Knight-Ridder Inc - History Of Ridder Publications

HISTORY OF RIDDER PUBLICATIONS

Knight-Ridder Inc. dates back to 1892, when Herman Ridder bought the Staats-Zeitung, a newspaper written for the German residents of New York City. Ridder expanded in 1926, acquiring the Journal of Commerce. In 1942, Ridder Publications incorporated in Delaware. Acquisitions that decade included Post Tribune in Gary, Indiana, and various newspapers in Washington and California. The firm also diversified into radio and television for the first time with the purchase of Minneapolis, Minnesota-based WCCO. In 1969, Ridder conducted its initial public offering and bought the Daily Camera, a newspaper published in Boulder, Colorado. Four years later, Ridder acquired Beacon Publishing Co. and the Wichita Eagle. Profits reached $14 million on sales of $166 million.