Capital Newspapers
Encyclopedia
Capital Newspapers is a partnership between Lee Enterprises
and The Capital Times Company that operates 27 publications and several web sites in Wisconsin
. The corporate name of the company is Madison Newspapers Inc. Capital Newspapers has nearly 600 employees.
was first published on December 2, 1839 as The Madison Express, an afternoon weekly in Madison
. It changed its name in 1852 to the Wisconsin Daily Journal in 1852 and to its current name in 1860. In 1919, the newspaper was sold to Lee Newspaper Syndicate (now Lee Enterprises
) by publisher Richard Lloyd Jones.
The Capital Times was founded in 1917 by the former managing editor of the Wisconsin State Journal, William T. Evjue. He quit the State Journal in the summer of 1917 after the newspaper abandoned support for Robert La Follette and his opposition to World War I
. By December that year, he had raised enough funds to begin his own newspaper, an afternoon daily first published on December 13, 1917.
Lee Enterprises and Evjue's The Capital Times Company began discussing a partnership that would operate both newspapers in 1947. The new partnership began on November 15, 1948 as Madison Newspapers, Inc. On February 1, 1949, the Wisconsin State Journal moved from afternoons to mornings and was the sole newspaper published on Sunday in the partnership.
acquired Independent Media Group, Inc.'s newspapers in Nebraska
and Wisconsin
on July 1, 2000. Of the purchased newspapers, Lee Enterprises purchased 18 in both states and Madison Newspapers acquired 11 in Wisconsin. The newspapers purchased the Portage Daily Register, the Baraboo News Republic, the Shawano Leader, Reedsburg Times Press, the Juneau County Star-Times, the Wisconsin Dells Events, the Sauk Prairie Eagle, the Shopper Stopper, and the Wisconsin Reminder. Central Wisconsin Newspapers, Inc., a subsidiary of Madison Newspapers, was created to manage the newspapers.
The Daily Citizen of Beaver Dam
, two weekly newspapers, and five other publications were acquired by Central Wisconsin Newspapers, Inc., a subsidiary of Madison Newspapers, from Conley Publishing Group on April 1, 2002.
to BlueLine Media Holdings LLC of Neenah
. The Leader had a circulation of 6,500 daily and 7,200 on Sundays.
The Capital Times Co. of Madison acquired WisPolitics.com the online subscription political news service, in February 2011. WisPolitics is operated as a wholly owned subsidiary, with no integration of staff or connection to the editorial philosophy of The Capital Times.
region that are not owned by the corporation. Press room clients include various University of Wisconsin
student-led newspapers, such as The Badger Herald
which has a Monday-Friday circulation of 16,000 during the school year and The Daily Cardinal
which distributes 10,000 newspapers on the same schedule.
Lee Enterprises
Lee Enterprises is a publicly traded American media company. It publishes 54 daily newspapers in 23 states, and more than 300 weekly, classified, and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by A.W. Lee and is based in Davenport, Iowa....
and The Capital Times Company that operates 27 publications and several web sites in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. The corporate name of the company is Madison Newspapers Inc. Capital Newspapers has nearly 600 employees.
History
The Wisconsin State JournalWisconsin State Journal
The Wisconsin State Journal is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin...
was first published on December 2, 1839 as The Madison Express, an afternoon weekly in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. It changed its name in 1852 to the Wisconsin Daily Journal in 1852 and to its current name in 1860. In 1919, the newspaper was sold to Lee Newspaper Syndicate (now Lee Enterprises
Lee Enterprises
Lee Enterprises is a publicly traded American media company. It publishes 54 daily newspapers in 23 states, and more than 300 weekly, classified, and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by A.W. Lee and is based in Davenport, Iowa....
) by publisher Richard Lloyd Jones.
The Capital Times was founded in 1917 by the former managing editor of the Wisconsin State Journal, William T. Evjue. He quit the State Journal in the summer of 1917 after the newspaper abandoned support for Robert La Follette and his opposition to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. By December that year, he had raised enough funds to begin his own newspaper, an afternoon daily first published on December 13, 1917.
Lee Enterprises and Evjue's The Capital Times Company began discussing a partnership that would operate both newspapers in 1947. The new partnership began on November 15, 1948 as Madison Newspapers, Inc. On February 1, 1949, the Wisconsin State Journal moved from afternoons to mornings and was the sole newspaper published on Sunday in the partnership.
Central Wisconsin Acquisitions
Madison Newspapers and Lee EnterprisesLee Enterprises
Lee Enterprises is a publicly traded American media company. It publishes 54 daily newspapers in 23 states, and more than 300 weekly, classified, and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by A.W. Lee and is based in Davenport, Iowa....
acquired Independent Media Group, Inc.'s newspapers in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
on July 1, 2000. Of the purchased newspapers, Lee Enterprises purchased 18 in both states and Madison Newspapers acquired 11 in Wisconsin. The newspapers purchased the Portage Daily Register, the Baraboo News Republic, the Shawano Leader, Reedsburg Times Press, the Juneau County Star-Times, the Wisconsin Dells Events, the Sauk Prairie Eagle, the Shopper Stopper, and the Wisconsin Reminder. Central Wisconsin Newspapers, Inc., a subsidiary of Madison Newspapers, was created to manage the newspapers.
The Daily Citizen of Beaver Dam
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,243 at the 2010 census, making it the second largest city in Dodge County, and the largest city fully located within the county. It is the principal city of the...
, two weekly newspapers, and five other publications were acquired by Central Wisconsin Newspapers, Inc., a subsidiary of Madison Newspapers, from Conley Publishing Group on April 1, 2002.
Name Change
One year after completing the purchase of the Daily Citizen, Madison Newspapers changed its name to Capital Newspapers and integrated its two subsidiaries—Central Wisconsin Newspapers and Citizen Newspapers—in name only into the renamed company. The name change was strategic in order to identify itself as a regional newspaper company. According to the press release, the "change does not signal a significant reorganization and no job losses will occur because of this change. The newsrooms will remain separate and independent ...."Sales to BlueLine
On October 3, 2006, Capital Newspapers completed the sale of the Shawano Leader and its commercial printing operations near ShawanoShawano, Wisconsin
Shawano is a city in Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,305 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shawano County...
to BlueLine Media Holdings LLC of Neenah
Neenah, Wisconsin
Neenah is a city on Lake Winnebago in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities of Northeast Wisconsin...
. The Leader had a circulation of 6,500 daily and 7,200 on Sundays.
Changes to The Capital Times
The company's most recent change - and one of its most important - took place on April 26, 2008, when The Capital Times published its last daily print edition and became one of the first American daily newspapers to go primarily online. The Capital Times now consists of three separate, interrelated products. The main continuation of The Capital Times is its Web site, captimes.com, which continues the tradition of local, progressive, timely, hard-hitting journalism started by William T. Evjue over 90 years ago. Secondly, a new magazine-style print edition, The Cap Times, features in-depth local news and progressive commentary every Wednesday and is distributed with the Wisconsin State Journal and free via racks around town. And finally, 77 Square, Madison's newest arts, entertainment and culture publication, is published every Thursday and also delivered with the State Journal and rack-distributed free around town.The Capital Times Co. of Madison acquired WisPolitics.com the online subscription political news service, in February 2011. WisPolitics is operated as a wholly owned subsidiary, with no integration of staff or connection to the editorial philosophy of The Capital Times.
Printing Press
The Capital Newspapers printing press also inks numerous publications in the Dane CountyDane County, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
region that are not owned by the corporation. Press room clients include various University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
student-led newspapers, such as The Badger Herald
The Badger Herald
The Badger Herald is a newspaper serving the University of Wisconsin–Madison community. Founded in 1969, it is one of America's first independent daily student newspapers. The paper is published Monday through Friday during the academic year...
which has a Monday-Friday circulation of 16,000 during the school year and The Daily Cardinal
The Daily Cardinal
The Daily Cardinal is a student newspaper that serves the University of Wisconsin–Madison community. The sixth oldest daily student newspaper in the country, it began publishing on Monday, April 4, 1892...
which distributes 10,000 newspapers on the same schedule.
Publications
- Agri-View
- Apartment Showcase (web site)
- Baraboo News Republic
- The Badger HeraldThe Badger HeraldThe Badger Herald is a newspaper serving the University of Wisconsin–Madison community. Founded in 1969, it is one of America's first independent daily student newspapers. The paper is published Monday through Friday during the academic year...
- Capital Region Business Journal
- City & Country Homes
- Columbus Journal
- Daily Citizen
- Juneau County Star-Times
- Marketplace
- Marketplace Rentals
- Monday Marketeer
- Monday Mini
- Neighbors
- Nursingmatters
- Portage Daily Register
- Reedsburg Times-Press
- Shopper Stopper
- Shopper's View
- Shopping Reminder
- The Capital Times
- The Sauk Prairie Eagle
- Tri County
- Weekend Citizen
- Wheels For You (web site)
- Wisconsin Dells Events
- Wisconsin Reminder
- Wisconsin State JournalWisconsin State JournalThe Wisconsin State Journal is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin...