Knight-Ridder Inc - History Of Ridder Publications, History Of Knight Newspapers, Operating As Knight-ridder Inc., Increased Focus On Online Technology
Knight-Ridder is the third-largest U.S. newspaper publisher with sales of $3.2 billion, roughly 22,000 employees, daily circulation rates of 9 million, and Sunday circulation rates of 13 million. Behind both Gannett and Tribune Co. in print operations, the firm is considered a leader in online newspaper publishing. However, despite the success of the firm's Internet operations, the North American economic slowdown in 2000 and 2001 prompted Knight-Ridder to lay off roughly 16 percent of its Internet-related employees.
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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 diver…
In 1903, Charles Landon Knight exited the legal profession and bought the Akron Beacon Journal. By the late 1930s, Knight's sons had taken over the family business. They paid $2.25 million for the Miami Herald in 1937. The brothers also bought the competing Miami Tribune to gain access to its new printing press, as well as additional equipment and facilities. Eventually, the Knights stopped…
In November of 1974, Knight Newspapers merged with Ridder Publications to form Knight-Ridder Newspapers, the largest newspaper publisher in the United States with 35 papers in 25 cities and a total daily circulation of 3.8 million and a Sunday circulation of 4.2 million. To receive Federal Communications Commission approval for the merger, Ridder had agreed to sell off its radio and television ope…
In 1991, Knight-Ridder and Tribune Co. formed a joint venture to electronically deliver business news to personal computer users. The firm's Dialog unit unveiled technology that allowed users to purchase a license while online and avoid copyright law infringement. Knight-Ridder published The San Jose Mercury News on America Online in May of 1993, marking the debut of the first newspaper pub…
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