clips from the site. They opted instead for a content licensing deal with similar videosharing website Joost. Later in the year, Viacom entered into a split venture with Global Broadcast News, the result of which was Viacom-18: a provider of Viacom channels in India as well as Network 18's Bollywood movie business. In December, Viacom signed a 5-year contract with Microsoft, thus ensuring mutually heightened advertising between the two companies.
Henry Luce, son of an American missionary, is born
in China
1918
The four Warner Brothers, Jack, Albert, Harry and
Samuel, open their first West Coast studio
1921
Luce and Yale classmate Briton Hadden begin working
together as reporters for The Baltimore News
1923
The four brother's film distribution and production
business is incorporated and called Warner Brothers Pictures Inc.
1923
Luce and Hadden use the $86,000 they raised to
release Time magazine. Hadden becomes editor while Luce serves
as business manager
1927
Warner Brothers film production releases the first
"talkie" Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer
1928
First Time Man-of-the-Year features Charles Lindbergh
1929
Hadden dies of a streptococcus infection. Luce
takes over as Time editor
1930
Fortune magazine is launched by Luce as part of
Time Inc.
1931
March of Time radio program first airs
1934
Luce launches Architectural Forum
1935
March of Time newsreel first runs its first newsreel
1936
Life magazine is launched
1937
Detective Comics (DC) is created
1938
Ted Turner born in Cincinnati, OH
1940
Bugs Bunny appears for the first time in a Warner
Brothers' short A Wild Hare
1942
arch of Time became straight news program
1944
Leon Schlesinger sells his cartoon studio (Looney
Tunes) to Warner
1947
Jack Warner testifies before House Committee on
Un-American Activities
1948
Warner Brothers sells film library to MGM. The
Supreme Court's anti-trust Paramount Decree forces movie studios
to divest themselves from owning theaters
1950
Elektra Records is founded by a college student,
Jac Holzman
1952
House and Home magazine launched. Time makes first
investment in television industry by purchasing KOB-TV Albuquerque,
NM
1954
Sports Illustrated is launched
1958
Warner Bros. Records is founded. Label is later
called WEA (Warner/Elektra/Atlantic)
1960
Brown University expels Ted Turner
1961
Time-Life Inc. is formed to be Time Inc.'s book
division
1963
Ted Turner's father Ed commits suicide because
of financial difficulties. Ted takes over family's billboard business
1963
Animation division at Warner closed. Frank Sinatra
sells his Reprise record label to Warner Brothers
1967
Henry Luce dies in Phoenix, Arizona
1967
Seven Arts Ltd. buys Warner Brothers for $84 million.
Company becomes known as Warner-Seven Arts. Warner Seven-Arts
purchases Atlantic Records
1967
New Line Cinema formed
1967
Kinney National Company, a funeral parlor conglomerate
purchases D.C. Comics and All-American Comics. Kinney also buys
Ashley Famous talent agency
1968
Time-Life Inc. acquires Little, Brown and Company
1969
Kinney National Company acquires Warner-Seven Arts
and in 1972 renames the company Warner Communications Inc.
1970
Holzman sells his Elektra Records to Warner Communications
1970
Turner purchases Atlanta UHF television station,
WJRJ, renaming it WTCG (Turner Communications Group)]
1972
Time Inc. buys Home Box Office (HBO) from Charles
Dolan. HBO transmits first programming to 365 subscribers in Wilkes-Barre,
PA. Money magazine launched
1974
People magazine launched
1976
Ted Turner purchases Major League Baseball's Atlanta
Braves. Turner Broadcasting's WTCG becomes cable television's
first Superstation as it is beamed via satellite to cable homes
across the country
1976
Video game pioneer Nolan Bushnell sells Atari to
Warner Communications for $28 million.
1977
Turner Communications Group purchases the National
Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks. Turner wins yachting's
America's Cup
1978
Warner Communications acquires cable operator American
Television & Communications (ATC)
1979
Turner Communications Group becomes Turner Broadcasting
System, Inc. WTCG is renamed WTBS
1980
The first 24-hour, all-news network, CNN, is launched
with 1.7 million subscribers
1982
Turner Broadcasting launches CNN Headline News
and thwarts a takeover attempt by Westinghouse
1984
Warner Communications sells most of its stake in
Atari off to Jack Tramiel, deposed president of Commodore Computers.
1986
Time acquires Scott Foresman & Company book
publishing unit
1986
Turner Broadcasting buys MGM library of movies
and television shows
1987
Warner acquires Chappell Music
1988
TNT cable network launched
1989
Time Warner Inc. is formed after Time merges with
Warner Communications
1989
Publishing houses Scott Foresman and Little, Brown
sold off to Harper Row
1990
Entertainment Weekly is launched
1991
The Internet bulletin-board system Quantum Computer
Services changes name to America Online. Steve Case is one of
the company's founders
1991
The Tribune Company receives a 9% stake in AOL
after making a $5 million investment in the company
1992
Gerald Levin takes control of Time Warner after
death of Steven J. Ross. New York 1 News launched
1992
America Online becomes a publicly traded company
1992
Turner Broadcasting launches Cartoon Network
1993
Turner Broadcasting System merges with Castle Rock
and New Line
1994
AOL reaches 1 million subscribers
1994
Turner Classic Movies is launched
1994
Warner/Chappell Music becomes the world's largest
music publisher after it acquires CPP/Belwin
1994
In Style magazine is launched
1994
Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s Seagram company acquires a
14.5% stake in Time Warner
1995
AOL launches services in Europe. AOL purchases
WebCrawler
1995
Time Warner acquires Houston Industries
1995
WB network broadcast network is launched
1996
Telecommunications Act of 1996. Time Warner acquires
Turner Broadcasting System
1997
Time Warner sells American Lawyer magazine to investment
bankers Wasserstein Perella
1997
AOL acquires CompuServe and ICQ
1998
AOL acquires Netscape
1999
AOL acquires Spinner, Winamp, SHOUTcast and DMS
1999
Turner acquires a National Hockey League expansion
franchise. The Atlanta Thrashers begin play in 1999
2000
AOL acquires MapQuest
2000
Time Warner makes deal with Tribune Company for
Times Mirror magazines that include Golf, Ski, Skiing, Field &
Stream, and Yachting
2000
AOL and Time Warner announce their $183 billion
merger. The largest corporate merger in history is finalized in
January of 2001. The world's largest media and entertainment company
changes name to AOL Time Warner
2001
AOL Time Warner acquires the United Kingdom's top
magazine publisher, IPC Media, from Cinven for $1.67 billion.
2002
AOL Time Warner buys out AT&T's stake in Time
Warner Entertainment. AOL-Time Warner then created its own cable
operation while AT&T merged with Comcast.
2003
Steve Case steps down as AOL Time Warner chairman.
Dick Parsons replaces Case. AOL Time Warner reports $54.24 billion
quarterly loss. Company changes name back to Time Warner
2004
Time Warner sells the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers, and Philips
Arena to a local investment group
2004
The Time Warner Center opens
2004
Time Warner finalizes deal to sell the WEA CD and DVD manufacturing
division to Cinram International. The company agrees to sell Warner Music
Group (including its record labels Warner Brothers, Atlantic, Elektra and
music publishing division Warner Chappell) to private investor group led by
Edgar Bronfman, Jr.
2005
Ex-executive chairman Steve Case resigns from Time Warner board
2005
Time Warner donated the maximum contribution of $250,000 to George W. Bush's second presidential inauguration
2006
Global publishing company Hachette Book Group USA (HBG) acquired the Time Warner Book Group from Time Warner
2007
New CEO Jeffrey Bewkes considers such cost-trimming measures as selling AOL and Time Inc
2008
Michael Lynne and Bob Shaye, o-chairmen and CEOs of New Line Cinema, resign from their positions, protesting Bewkes' alleged plans to dissolve the movie studio into Warner Bros. and thus cut costs
Time Warner - Cable
HBO
Cinemax
HBO Video
HBO Independent Productions
HBO OnDemand International
HBO Mobile International
Adult Swim
Boomerang
CNN
CNN International
CNN en Espanol
CNN Headline News
CNN Headline News in Latin America
CNN Headline News in Asia Pacific
CNN Mobile
CNN+
CETV
CNN Newsource
CNN Pipeline
CNN To Go
CNN fn
CNN Radio
CNN Interactive
Court TV (with Liberty Media)
Time Warner Cable
Road Runner
New York 1 News (24 hour news channel devoted only to NYC)
Kablevision (53.75% - cable television in Hungary)
In Demand
Metro Sports (Kansas City)
Time Warner Inc. - Film & TV Production/Distribution
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Studios
Warner Bros. Television (production)
The WB Television Network
Warner Bros. Television Animation
Hanna - Barbera Cartoons
Telepictures Production
The CW Television Network
Kids' WB!
Castle Rock Entertainment
Warner Home Video
Warner Bros. Domestic Pay - TV
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Warner Bros. International Television Distribution
The Warner Channel (Latin America, Asia - Pacific, Australia, Germ.)
Warner Bros. International Theaters (owns/operates multiplex theaters in over 12 countries)
Warner Bros. Online
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Technical Operations
Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Studio Facilities
Time Warner Inc. - Magazines
Time
Time Asia
Time Atlantic
Time Canada
Time Latin America
Time South Pacific
Time Money
Time For Kids
Fortune
Fortune Asia
Fortune Europe
FSB: Fortune Small Business
All You
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated International
SI for Kids
Money
People
Who Weekly (Australian edition)
People en Espa�ol
Teen People
Entertainment Weekly
In Style
Southern Living AT HOME
Southern Accents
Cooking Light
Cottage Living
This Old House
Sunset
Health
Hippocrates
Coastal Living
Real Simple
Wallpaper (U.K.)
Bride To Be
English Woman’s Weekly
Practical Parenting
Who
In Style Australia
25 Beautiful Homes
4x4
Aeroplane Monthly
Amateur Gardening
Amateur Photographer
Angler’s Mail
Beautiful Kitchens
Cage and Aviary Birds
Caravan Magazine
Chat
Chat - It’s Fate
Classic Boat
Country Homes and Interiors
Country Life
Cycle Sport
Cycling Weekly
Decanter
European Boat Builder
Eventing
Family Circle
Guitar
Hair
Hi Fi News
Homes and Gardens
Horse
Horse and Hound
Ideal Style
In Style (U.K.)
International Boat Industry
Land Rover World
Livingetc
Loaded
Mountain Bike Rider
MiniWorld
Model Collector
Motor Boat and Yachting
Motor Boats Monthly
Motor Caravan Magazine
NME
Now
Nuts
Park Home & Holiday Caravan
Pick Me Up
Practical Boat Owner
Prediction
Racecar Engineering
Rugby World
Ships Monthly
Shoot Monthly
Soaplife
Sporting Gun
Stamp Magazine
SuperBike Magazine
The Field
The Railway Magazine
The Shooting Gazette
TV & Satellite Week
TV Easy
TVTimes
Uncut
VolksWorld
Web User
Wedding
What Digital Camera
What’s on TV
Woman
Woman & Home
Woman’s Own
Woman’s Weekly
Yachting World
Your Yacht
Ambientes
Audi Magazine
Balance
Chilango
EXP
Expansion
IDC
Life and Style
Manufactura
Obras
Quien
Vuelo
Yachts
In Style Mexico
Magazines listed under Warner Brothers label
DC Comics
Vertigo
Wildstorm
Mad Magazine
Online Services
CompuServe Interactive Services
AOL Instant Messenger
ADTECH
Advertising.com
AOL.com portal
Digital City
AOL Europe
GameDaily.com
Lightningcast
ICQ
The Knot, Inc. - wedding content (8 % with QVC 36% and Hummer
WinbladFunds18%)
MapQuest.com
Spinner.com
Relegence
TACODA
Third Screen Media
Truveo
Userplane
Weblogs, Inc.
Winamp
Xdrive
CNNStudentNews.com
NASCAR.com
PGA.com
Time Warner - Online/Other Publishing
Road Runner
Warner Publisher Services
Time Distribution Services
American Family Publishers (50%)
Africana.com
Time Warner - Merchandise/Retail
Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Theme Parks
Warner Brothers Recreation Enterprises (owns/operates international theme parks)
Time Warner Inc. - Turner Entertainment
Entertainment Networks
TBS Superstation
Turner Network Television (TNT)
Turner South
Cartoon Network
Turner Classic Movies
Cartoon Network in Europe
Cartoon Network in Latin America
TNT & Cartoon Network in Asia/Pacific
TNT Latin America
TNT HD
TCM Asia Pacific
TCM Canada
TCM Europe
TCM Classic Hollywood in Latin America
Adult Swim
Boomerang
CETV
GameTap
TBS
Pogo
Toonami
TrueTV
Peachtree TV
Film Production
New Line Cinema
Fine Line Features
Picturehouse
Turner Original Productions
Sports
Atlanta Braves
Other Operations
Turner Learning
CNN Newsroom (daily news program for classrooms)
Turner Adventure Learning (electronic field trips for schools)
Edison General Electric Company merges with Thomson-Houston Electric Company to create General Electric Company
1897
Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company formed by Guglielmo Marconi
1901
Emile Berliner and Eldridge Johnson form the Victor Talking Machine Company
1906
David Sarnoff begins working at American Marconi
1917
U.S. Government begins using GE produced aircraft engines
1919
Radio Corporation of America (RCA) is created. RCA is formed after the U.S. Government gives control of the wireless industry back to the public sector following World War I. RCA gains the assets of American Marconi and becomes the controlling body of the patents belonging to General Electric, Westinghouse, United Fruit and AT&T
1926
National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) formed. Sarnoff sees the potential of a nationwide network of radio stations and gets RCA, GE and Westinghouse to invest in the acquisition of WEAF in New York City and WJZ in Newark
NBC's "Red" and "Blue" networks respectively -as the flagship stations for the new NBC Radio network
1927
NBC Radio broadcasts the Rose Bowl to nationwide audience
1929
RCA purchases Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden, NJ for $154 million and begins manufacturing radios and phonographs
1932
Due to concerns of a growing monopoly, GE and Westinghouse sell off stake in RCA
1939
NBC introduces television broadcasting at the World's Fair in New York City
1941
Federal Communications Commission releases its Report on Chain Broadcasting. The report is critical of the growth of broadcast networks and proposes that NBC sell off one of its two networks
NBC Red & NBC Blue
1941
NBC receives first license for a commercial television station
1943
After losing court battles with the FCC over the demand to divest one off its networks, RCA sells of NBC Blue Network to Edward Noble, lifesavers candy creator. Network eventually becomes ABC
1954
NBC has first color telecast of Rose Bowl parade. Very few people actually see the telecast because there are not that many color sets in use
1966
RCA purchases Random House
1973
RCA purchases Ballantine Books
becomes part of Random House
1980
RCA sells of Random House to S. I. Newhouse's Advance Publications
1985
GE acquires NBC as part of a $6.3 billion for RCA
1986
- GE sells RCA's music division to Bertelsmann
1989
CNBC is formed
1996
MSNBC is launched. Cable news network is a joint partnership between GE and Microsoft
1997
CNBC Asia and Europe are formed.
1999
GE gains 32% stake in Paxson Communications and its PAX TV network
2002
Telemundo Communications Group is acquired for $2.7 billion in a deal with an investment group that includes Sony and Liberty Media. In a separate deal, Bravo Network is acquired from a deal with Cablevision and MGM for $1.25 billion
2003
Deal announced between GE and Vivendi Universal to create NBC Universal. In the deal, GE acquires Vivendi Universal's entertainment holdings which include theme parks and Universal Pictures' movie and television studios, and three cable channels (NYT 10/9/03)
Television
NBC Stations:
WNBC
New York
KNBC
Los Angeles
WMAQ
Chicago
WCAU
Philadelphia
KNTV
San Jose/San Francisco
KXAS
Dallas/Fort Worth
WRC
Washington
WTVJ
Miami
KNSD
San Diego
WVIT
Hartford
WNCN
Raleigh
WCMH
Columbus
WVTM
Birmingham
WJAR
Providence
Telemundo Stations:
KVEA/KWHY
Los Angeles
WNJU
New York
WSCV
Miami
KTMD
Houston
WSNS
Chicago
KXTX
Dallas/Fort Worth
KVDA
San Antonio
KSTS
San Jose/San Francisco
KDRX
Phoenix
KNSO
Fresno
KMAS
Denver
WNEU
Boston/Merrimack
KHRR
Tucson
WKAQ
Puerto Rico
NBC Universal Television Studio NBC Universal Television Distribution
