Cowles Media Company ( ) (1935–1998) was a

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

, magazine and information publishing company based in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The company operated Cowles Business Media, Cowles Creative Publishing, and Cowles Enthusiast Media units. Owners of the ''

Minneapolis Star-Tribune Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

'' from 1935 to 1998, other newspapers owned at one time by Cowles Media and its affiliates included the ''

Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junctio ...

'', the '' Buffalo Courier-Express'', the ''

Scottsdale Progress Times Media Group is an American media company based in the state of Arizona. Its publications include: ''85085 Magazine'', ''85086 Magazine'', ''Ahwatukee Foothills News'', ''College Times Magazine'', ''The Entertainer! Magazine'', ''East Valley ...

'' and the ''

Rapid City Journal The ''Rapid City Journal'' (formerly the ''Black Hills Journal'' and the ''Rapid City Daily Journal'') is the daily newspaper of Rapid City, South Dakota. As of 2021, it is the largest newspaper in South Dakota by total subscriptions, according ...

''. The company also owned the Register and Tribune Syndicate (established in 1922).

History

The Cowles Media Company was formed in 1935 when the Cowles family purchased the ''

Minneapolis Star The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolid ...

'' — the family and its patriarch Gardner Cowles Sr. previously owned the ''

''. At that point Gardner Cowles Sr. handed control of the family's media business to his sons John Cowles Sr. and Gardner "Mike" Cowles Jr."Gardner Cowles Sr."
''The Annals of Iowa'' #28 (1946), 75-76. In 1939, the company purchased the ''Star'' main competitor, the ''Minneapolis Evening Journal'', merging them into the ''Star-Journal''. The following year, the company bought the ''Minneapolis Tribune,'' giving it ownership of the major newspapers on the western side of the Twin Cities. The ''Tribune'' became Minneapolis' morning newspaper, the ''Star-Journal'' (shortened to the ''Star'' in 1947) was the evening newspaper, and they published a joint Sunday edition. A separate evening newspaper (the ''Times'') was spun off, which published until 1948.Morison, Bradley (1966). ''Sunlight on Your Doorstep: The Minneapolis Tribune's First Hundred Years''. Minneapolis: Ross & Haines. They published '' Harper's Magazine'' from 1965 to 1980. In 1955, Cowles entered television as majority owner of what is now

KCCI KCCI (channel 8) is a television station in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by Hearst Television, the station maintains studios on Ninth Street in downtown Des Moines and a transmitter in Alleman. History KCCI start ...

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

. Cowles became the station's sole owner shortly after its launch. Over the years, Cowles acquired several television stations in medium-sized markets. These stations were sold off by the mid-1980s. In 1986, Cowles sold the Register and Tribune Syndicate to Hearst Communications for $4.3 million.

The McClatchy Company The McClatchy Company, commonly referred to as simply McClatchy, is an American publishing company incorporated under Delaware's General Corporation Law and based in Sacramento, California. It operates 29 daily newspapers in fourteen states an ...

purchased Cowles Media in 1998. McClatchy kept the '' Star Tribune'' newspaper, which by then was the primary asset in the $1.4 billion deal, and sold the other business units to

Primedia Primedia is a South African media group, headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg. History Primedia was established in 1994 and its listing on the JSE Securities Exchange was completed in April 1995. Primedia remained listed on the JSE until 1 O ...

and to a management team. Cowles Media's leader was John Cowles Jr. '' Look'' magazine (1937-1971) was published by an unrelated company known as Look, Inc. (1937–1945), Cowles Magazines (1946–1965), and Cowles Communications, Inc. (1965–1971), run by Gardner Cowles Jr., John Jr.'s uncle. From 1969 to 1971 Cowles Communications sold ''

Family Circle ''Family Circle'' was an American magazine that covered such topics as homemaking, recipes, and health. It was published from 1932 until the end of 2019. Originally distributed at supermarkets, it was one of the " Seven Sisters," a group of sev ...

'' and other publications, retaining five broadcasting stations, a travel magazine, and a marketing service.

Newspapers owned by the Cowles Media Company

List of specialty magazines

Healthy lifestyles

* Climbing magazineCowles Enthusiast Media Magazines
archived 1998 January 19. Retrieved September 30, 2018. * ''Country Journal'' * ''Low-Fat & Fast'' * ''Natural Remedies'' * ''

Vegetarian Times ''Vegetarian Times'' is an American publication focused on food, culture, health and lifestyle for vegetarians, vegans, and all people interested in plant-based eating. ''Vegetarian Times'' promotes an eco-friendly lifestyle with recipes, and he ...

Collectibles

* ''

Doll Reader ''Doll Reader'' was a collectors magazine in the United States, appearing eight times a year. It included information on antique dolls, collectible and modern dolls and offerings from manufacturers and contemporary doll artists. History and profil ...

'' * ''Figurines & Collectibles'' * ''Nautical World'' (formerly Nautical Collector) * ''Teddy Bear and Friends''

History magazines

Eight of the history magazines subsequently published by Weider History Group starting around 2006. * ''

America's Civil War ''America's Civil War'' is a full-color history magazine published bi-monthly which covered the American Civil War. It was established in 1987 by editor Roy Morris Jr. It carries articles about the battles, campaigns, leaders, and common soldiers ...

'' * ''American History'' * ''Aviation History'' * ''British Heritage'' * '' Civil War Times Illustrated'' * ''Columbiad'' * ''Early American Homes'' (formerly Early American Life) * ''Historic Traveler'' * ''MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History'' * ''Military History'' * ''

Vietnam Magazine ''Vietnam Magazine'' is a full-color history magazine published bi-monthly which covers the Vietnam War. It was founded in 1988 by the late Colonel Harry G. Summers, Jr. Colonel Summers served in the U.S. Army in both Korea and Vietnam, where he w ...

'' * ''Wild West'' * ''Women's History'' (annual)cowles.com - Women's History
archived 1998 January 19. Retrieved September 30, 2018. * ''World War II''

Hunting

* ''Bowhunter'' * ''Fly Fisherman''

Recreation

* ''Dressage & CT'' * '' Horse & Rider'' * ''KITPLANES'' * '' Practical Horseman'' * '' Southwest Art''

Television stations owned by the Cowles Media Company

Notes: *¹ Cowles also owned KHON-TV's satellite in

Wailuku Wailuku is a census-designated place (CDP) in and county seat of Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 17,697 at the 2020 census. Wailuku is located just west of Kahului, at the mouth of the Iao Valley. In the early 20th centur ...

, KAII-TV. Another KHON-TV satellite, KHAW-TV in Hilo, was owned by a third party but leased to Cowles. The Hawaii stations were NBC affiliates under Cowles. *² Cowles owned a majority share of this station when it first signed on and became its sole owner shortly thereafter.

Gallery

File:John Cowles-194101-cropped.jpg, John Cowles Sr. File:Mike Cowles-c1940-1946.jpg,

Mike Cowles Gardner "Mike" Cowles Jr. (1903–1985) was an American newspaper and magazine publisher. He was co-owner of the Cowles Media Company, whose assets included the ''Minneapolis Star'', the ''Minneapolis Tribune'', the ''Des Moines Register'', ''L ...

External links

Cowles Family Archive at Cowles Library, Drake University

Notes

{{Authority control Defunct broadcasting companies of the United States