The The Daily Herald is a daily newspaper in Columbia, Tennessee

Columbia, Tennessee

Columbia is a city in Maury County, Tennessee, United States. The 2008 population was 34,402 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It is the county seat of Maury County....

. It is owned and published by Stephens Media LLC

Stephens Media (newspapers)

Stephens Media LLC is a Las Vegas, Nevada diversified media holding company that publishes over 11 daily and 64 weekly newspapers in 9 states, primarily in Nevada and Arkansas....

. The newspaper is published six days a week Sunday through Friday, the paper does not publish on Saturday. Although it is primarily distributed to Maury County, Tennessee its Newspaper Designated Market (N.D.M.) stretches into five counties in Southern Middle Tennessee. The five county distribution area of The Daily Herald includes: Maury County, TN; Marshall County, TN; Lewis County, TN; and the northern halves of both Giles County, TN and Lawrence County, TN.

History

The Daily Herald was founded as a weekly newspaper in 1848, when Columbia's population was only 1,700 people. In 1899, the newspaper converted from weekly to daily delivery. The city now has a population 34,811 in 2010 with a county population exceeding 81,956. Weekday circulation (Monday-Friday) is 11,500 and Sunday circulation is 13,500, according to audited figures.

Ownership

In 1916 the newspaper was purchased by Walter D. Hastings and James I. Finney. Beginning in 1965 the newspaper was purchased by local businessman and politician Sam Delk Kennedy who also served as Publisher. Kennedy served as either Editor or Publisher or both from 1965 to 1983. It was acquired by the Donrey Media Group (founder Donald W. Reynolds

Donald W. Reynolds

Donald W. Reynolds was an American businessman and philanthropist. During his lifetime, he was best known for his involvement in the Donrey Media Group.-Biography:...

), a predecessor of the current owner, in 1983. Reynolds died in 1993. The company was then sold to the Stephens family of Arkansas, best known for their investment banking business Stephens Inc.

Stephens Inc.

Stephens Inc. is a full service, privately owned investment bank based in Little Rock, Arkansas.-History:Stephens Inc. was founded in 1933 by W.R. Witt Stephens. His brother, Jackson T. Stephens joined the firm in 1946 and served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Stephens Inc. from 1956 to 1986....

 in Little Rock, AR. After Stephens acquired the group, some of Donrey's properties were sold off, and the company moved its headquarters to Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, home of its largest newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...

. The company was re-named Stephens Media Group in 2002. Most of Stephens newspapers operate in small to medium-sized towns and cities, but the company also owns the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a 186,000 circulation newspaper.

In June 2006 the company became officially known as Stephens Media LLC and continued Mr. Reynolds' business philosophy of locally operated companies. Stephens Media LLC is a Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 diversified media holding company

Holding company

A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...

 that publishes over 11 daily and 64 weekly newspapers in 9 states, primarily in Nevada and Arkansas.

Recent Publishers

Sam Kennedy served as the newspaper's Publisher during the decades of the 1960s through 1983. Douglas Beel (from Arkansas) became the newspaper's Publisher from 1983 until 1996. In 1996 Mark Palmer (from Oklahoma) was named Publisher and still serves in that position as of 2011. Major Department Heads at the newspaper currently include; Editor Chris Fletcher, Advertising Director Craig Duncan and Circulation Director Dean Cole.

Subsidiary Publications

• The Advertiser News
  The Advertiser News
  The The Advertiser News is a weekly newspaper in Spring Hill, Tennessee. It is owned and published by Stephens Media LLC. The newspaper is published once a week, every Wednesday. Its Newspaper Designated Market stretches into two cities in two separate counties in Middle Tennessee...
  
  {Weekly} (Spring Hill & Thompson's Station, TN) Advertiser News On-Line
• The Value Guide {Weekly} (Maury County, TN)
• Franklin Life {Monthly} (Franklin, TN)
• Brentwood Life {Monthly} (Brentwood, TN)
• Healthy Living {Monthly} (6 Counties in Southern Middle Tennessee)

External links

• The Daily Herald official web site
• Stephens Media official web site