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Times Media Group (Arizona)

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Times Media Group
FormerlyTimes Publications
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004)
FounderSteve Strickbine
Headquarters
Tempe, Arizona
Websitetimespublications.com Edit this at Wikidata

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 Tribune, Gilbert Sun News, Lovin' Life After 50, Nearby News, North Valley Magazine, SanTan Sun News, Scottsdale Airpark News, West Valley View, Scottsdale Airpark News, The Glendale Star and Peoria Times. TMG also owns and operates AZ Integrated Media, a media distribution and custom publishing company, and runs the website Phoenix.org.

Times Media Group was founded by Arizona publisher Steve Strickbine, and has its headquarters in Tempe, Arizona.

The Valley Times

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In 2004, Strickbine launched Times Publications, a family of features publications in Scottsdale, AZ. It became the highest-circulated family of free-distribution features publications in the state of Arizona.[1]

Acquisitions

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In 2009, Times Media Group acquired the publication Lovin' Life After 50, a senior active adult publication founded in 1979.[2] The publication hosts annual expos that cater to the Arizona senior market.[3]

In 2010, the Group acquired Scottsdale Airpark News, a business-to-business publication founded in 1980.[4] The publication is a magazine, with a circulation of 25,000 copies available at more than 1,000 locations throughout the Scottsdale Airpark area.[5]

In 2011, the group acquired Nearby News Publications, a trio of direct-mailed publications based in east Phoenix metro area. Nearby News consists of The Groves Report, The View and The North Gilbert Breeze[6]

In 2012, the group acquired AZ Integrated Media and its flagship publication College Times Magazine, a publication targeting 15- to 34-year-old young adults. The weekly entertainment magazine is published 24 times a year and distributed at 1,200 strategically chosen locations in and near Phoenix, and enjoys more than 130,000 readers.[7] With the acquisition of AZ Integrated Media, Times Media Group became the largest distribution company of free media in Arizona, publishing numerous specialty and custom-published products, including the College Bowl Guide, the Spring Training Guide and the College Transfer Guide.[8]

In 2013, the group acquired SanTan Sun News, a free newspaper published twice a month in southern Chandler, Arizona and Gilbert, Arizona, with a circulation of over 32,000.[9] It was formerly known as Ocotillo News, but changed its name in 2005.

In late January 2016, the group acquired East Valley Tribune and Ahwatukee Foothills News from 1013 Communications and immediately assumed day-to-day operations; 1013's other Arizona community newspapers were not included in the sale.[10]

On July 13, 2017, Times Media Group acquired West Valley View,[11] a free weekly newspaper that covers the West Valley cities and towns of Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Tolleson and Tonopah. It has a controlled circulation of 75,000+ and is published every Wednesday.

In September 2018, the group relaunched the Scottsdale Progress newspaper. The Scottsdale Progress originally began as a weekly newspaper in 1948, began daily publication in 1961, and ceased publication in 2009.[12]

On October 31, 2018, the group acquired The Glendale Star, Peoria Times and a Luke Air Force Base community magazine which was re-branded with the name Sound of Freedom.[13]

In August 2019, Times Media Group acquired Southland Publishing. The sale included five newspapers: Ventura County Reporter, The Argonaut (Santa Monica, California), Pasadena Weekly, LA Downtown News and San Diego CityBeat. The three magazines acquired included Ventana Monthly, Playa Vista Direct and Arroyo Magazine.[14]

In 2020, Times Media Group acquired The Foothills Focus in New River.[15][16]

In 2021, Times Media Group acquired the Tucson publications of 10/13 Communications (including The Explorer, the Marana News, Foothills News, Desert Times, Tucson Weekly, and Inside Tucson Business).[17]

In 2022, Times Media Group launched the Queen Creek Tribune.[18]

In 2023, Times Media Group acquired Picket Fence Media, publisher of The San Clemente Times, The Dana Point Times and The Capistrano Dispatch, as well as The Acorn Newspapers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, California.[19][20]

In 2024, Times Media Group relaunched The Tempe Tribune, a newspaper that ceased in 2009 after publishing for 122 years.[21] That same year the company acquired four weekly community newspapers and one semi-monthly publication from Century Group Media. The sale included the Banning Record Gazette, the Redlands Community News, Fontana Herald News, along with Yucaipa and Calimesa News Mirror.[22] In July, Times Media Group also acquired Firebrand Media. The sale included the Laguna Beach Independent, the Newport Beach Independent, the Coast Real Estate Guide, Laguna Beach Magazine and Newport Beach Magazine.[23]

References

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  1. ^ "Book of Lists - Phoenix Business Journal". Bizjournals.com. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  2. ^ "About Us Lovin' Life After 50 | The Southwest's leading senior publicationLovin' Life After 50". Lovinlife.com. 2014-03-11. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  3. ^ ""All Things Senior" Expo offers information and entertainment". Archived from the original on September 4, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  4. ^ "Steve Strickbine buys Scottsdale Airpark News - Phoenix Business Journal". Bizjournals.com. 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  5. ^ "About Us | The Business Voice of the Airpark For Over 30 Years". Scottsdaleairpark.com. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  6. ^ "About Us | News Around Your Neighborhood!". Nearbynews.com. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  7. ^ "Contact Us". Ecollegetimes.com. 10 July 2014. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  8. ^ "About Us". AZ Integrated Media. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  9. ^ "About Us". Santansun.com. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
  10. ^ Sunnucks, Mike (January 27, 2016). "Scottsdale publisher buying East Valley Tribune, Ahwatukee Foothills News". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  11. ^ "A note from the new publisher of West Valley View". West Valley View. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  12. ^ Ringle, Hayley (July 24, 2018). "Scottsdale's original hometown newspaper is coming back from the dead". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  13. ^ Fuoco-Karasinski, Christina (2020-03-12). "Glendale Star publisher acquires New River newspaper". The Glendale Star. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  14. ^ O'Grady, Patrick (August 12, 2019). "Valley media company adds California newspapers, magazines to portfolio". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  15. ^ "Dirks, Van Essen, Murray & April | Quarterly Updates | April 2020 Report". Retrieved 2020-09-05.
  16. ^ Fuoco-Karasinski, Christina (2020-03-12). "Glendale Star publisher acquires New River newspaper". The Glendale Star. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  17. ^ Smith, Dylan (April 19, 2021). "Tucson Weekly, Explorer sold to Phoenix newspaper chain". Tucson Sentinel. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  18. ^ "Weekly free newspaper launching in Queen Creek on Sunday". KTAR. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Times Media Group acquires Picket Fence Media". Editor and Publisher. 2023-08-01. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  20. ^ "Times Media Group acquires SoCal-based Acorn Newspapers". Editor and Publisher. 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  21. ^ Sillick, Bob (2024-05-02). "Reviving local news: The resurrection of The Tempe Tribune". Editor and Publisher. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  22. ^ Hernandez Jr., Hector N. (2024-07-03). "Record Gazette sold to Arizona-based publishing group". Banning Record Gazette. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  23. ^ Nguyen, Lilly (2024-07-04). "Laguna Beach's Firebrand Media purchased by Times Media Group". Daily Pilot. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
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