The Madison Times

Last updated
The Madison Times
Founder(s)Betty Franklin-Hammonds
FoundedApril 1991;32 years ago (1991-04)
City Madison, Wisconsin
ReadershipMinorities in Dane County
Website https://themadisontimes.themadent.com/

The Madison Times Weekly is a weekly African-American newspaper in Madison in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Civil rights activist Betty Franklin-Hammonds established the paper in April 1991. It was initially a sister publication of the Milwaukee Times , which had bought the Wisconsin Free Press , a Black-focused paper that published sporadically in Madison in the 1980s. [1] Hammonds stated that the paper operated separately within its first few months. Hammonds started the paper as a resource for the under-served African-American community; [1] the paper soon expanded its focus to various minority communities. [2] In 1992 the paper joined with WORT radio, WYOU community television, and the online service DANEnet to create the Neighborhood Network, to cover local news and serve local activists. [3]

Following Hammonds' death at age 56 in 1999, [4] her husband David became publisher, and remained majority owner. Jonathan Gramling, a "longtime friend and associate" of the Franklin-Hammonds family, took over as editor. Under Gramling's direction, the paper added more full color photography, and increased its event coverage. In 2002, amid a nationwide industry slump, the paper experienced financial challenges, prompting staffing cuts. David described the newspaper as a community-oriented enterprise, rather than a financial investment. [2] The paper's circulation was about 8,500 in 2004. [5]

Local politician and bureaucrat Ray Allen purchased the paper in 2005. [6] Though Allen stated at the time that he did not plan significant personnel changes, Gramling, who had recently won a human rights award, announced his intention to leave the paper shortly after the acquisition. [7] [8]

Allen sold it to Courier Communications, the parent company of the Milwaukee Courier and WNOV-AM radio, in 2014. [9] The two newspapers had been sharing editorial and advertising content for about a year prior to the sale; at the time of the acquisition, the two papers had a combined circulation of 55,000. [10] [11]

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References

  1. 1 2 LiCari, Jonnel (June 15, 1992). "TIMES PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON BLACKS". Wisconsin State Journal .
  2. 1 2 Welch, Lynn (March 7, 2002). "CHANGING TIMES - CITY'S MINORITY NEWSPAPER TACKLES NEW CHALLENGES". The Capital Times .
  3. ↑ Perry-Daniels, Gail (September 24, 1996). "NEIGHBORHOODS TO HAVE THEIR OWN NEWS NETWORK". The Capital Times .
  4. ↑ Clark, Anita (May 15, 1999). "PUBLISHER'S LIFE, GOOD WORKS BRING MORE ACCOLADES". Wisconsin State Journal .
  5. ↑ African American Yearbook 2004
  6. ↑ Novak, Bill (August 3, 2005). "RAY ALLEN IS NEW OWNER OF MADISON TIMES". The Capital Times .
  7. ↑ Schneider, Pat (July 22, 2005). "EDITOR GETS HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD". The Capital Times .
  8. ↑ Davidoff, Judith (September 2, 2005). "GRAMLING LIKELY TO LEAVE TIMES". The Capital Times .
  9. ↑ RIVEDAL, KAREN (December 9, 2014). "COURIER COMMUNICATIONS BUYS MADISON TIMES". Wisconsin State Journal .
  10. ↑ IVEY, MIKE (December 7, 2014). "Madison Times newspaper sold to Milwaukee's Courier Communications". The Capital Times .
  11. ↑ "The Milwaukee Courier forms joint venture with The Madison Times - Deal In Brief". Datamonitor Financial Deals Tracker. October 30, 2013.
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