Halifax Media

Halifax Media Group was an American newspaper company established on March 31, 2010. The venture began with the acquisition of The Daytona Beach News-Journal from the Davidson family, who had owned it for 82 years, and was financially backed by investors including Stephens Capital Partners, an affiliate of the Arkansas-based investment bank Stephens Inc. The company's CEO was Michael Redding, a former advertising executive at the Daytona Beach News-Journal who later founded HarborPoint Media.

Operating within the publishing industry, Halifax Media Group's business model centered on acquiring and managing local and regional newspapers. Its strategy involved purchasing newspapers in what it considered strong markets with significant community connections, aiming for long-term capital growth. The company rapidly expanded its portfolio through a series of significant acquisitions. A major milestone occurred in December 2011, when it purchased the Regional Media Group from The New York Times Company for $143 million, a deal that included 16 newspapers. This was followed by the acquisition of Florida and North Carolina papers from Freedom Communications in June 2012 and additional newspapers from HarborPoint Media in 2013. By 2014, the company owned over 30 newspapers, including 24 dailies, primarily across the southeastern United States, with a combined daily circulation of approximately 635,000.

The company's primary products were its daily and weekly newspapers and their affiliated websites, which covered local, state, and national news. These publications served local communities and advertisers in states such as Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In November 2014, New Media Investment Group announced it would acquire Halifax Media Group for $280 million in cash. The acquisition was completed on January 9, 2015, integrating Halifax's 36 newspapers into New Media's subsidiary, GateHouse Media. This marked the end of Halifax Media Group's run as an independent entity, with its assets becoming part of what would later merge with Gannett. Keywords: Halifax Media Group, newspaper publishing, media acquisition, Stephens Capital Partners, Michael Redding, Daytona Beach News-Journal, New York Times Regional Media Group, New Media Investment Group, GateHouse Media, local newspapers, media investment, publishing acquisitions, southeastern US media, community newspapers, Freedom Communications, HarborPoint Media, newspaper conglomerate, print media, digital media, media ownership