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Freedom Communications, Inc., was an American
media conglomerate A media conglomerate, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as music, television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet. According t ...
that operated daily and weekly newspapers, websites and mobile applications, as well as ''Coast Magazine'' and other specialty publications. Headquartered at 625 N. Grand Avenue in
Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the 13th-m ...
, it was owned by a
private equity firm A private equity firm is an investment management company that provides financial backing and makes investments in the private equity of startup or operating companies through a variety of loosely affiliated investment strategies including lev ...
, 2100 Trust, established in 2010 by investor Aaron Kushner Freedom's
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the ...
newspaper was the ''
Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...
'', based in Santa Ana.


Ownership

Founder R.C. Hoiles gained a one-third interest in his first newspaper (''The Alliance Review'' in Ohio) sometime in the 1910s. He and his brother Frank bought many more local newspapers over the next several decades. In 1935 he moved his base of operations to
Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the 13th-m ...
, and in 1950 he incorporated his syndicate as Freedom Newspapers, Inc. It was renamed Freedom Communications in 1993. Freedom was operated as an entirely family-owned business until 2004, when private-equity firms
Blackstone Group Blackstone Inc. is an American alternative investment management company based in New York City. Blackstone's private equity business has been one of the largest investors in leveraged buyouts in the last three decades, while its real estate bu ...
and
Providence Equity Partners Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. is a specialist private equity investment firm focused on media, communications, education, technology investments across North America and Europe. The firm specializes in growth-oriented private equity investme ...
acquired a 40 percent share in Freedom for about $460 million. As part of this transaction, Freedom had acquired substantial debt. On September 1, 2009, Freedom Communications went into a
Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wheth ...
bankruptcy reorganization. The company left bankruptcy on April 30, 2010, under the ownership of investment firms
Alden Global Capital Alden Global Capital is a hedge fund based in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 2007 by Randall D. Smith. Its managing director is Heath Freeman. By mid-2020, Alden had stakes in roughly two hundred American newspapers. The compan ...
, Angelo, Gordon & Co. and Luxor Capital Group. Lenders to the company also retained a stake in Freedom. The company announced on November 2, 2011 that it would sell its entire television division to
Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (SBG) is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland, ...
in a move to eliminate the company's debt. The sale was completed on April 2, 2012. Freedom began selling the majority of its newspaper portfolio in 2012. Four papers in the Midwest were sold to Ohio Community Media, an affiliate of the private equity firm Versa Capital Management, in May. The ''
Clovis News Journal ''The Eastern New Mexico News'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Clovis in Curry County, New Mexico. It was formed in 2016 by the merger of the ''Clovis News Journal'' and the '' Portales News-Tribune''. Owner Clovis Media had acquir ...
'' and other newspapers in New Mexico were sold to Stevenson Newspapers. Freedom papers in Texas were sold to AIM Media Texas. Its Florida and North Carolina papers were sold to
Halifax Media Group Halifax Media Group was an American newspaper company owning more than 30 newspapers in five Southeastern U.S. States. It was founded on March 31, 2010 when a group of investors purchased ''The Daytona Beach News-Journal'' from the Davidson fami ...
. On June 11, 2012, Freedom Communications Holdings, Inc., announced an agreement to be acquired by 2100 Trust, LLC. in a merger with a subsidiary of 2100 Trust. On July 25, 2012, the latter, led by entrepreneur
Aaron Kushner According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek ( Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother ...
, acquired Freedom's dailies, associated non-daily publications and digital properties. The company continued to operate under the name Freedom Communications. Kushner, who "preached the virtues of local journalism and a print product," bought Freedom in 2012 for $50 million plus assumption of pension liabilities. He increased staff and added new sections at the ''Orange County Register'' and began a new daily, the ''Long Beach Register.'' In January 2014, however, he announced heavy layoffs in Orange County and at the
Riverside Press-Enterprise ''The Press-Enterprise'' is a paid daily newspaper published by Digital First Media that serves the Inland Empire in Southern California. Headquartered in downtown Riverside, California, it is the primary newspaper for Riverside County, with h ...
, which he also owned. The ''Register'' launched a Los Angeles edition, the ''Los Angeles Register'', on April 16, 2014, but the venture ended five months later. The ''Long Beach Register'' became a Sunday-only publication in June 2014, and ceased publication in December 2014. Freedom closed the sale of ''
The Gazette (Colorado Springs) ''The Gazette'' is a Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It has operated since 1873. History The publication began as ''Out West'', beginning March 23, 1872, but failed in its endeavor. ...
'' to Clarity Media, a subsidiary of
The Anschutz Corporation The Anschutz Corporation is an American private holding company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, United States.
, on November 30, 2012. In 2013, Freedom Communications sold the ''
Yuma Sun The ''Yuma Sun'' is a newspaper in Yuma, Arizona, United States. It has a circulation of 18,799.Porterville Recorder'' to
Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers RISN Operations Inc., also called Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers, is a privately owned publisher of three daily newspapers and several weekly newspapers in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The company was founded by Illinois-based newspaper exe ...
and the ''
Appeal-Democrat The ''Appeal-Democrat'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper printed in Marysville, California, United States. It has an estimated circulation of 13,000 copies a day, primarily in Yuba County, Yuba and Sutter County, Sutter counties. The paper also i ...
'' to Horizon Publications. In 2014, Freedom sold the '' Daily Press'' and the ''
Desert Dispatch The ''Desert Dispatch'' is a newspaper in the town of Barstow, California, founded in 1910. Thomson Newspapers bought the ''Dispatch'' in 1978. In 1995, Thomson traded the paper to Freedom Communications. In 2014, Freedom sold the paper to New Me ...
'' to New Media Investment Group. On November 1, 2015, Freedom Communications filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In January, Freedom closed several of its weekly papers in Orange County. On March 21, 2016 a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of Freedom Communications and its two major newspapers, the ''
Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...
'' and the ''
Riverside Press-Enterprise ''The Press-Enterprise'' is a paid daily newspaper published by Digital First Media that serves the Inland Empire in Southern California. Headquartered in downtown Riverside, California, it is the primary newspaper for Riverside County, with h ...
'' to
Digital First Media MNG Enterprises, Inc., doing business as Digital First Media and MediaNews Group, is a Denver, Colorado-based newspaper publisher owned by Alden Global Capital. The company has been growing its portfolio and as of May 2021, owns over 100 newsp ...
(DFM). DFM is the parent of the Los Angeles News Group (LANG), which was renamed the Southern California News Group on the same day, and which owns eleven daily newspapers in
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...
.


Leadership

Founder and chief executive officer R.C. Hoiles led Freedom until his death in 1970. He was succeeded as
chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...
by his son, C.H. Hoiles, who served until 1981, and then by: * D.R. Segal (1981–1992) * James N. Rosse (1992–1999) * Samuel C. Wolgemuth (1999–2002) * Alan Bell (2002–2006) * Scott N. Flanders (2006–2009) * Burl Osborne (2009–2010) * Mitchell Stern (2010–2012)
Aaron Kushner
(2012–2015) * Rich Mirman (2015−2016)


Newspapers

Freedom's newspaper portfolio consists of:
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...
* Weekly newspapers: ** ''
Easy Reader Founded in 1970, the ''Easy Reader'' is a weekly newspaper published every Thursday and delivered to homes in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach (Beach Cities/ South Bay, California), with a circulation of approximately 45,000 ...
'' of
Hermosa Beach Hermosa Beach (''Hermosa'', Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Bay region of th ...
(managed by Freedom pursuant to long-term agreement); includes 3 ''Easy Reader'' magazines: ::*''Beach'' ::*''Peninsula People'' ::*''Drop Zone''
Riverside County Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Uni ...
* ''
The Press-Enterprise ''The Press-Enterprise'' is a paid daily newspaper published by Digital First Media that serves the Inland Empire in Southern California. Headquartered in downtown Riverside, California, it is the primary newspaper for Riverside County, with ...
'' of Riverside * Weekly newspaper: ** ''Desert Enterprise'' of Palm Springs
Regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
* ''Unidos en el Sur de California'' (regional Spanish-language weekly)Mediha deMartino
"Freedom to Consolidate Spanish-Language Weeklies"
''
Orange County Business Journal The ''Orange County Business Journal'' is a weekly print and online newspaper covering business in Orange County, California. The paper is the second largest business journal in California after the '' Los Angeles Business Journal''.Orange County * '' The Orange County Register'' of Santa Ana * Weekly newspapers: ** ''Anaheim Hills News'' of
Anaheim Hills Anaheim Hills is a planned community encompassing the eastern portions of the city of Anaheim, in Orange County, California. History Prior to the development, a few scattered low-density neighborhoods existed in the area, including Peralta Hills ...
** ''Anaheim Bulletin'' of
Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...
** ''Capistrano Valley News'' of
San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for " St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St ...
Media General Puts 31 Papers, Including 13 in County, Up for Sale
/ref> ** ''The Current'' of
Newport Beach Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws ...
** ''Dana Point News'' of
Dana Point Dana Point () is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast, and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a po ...
** ''Fountain Valley View'' of Fountain Valley ** ''Fullerton News Tribune'' of Fullerton ** ''Huntington Beach Wave'' of
Huntington Beach Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 during the 2020 census, maki ...
** ''Irvine World News'' of Irvine ** ''La Habra/Brea Star Progress'' of
La Habra La Habra (archaic spelling of ''La Abra'', ) is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California, United States. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. A related city, La Habra Heights, is located to the north o ...
La Habra, Brea Papers Purchased
/ref> ** ''Ladera Post'' of
Ladera Ranch Ladera Ranch is a master-planned community and census-designated place located in south Orange County, California, just outside the city limits of San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo. History Ladera Ranch is a plan ...
** ''Laguna News-Post'' of
Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and ...
** ''Laguna Niguel/Aliso Viejo News'' of
Laguna Niguel Laguna Niguel () is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The name Laguna Niguel is derived from the words "Laguna" (Spanish for "lagoon") and "Niguili" (the name of a Native American village once located near Aliso Creek). As of ...
** ''Laguna Woods Globe'' of
Laguna Woods Laguna Woods (''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 16,192 at the 2010 census, down from 16,507 at the 2000 census, with a median age of 78. Laguna Woods became Orange Count ...
** ''Orange City News'' of
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
** ''Placentia News-Times'' of Placentia ** ''Rancho Canyon News'' of Rancho Santa Margarita ** ''Saddleback Valley News'' of Lake Forest ** ''Saddleback Valley News'' of
Mission Viejo Mission Viejo ( ; corruption of ''Misión Vieja'', Spanish for "Old Mission") is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities e ...
** ''Sun Post News'' of
San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway between ...
** ''Tustin News'' of Tustin ** ''Yorba Linda Star'' of
Yorba Linda Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, approximately Ordinal directions, southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at th ...


Former television stations

Freedom folded its broadcast division in 2012; as a result, none of these stations are currently owned by the company: Notes: * 1 Freedom's flagship station * 2 Freedom's first television property


References


External links

* {{Coord, 33.7511, -117.8505, display=title Defunct mass media companies of the United States Defunct newspaper companies of the United States Defunct broadcasting companies of the United States Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles Digital First Media Sinclair Broadcast Group Companies based in Santa Ana, California Publishing companies established in 1950 Mass media companies disestablished in 2016 1950 establishments in California 2016 disestablishments in California Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015