Buyers and Sellers of broadcast entities, newspapers, magazines, shoppers, directories, video games, listings and database organizations depend on valuations from Kamen & Co. Group Services for a variety of reasons. These include assessing the value of a property as part of a decision to acquire, divest, or refinance. Our clients have included print and digital media company owners and investors, private equity firms, lenders, accounting firms and legal advisors.
Kamen & Co. valuations are respected by industry insiders and take into account not only the financial state of the company, but also an assessment of the market or markets a company serves, including market dynamics, competition, positioning and financial results and forecasts. It is based on a complete review of possible ways that the market may currently value a property.
Kamen & Co. offers a Strategic Assessment that takes the valuation a step further. We identify specific value drivers, red flags and recommend actions and strategies that will enhance the company’s value in the market. We have the knowledge, expertise and experience, as former publishing executives, to make a significant difference for you. We quantify the potential impact of each action point on the future valuation of the company. Please call either of our offices for a confidential initial consultation. Helping publishers is our business!
At Kamen & Co. Group Services, We Perform Print & Digital Media Valuations for a Variety of Purposes:
ESTATE and GIFTING:
To minimize or eliminate problems with the Internal Revenue Service.
BUY-SELL TRANSACTIONS:
Used for buying or selling a print & digital media company. Also beneficial in establishing value for partial ownership interest.
MARITAL, PARTNERSHIP & CORPORATE DISSOLUTIONS:
It is often necessary to perform an independent print & digital media appraisal to determine “Fair Market Value” of an enterprise so the equitable parties can divide the assets and intangibles for settlement of their particular dispute.
BANK FINANCING & SBA LOANS:
It’s not uncommon in today’s publishing climate to secure favorable rates and loan terms. Loans are dependent upon the value of an on going enterprises assets and sometimes intangibles. An independent print & digital media appraisal is required on certain SBA loan packages and could influence the rates and terms of the loan.
BUY-SELL AGREEMENTS:
A value is established to avoid future problems for stockholders and partnership buyouts. This valuation process can greatly simplify negotiation during the term of the agreement.
CONTRIBUTIONS:
Transactions over a certain dollar limit require IRS form 8283 to be signed by the appraiser when making a contribution.
SUCCESSION PLANNING:
This is used when you wish to keep the business in the family but require distribution of shares to family members with an attached “Fair Market Value” for each share of the publications stock.
EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLANS (ESOP’s):
These plans must be independently appraised to establish fair market value for purchase price and or contributions.
FAIRNESS OPINIONS:
The fairness opinion is a black/white finding, stating either the deal or transaction as presented seems fair and justified. Important items include basic due diligence, analysis of risk factors, deal structure or potential conflicts.
INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Intellectual Property):
For economic analysis and valuation purposes, it is often necessary to distinguish between tangible and intangible assets, as well as between real estate and personal property assets. These distinctions are important for a variety of accounting, legal, financial and taxation reasons.
KAMEN & CO. GROUP SERVICES PROVIDES INDEPENDENT WORLDWIDE PRINT & DIGITAL MEDIA APPRAISALS. OUR REPORTS AVERAGE 25 CUSTOMIZED PAGES.
Many publishing companies have intangible assets and no list could ever be complete because intangibles can be unique to a specific title. But some are fairly common and can be found in many print & digital media companies. These include:
Proprietary lists. Proprietary lists can include customer or client lists, mailing lists, whether they are made up of customers or prospects. Lists can be especially valuable to a newspaper or magazine if the relationships they represent are ongoing. Consider, for example, a magazine’s list of advertisers. The magazine may get 75 percent of its advertising revenue from the companies on that list, making it critical to the magazine’s future profitability.
Beneficial contracts. Long-term contracts can add value to a publishing company. For instance, a newspaper or magazine may have a contract that allows it to sell advertising or inserts for a higher-than-normal markup. Publishers have all types of deals they make with clients and some are worth a great deal of money when valuation comes into play.
Patents. The worth of patents depends on the strength of the patent claim (which can be difficult to determine if the patent hasn’t withstood litigation) and the patent’s economic and legal life.
Copyrights. Copyrights are a little trickier to value than patents because, while they may have a long legal life, their practical value may be for a shorter time period. The value of a copyright also depends on the author’s previous success.
Trademarks and Brand Names. A brand name or trademark has value if it lets a publishing company sell its advertising for a higher price than its competition. The name and reputation of a specific title is worth something.
Subscription & Distribution Service Contracts. Subscriptions are especially important for newspapers, magazines and digital media companies, because they derive most of their revenue from these sources. The longer both subscriptions and service contracts have been in effect, the more they are worth.
Franchise agreements. Franchises in the publishing arena with long track records and well-recognized names have significantly greater value than newer, less unknown franchises.
Software. Many publishing companies have developed proprietary software that is specific to their businesses. If this software provides efficiencies and benefits that the business wouldn’t otherwise enjoy without this software, this also may add value.
Goodwill. Goodwill means many things to many people, but generally it refers to intangibles such as reputation and location that leads to repeat business. The term “goodwill” also hasbeen defined as the amount over and above the fair market value of the assets in a going publication.
WHY VALUE INTANGIBLES?
Intangible assets may need to be valued for a variety of reasons, including determining a fair license rate, calculating an amortization deduction, quantifying a charitable deduction, calculating an inter-company transfer price or estimating damages in an infringement case.
Valuing intangible assets can be an important part of determining the value of a publication for marital dissolutions, gift tax determination, estate planning, shareholder rights cases, conversion from C corporation to S corporation status or sale of a print & digital media company. There are additional specific intangible assets to every title and a experienced professional print & digital media appraisal firm like Kamen & Co. Group Services can help you identify those value drivers in your business or business interest. We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the valuation of your newspaper, shopper, magazine, directory or digital title. Please call either of our offices in New York (516) 379-2797 or in Tampa (727) 786-5930. We would be delighted to assist you!
YOU SHOULD HAVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF TRUST IN YOUR PRINT AND DIGITAL MEDIA APPRAISAL FIRM!
Integrity matters. Some media appraisers and brokers claim to have it. Few have established as strong a reputation for delivering what they promise as KAMEN & COMPANY GROUP SERVICES. Time and again, our clients cite integrity and performance as among the most important reasons they come to us – and come to rely on us as trusted appraisers integral to achieving their ongoing business goals.
KAMEN & CO. GROUP SERVICES – PUBLISHERS TRUST US!
Kamen & Co. Group Services …
Your Source For Multi-Channel Media Valuations.
Discover The Value Of Your Company Now – Because You Should Want To Know!
Newspapers – Magazines – Shoppers – Directories – Video Game – Newsletters – Books – Catalogs – Direct Mail – Listing Companies – Fulfillment – Direct Marketing – B2B Direct
IMPORTANCE & LOGIC FOR HAVING YOUR MULTI-MEDIA ENTITY FINANCIALLY VALUED CORRECTLY
By Kevin B. Kamen, President/CEO
April 12, 2023
Knowing the current accurate valuation of your publishing enterprise matters as it is vital information that can benefit you moving forward. It will create a baseline of what your business is worth and so much more and serve as a business tool that could guide you in putting your resources to better use and help make a significant impact long-term. It might even identify new opportunities and assist in attaining investors, an SBA loan, or corporate and/or government grants. Every publishing operation can benefit from a valuation that is inclusive of all tangible and intangible assets in play. Informed ownership groups help to generate success.
Keep in mind that a mutually agreed upon value of a particular publishing entity is the starting point of any discussion when it comes to a potential deal being made. It must be agreeable to both sides and accepted in good faith. The valuation should be independent and inclusive of a narrative, standardization grading, and financial analysis.
A valuation is utilized for many reasons. It is necessary for a shareholder transfer of partnership during a Buy/Sell scenario and will be required for multiple litigation purposes. From domestic to tax disputes – the issue remains the same – what exactly is your multi-media entity worth in the present market in the Spring/Summer of 2023?
Regardless of the purpose of the need currently for retaining a valuation, the figure your business is worth will impact the near and long-term strategies and assist you in making informed decisions moving ahead in this economy. With inflation soaring and a presidential election nearly eighteen months away in the United States, acquiring a valuation could lead to future success and opportunities. It could also benefit you to have an exit strategy and play a role in planning your retirement. Establishing an exit strategy will cause you to identify via the valuation if you have potential red flags to be concerned with. Discovering how best to increase the value of your business is what a Kamen & Co Group Services report speaks to and understanding what exactly should be accomplished to increase the profitability and overall value moving forward is consequential. Our reports provide a wide host of constructive recommendations. Making informed decisions will benefit you in looking ahead.
Transaction planning coupled with a valuation will help discover what a portion of your business is worth and if you seek to sell a percentage of the assets you own will be easy to calculate. From an estate planning angle, whether you need to do tax planning will depend on what your publishing enterprise is worth. If the value of the interest in your multi-media business and all-inclusive assets exceed the federal estate tax exemption you likely will want to meet with your tax advisor to craft a plan that minimizes your estate’s tax exposure. Keep in mind each state has different tax laws and the implications on your business might be concerning. Always speak privately to your CPA and request input as he/she understands and knows your portfolio best.
Granting stock options requires a formal valuation as do other forms of non-qualified deferred compensation. Charitable donations often are looked at very carefully by the IRS and certain proof of each deduction accompanying a valuation will be necessary.
Fairness opinions to support transactions are almost always required. A value must be set on a business when negotiating a merger or buyout, reorganizing, tax planning, and when generating legal contracts. Lastly, creating an ESOP will require having a fresh valuation as it will measure certain milestones at your publishing entity, showcase productivity and outline a strategic game plan, dates, and an underlining value to date
Providence Journal up for sale – Boston Globe
By Callum Borchers
December 5, 2013
Another New England news institution is on the block, after the owner of the Providence Journal said Wednesday it is exploring a sale of the nation’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper.
The A.H. Belo Corp., the Texas firm that also owns The Dallas Morning News, has hired a financial services firm to solicit offers for the 184-year-old Journal, Rhode Island’s leading news publication. The company noted that it will sell the Journal only if it can find an appropriate buyer willing to pay a satisfactory price.
The Providence paper joins the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in being for sale at a time when the news industry continues to struggle with the loss of advertising for print products, and the rise of digital media competitors.
Other changes are also sweeping the media landscape in New England. The Cape Cod Times and the Standard-Times of New Bedford, along with several dozen smaller papers, were recently sold to GateHouse Media Inc., which itself just emerged from a bankruptcy reorganization to restructure $1.2 billion of debt.
Recent sales of other prominent newspapers suggest that Belo will get far less than what it paid for the Providence Journal 16 years ago, reflecting a broad devaluing of legacy media outlets in the digital information age.
Providence Journal reporter John Hill said Belo’s decision came as no surprise.
In October, Boston Red Sox principal owner John W. Henry bought the New England Media Group, which included The Boston Globe and the Worcester paper, from the New York Times Co. for $70 million. The Times Co. paid $1.1 billion for the Globe alone in 1993. In November, Henry said he would try to sell the Telegram to a locally based group in order to concentrate on running the Globe.
Also in October, the Graham family sold The Washington Post after four generations of ownership to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for $250 million.
Meanwhile, the social media site Tumblr sold for $1.1 billion to Yahoo in June. The valuation of digital media companies at large sums that once belonged to major papers like the Post and Globe crystallized a significant shift on the media landscape.
“The trend is fairly well formed,” said Rick Edmonds, a media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit journalism think tank in St. Petersburg, Fla. “We had newspaper properties at the very worst, during the height of the recession, losing advertising revenue and they couldn’t be sold at all. The situation has improved now, to the extent that some buyers are stepping up and taking a civic value approach.”
In 1997, Belo purchased the paper and nine television stations owned by the then-Providence Journal Co. for $1.5 billion. Belo later created a separate company for its TV properties, and now is shopping only the newspaper.
Media appraiser Kevin B. Kamen, president of Kamen & Co. Group Services in Uniondale, N.Y., estimated the Journal’s value at $41 million.
“This is an elevator going down, down, down, and it’s unfortunate because it’s a quality paper,” Kamen said.
Belo issued a statement saying that selling the Journal would generate cash to help it concentrate on the Dallas market, a new priority the company outlined after its third-quarter earnings release.
“The Providence Journal is an important financial contributor to our company, and the newspaper’s commitment to the citizens of Providence and Rhode Island is unmatched,” Belo chief executive Jim Moroney said in the statement. “However, with A. H. Belo’s focus on investing and growing in Dallas, it makes sense to explore this opportunity.”
Providence Journal reporter John Hill, who heads the newspaper’s union, said Belo’s decision came as no surprise, as just two months ago it announced the $27 million sale of another daily in its portfolio, The Press-Enterprise of Riverside, Calif. Hill described the mood in the newsroom after a staff meeting with publisher Howard G. Sutton as uncertain, but hopeful that a buyer committed to quality journalism will emerge.
“Unfortunately, within the newspaper business, uncertainty is normal,” Hill said. “But there’s also an opportunity here. I would compare it to the Globe’s situation: Does someone come out from Rhode Island and see it as the civic institution that we think it is, and care about more than the dollars-and-cents bottom line? That’s what we’re hoping for.”
Callum Borchers can be reached at callum.borchers@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @callumborchers.
Atlantic Flyer Newspaper Sold To Chicagoan
Editor & Publisher
August 21, 2013
Uniondale, NY – The 28- year old Atlantic Flyer niche aviation newspaper, a free distribution 17,500 circulated title owned by Sandy and Richard Porter of Guilford, Connecticut, has been sold to businessman Brian Columbus of Chicago, Illinois. Kevin Kamen, President/CEO of New York-based Kamen & Co. Group Services, a media appraisal and brokerage firm, secured the buyer and negotiated the sale. The deal closed Tuesday, August 20, 2013.
The Atlantic Flyer, which has a fine reputation and has been distributed at airports and aviation training schools for decades, allows its readers to become an active part of the “general aviation community” and currently focuses on the east coast. With nearly 900 distribution points, Atlantic Flyer is currently circulated from Maine to Florida.
Richner Communications acquires L&M Publications
by Claude Solnik
Long Island Business News Published: August 9, 2013
Garden-City based Richner Communications has acquired L&M Publications’ assets, taking over Bellmore Life, Merrick Life, the Freeport-Baldwin Leader and Wantagh-Seaford Citizen weekly newspapers.
The deal for Linda Toscano and Paul Laursen to sell the publications to Richner, Long Island’s largest chain of weeklies, closed on Thursday. Terms of the transaction weren’t revealed.
Toscano, L&M’s publisher, won’t have a formal title or role at Richner, although Laursen, L&M’s managing editor, will remain involved with the publications under the new ownership.
“We’re selling to a company that can do better for our advertisers and readers and has economies of scale,” Toscano told LIBN on Friday. “The main reason was for the company to be successful and continue to serve the community.”
Toscano said Richner is taking on about half of L&M’s 20 employees. The rest were let go Thursday. Richner officials didn’t return calls seeking comment.
“They’re going into Freeport, Wantagh and Seaford where they didn’t have a newspaper,” said Kevin B. Kamen, president of Kamen & Co. Group Services, which represented L&M. “It opens up new markets for Richner Communications. It was an intelligent, strategic acquisition.”
Richner, a 15-paper group that stretches across the South Shore and in the Town of Hempstead, has been expanding by buying up smaller chains. The firm earlier explained its motives for the deal.
“It’s a strategically sound move for us,” Publisher Clifford Richner told LIBN last month after the deal was announced. “It will enable us to better meet the needs of our advertisers.”
L&M’s flagship newspaper, Merrick Life, was founded in 1938 with additional publications being added to the chain over the years. Kamen said L&M began talks with Richner about the acquisition in April.
“We were able to come to terms pretty quickly,” he said. “There were other offers involved.”
Richner has been growing by buying newspapers for a dozen years. It acquired the Nassau Community Newspaper Group in 2001 and purchased the more-than-a-century-old Oyster Bay Guardian from members of Cablevision’s Dolan family in 2010.
The deal for L&M’s assets is just the latest newspaper transaction to occur since Aug. 1
On Aug. 3, The New York Times Co. sold its New England Media Group, including the Boston Globe, to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry for $70 million, far less than the $1.1 billion the Times had paid for the publication.
And on Monday, The Washington Post Co. announced it is selling its flagship paper and some additional assets to Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos for $250 million.
“The landscape has changed drastically in the media world in the past few years. The digital components play a key role,” Kamen said. “Daily newspapers are struggling. Weekly newspapers are challenged, because of the competitiveness.”
Richner Communications was founded in 1964 by Robert and Edith Richner, parents of the current publishers.
In addition to the 15 Herald newspapers, Richner publishes The Oyster Bay Guardian, The Jewish Star and The Riverdale Press in the Bronx.
The company also publishes PrimeTime Xpress, a weekly shopping guide with 10 editions on the South Shore, and Xpress Coups, a quarterly coupon book.
The Richners also are principal owners of Broadstreet Media, which publishes weekly newspapers and shoppers in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Jersey, and the New Jersey Marketeer, a shopping publication in northern New Jersey.
How Will Globe, Post Sales Affect Tribune?
By Lynne Marek August 06, 2013
Today’s Headlines 8/6/2013
Copyright © 2013 Crain Communications, Inc.
Chicago Crain’s Business
For Tribune Co., the recently announced sales of the Washington Post Co. newspapers and the Boston Globe group make clear there’s still a market for major newspapers. But analysts say they’ll be worth more sold separately and sometime soon.
There were multiple bidders for each paper, according to published reports, a piece of good news in a depressed market for newspaper properties. The Tribune Co. newspapers, which include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun, could fetch between $725 million and $1 billion, reaching the higher end if they’re sold piecemeal, according to some industry analysts.
“Someone might offer $750 million,” said Kevin Kamen, who leads Uniondale, N.Y.-based media broker Kamen & Co. Group Services. “It’s not worth more than that — it’s probably not even worth that amount.”
Mr. Kamen estimates the value of the Chicago Tribune at $265 million and the Los Angeles Times at $375 million, if they’re sold individually. While local buyers may not be willing to bid for the whole group, they’ll pay more to consolidate their hold on the market, he said. The bidding process would probably take the total value of Tribune’s papers to the low $700 millions, he said.
New York Times Co. sold Boston Group’s newspapers last week for $70 million and the Washington Post Co. announced yesterday that it was selling its flagship paper and some suburban publishing assets for $250 million.
“You get more money if you piecemeal it out,” Mr. Kamen said. “Publications are worth more to people who are already in that market” because they can cross-sell with their existing businesses and cut duplicative costs, he said.
Chicago Sun-Times owner Wrapports LLC, led by Michael Ferro, earlier had expressed an interest in buying the Chicago Tribune while others, including billionaire executive Eli Broad, said they would bid for the Los Angeles Times.
BWS Financial Inc. analyst Hamed Khorsand, who has been following Tribune since it emerged from bankruptcy last year and its shares began trading publicly, said that he estimates the value of Tribune’s newspapers could reach closer to $1 billion based on the price per subscriber achieved in the Washington Post transaction.
Tribune’s publishing unit was valued at $623 million by its bankruptcy consultant Lazard LLC last year. Analysts agree the value of newspapers is declining as circulation continues to drop and advertisers seek other channels.
Tribune began seeking to sell the newspapers earlier this year but last month put that effort on hold and announced that it first would separate its publishing and broadcast units. The company said the spin-off could take as long as a year to execute, though the Chicago-based company could presumably continue to entertain interest from bidders.
The company’s new owners, who are creditors that took control of the company in January following its exit from four years of bankruptcy, are focusing on its broadcast assets in the face of the continuing decline in subscribers, advertisers and revenue at newspapers across the industry. Most newspapers, including the Tribune properties, are seeking to stem a decline in income by bulking up online and mobile operations, but so far that new income hasn’t offset losses.
Tribune stock has declined slightly, about 2 percent, since the Boston Globe deal was announced on Aug. 4, slipping to $62.80 in late afternoon trading today. The shares are still trading higher, though, than they were the day before the company announced it would spin off the publishing unit.
New York Times Company Sells Boston Globe – Jeff Bercovici – Forbes, 8/3/2013
No one likes to sell in a down market. But for The New York Times Co., patience has proved awfully expensive.
The Times Co.’s sale of its New England Media Group to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry for $70 million in cash represents a loss of more than $1.3 billion on the assets, which include the Boston Globe, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette and the website Boston.com. And it doesn’t even get the company out from under the Globe’s hefty pension obligations; the Times agreed to keep shouldering them as part of the deal.
The Sulzberger family, which controls the Times Co., bought the Globe’s then-parent, Affiliated Publications, for an eye-popping $1.1 billion in 1993. It then tacked on the Telegram & Gazette six years later, acquiring it from Chronicle Publishing for $295 million.
The timing couldn’t have been worse, with the deals coming just before and immediately after newspapers started slipping over the precipice created as first classified ad dollars and then readers started migrating to the internet.
Still, the Globe didn’t lose all of its value at once. In 2010, when entrepreneur Aaron Kushner came calling only to be turned away by Times Co. management, a sale would likely have fetched $120 million in the view of media appraiser Kevin Kamen. By February of this year, he’d adjusted his estimate down to $63 million, just $7 million off the actual price Henry paid. (Kamen was similarly on target in guessing how much Tribune Co. would sell Newsday for; Cablevision CVC +5.2% paid $650 million for it in 2008.)
Even as recently as February, the Times Co. had an offer on the table worth more than $100 million from former Globe president Rick Daniels and Boston Post Partners. Such a sale would have rid the Times of the pension liabilities and also satisfied the goal of returning the Globe to local ownership.
In the end, getting value for the Massachusetts assets was less important than the larger strategic goal of reorienting the Times Co. around a single global brand. The Globe was the last thing standing in the way of that. With the distractions dealt with once and for all, it’s time to see if publisher Arthur Sulzberger and CEO Mark Thompson truly have a vision for bringing The New York Times back to growth.
Richner Communications to acquire L&M Publications
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
Publishers Clifford and Stuart Richner announced July 10 that Richner Communications has agreed to acquire L&M Publications, a Long Island weekly newspaper group that includes Merrick Life, Bellmore Life, The Freeport-Baldwin Leader and The Wantagh-Seaford Citizen. Both Richner Communications and L&M are privately held companies, and terms of the sale were not announced.
The sale is expected to close this quarter. Baldwin’s Kevin Kamen brokered the deal.
Stuart Richner said the acquisition will serve to expand the reach of the Herald Community Newspapers, Richner Communications’ 15-paper group, across the South Shore and solidify its place as the Town of Hempstead’s number-one community news outlet.
“It’s a strategically sound move for us,” said Cliff Richner. “It strengthens our presence in the Freeport, Merrick and Bellmore communities and extends our reach eastward into Wantagh and Seaford, something we have been wanting to do for some time. It will enable us to better meet the needs of our advertisers.”
“It is great to be a part of Richner Communications and watch the company grow throughout the years,” said Rhonda Glickman, RCI’s vice president of sales. “This new acquisition will give us even greater strength. I look forward to meeting people in our new territories.”
L&M’s flagship newspaper, Merrick Life, was founded in 1938. Faith and Johannes Laursen, both daily newspaper journalists, purchased Merrick Life in 1958, later adding Bellmore Life, The Freeport-Baldwin Leader and The Wantagh-Seaford Citizen to their newspaper mix. Their daughter, Linda Toscano, has led the papers for many years as publisher, while her brother, Paul Laursen, has served as editor.
Linda Toscano said, “We want to thank all of our staff, our family of subscribers as well as our advertisers and community activists for 55 years. Together, we helped make a difference, raising railroad tracks, founding needed social services and cultural organizations, preserving land for future generations, building better business districts, informing voters and chronicling the very fabric of our lives. We trust our newspapers will each continue to be ‘the glue that helps hold a community together and the spur that helps keep it moving forward.’
“How do we know this? Because the Richner family also has its roots steeped in printer’s ink. Like my father, Cliff Richner is a former president of the New York Press Association, the professional organization that has kept community journalism alive in New York State. Herald Community Newspapers are the second largest employers of print journalists on Long Island. They are also out front in online journalism with responsible news reporting.”
Paul Laursen added, “We have always admired the professionalism and community service of the Herald newspapers and considered them worthy competitors who share our goals. We can count on Stuart and Clifford to ably continue our decades-long efforts to serve these South Shore communities.”
Cliff Richner offered high praise for the Laursen family. “I’ve always admired their fierce independence and devotion to their local communities,” he said. “Faith Laursen was a force of nature in Merrick and Bellmore, and someone I considered a mentor when I came to the community newspaper business. “We hope to continue and strengthen their tradition of community leadership,” Richner added.
Herald Community Newspapers have their own strong tradition of independent-minded journalism, with an intensely local focus. The papers have long been known for their top-quality journalism and advertising, as well as their political independence. The Heralds have won hundreds of awards from local, state and national press associations in recent years, often for their outspoken stands on community issues.
In the past 20 years, the Heralds have taken home the New York Press Association’s most prestigious honor, its annual Community Leadership Award, a dozen times. Whether fighting to close a polluting power plant or to preserve Long Island’s dwindling open spaces and scenic wetlands, the Heralds have frequently been cited as a catalyst for community action.
Also a family affair, Richner Communications was founded by Robert and Edith Richner, parents of the current publishers, with the purchase of the Nassau Herald, which serves the Five Towns, and the Rockaway Journal in 1964. The papers trace their roots to the founding of the Journal 1n 1883.
In addition to the 15 Herald Newspapers, Garden City-based Richner Communications publishes The Oyster Bay Guardian, The Jewish Star and The Riverdale Press in the Bronx, and their affiliated websites. The company also publishes PrimeTime Xpress, a weekly shopping guide with 10 editions on the South Shore, and Xpress Coups, a quarterly coupon book. Richner’s printing division is a leading commercial printer of newspapers and periodicals in the greater New York area. The Richners are also principal owners of Broadstreet Media, which publishes weekly newspapers and shoppers in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Jersey, and the New Jersey Marketeer, a shopping publication in northern New Jersey.
August 4,2011
Express Newspaper of Mechanicville, NY Sold; Kamen & Co. Group Services Negotiates Deal
Uniondale, NY – Kathleen F. and Gary J. McNall, owners of The Express newspaper, a weekly paid branded title, based in Mechanicville, NY have sold their newspaper to Cindy and Thomas Mahoney. The Mahoneys have 25 years of publishing experience and are very excited to own the respected newspaper in Saratoga County. The closing was July 28, 2011. The McNalls owned and operated the newspaper since 1997. The Express reaches approximately 10,000 readers weekly primarily in the Mechanicville, Stillwater and Schaghticoke areas of upstate, New York. Kevin Kamen, President of Kamen & Co. said, “We were delighted to secure a qualifed buyer for this wonderful weekly newspaper and wish both families the best of luck in the future. It was an honor to represent Kathleen and Gary McNall in this sale.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Kamen & Co. Brokers Deal as the Queens Courier Expands Into Brooklyn
February 4, 2011
Victoria and Josh Schneps, publishers of The Queens Couriers, in New York, celebrating 25 years, have acquired Brooklyn’s Home Reporter/Sunset News and the Brooklyn Spectator group of weekly newspapers.
This will be the media company’s groundbreaking foray into Brooklyn, establishing a firm foundation for growth throughout the borough. Kevin Kamen, president/CEO of Kamen & Co Group Services of Baldwin, New York, a leading print & digital media appraisal and brokerage firm, brokered the sale.
“Bay Ridge and its environs are some of Brooklyn’s premier neighborhoods, and the Home Reporter-Spectator is one of the borough’s oldest, most respected and successful newspaper chains,” explained new owners Victoria and Josh Schneps, who will be co-publishers of the titles, a position they also hold at the Queens group.
Veteran Brooklyn journalist Kenneth Brown, for 28 years the editor-in-chief of Courier-Life Publications and then CNG Publications, has assumed the role at the Bay Ridge-based Home Reporter-Brooklyn Spectator papers.
He will be working with longtime Home Reporter-Spectator staff writer Paula Katinas, Along with Katinas, the entire staff of the Brooklyn-based chain remains intact and integral to the continuing success of the papers – and excited about the bright future this acquisition holds for the publications. The building at 3rd Avenue and 88th Street remains the headquarters for the newspapers.
Within the next weeks and months, readers will find a revitalization and expansion of their hometown community newspapers. You’ll see more content, a current and visually pleasing re-design, and more color for photos and graphics.
“We will create a strong web presence and establish even greater community involvement. But the heart of the papers will remain intact: local news and issues of interest to the community.
“Perhaps most important, we are looking to the community to partner with us in this revitalization,” said co-publisher Josh Schneps. “We want you to help us expand the coverage of the Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator. We want your input; we want to hear of people, places, issues and events of importance to you. From a Bay Ridge social column, to a nightclub reporter, to insider politics and an inside look on Bay Ridge’s beautiful homes, we are looking for ideas, writers, photographers and columnists who can join us in this venture.”
Madavor Media Acquires Award-winning Fairways & Greens
February 5,2010
(Long Island, N.Y.) Madavor Media continues a recent string of acquisitions with the purchase of Fairways & Greens magazine, a bimonthly publication covering golf, travel and lifestyle for the American West and beyond. FG Magazine joins forces with Madavor´s Northeast Golf, which brings readers the most up-to-date information about people, places and events in the Northeast golf market.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to expand our portfolio with this award-winning publication”, says Jeffrey C. Wolk, Chairman and CEO of Madavor Media. ”Because of our experience and industry partnerships, we are now well-positioned to serve golf enthusiasts on both coasts.”
During the magazine´s 13-year history, Fairways & Greens has grown into a vibrant publication, outliving nearly all of its direct competitors while racking up national honors including the 2006 Folio Award for Best Consumer Magazine Redesign and International Network of Golf awards ranging from Best Golf Travel Writing (2005 and 2007) to Best Golf Photography (2008) and Best Golf Illustration (2007, 2008). In addition, FG Magazine´s Vic Williams was honored with Best Golf Competition Writing for his analysis of Tiger Woods´ historic 2008 U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines, topping writers from publications such as Golfweek and Sports Illustrated.
“Madavor Media is the perfect new home for FG Magazine”, Williams says. ´It is a successful, growing publisher with resources that will enable FG to grow in the coming decade. Having such a strong partnership in place gives us a wealth of new tools to build on the success we´ve worked hard for since the magazine began in 1997.” Both Williams, who will serve as Executive Editor, and Creative Director Darin Bunch will remain with the magazine and www.fgmagazine.com website to maintain continuity and connection within the golf community.
”We´ve always known FG Magazine could be something truly special”, Bunch says. “And now, as part of the Madavor team of sports- and hobby-themed publications, we have an opportunity to build the brand into what we´ve always known it can be.”
Madavor Media publishes other titles and manages trade shows that are No. 1 in their respective fields in the sports, music and enthusiast markets. Through its print and digital magazines, trade shows, websites, e-mail newsletters and other partnerships across the publishing industry, Madavor offers unique ways to communicate with passionate consumers who are eager to learn more about products and events that support their interests. And now, with both FG Magazine and Northeast Golf, the company sees potential to reach golf travelers as never before.
The first issue of FG Magazine under Madavor´s direction will be the March-April 2010 magazine, scheduled to hit newsstands in mid-March. The title will be published on a traditional bimonthly calendar, with subsequent issues scheduled for May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December and January-February.
“In each issue of FG Magazine, we will deliver the golf travel information that readers and advertisers have come to expect from this acclaimed publication”, says Madavor Media´s VP/Group Publisher Susan Fitzgerald. “And with our experience in circulation, distribution, production, digital editions and promotion, we plan on expanding FG´s reach to new golfers and travelers throughout the West and beyond.” Kamen & Co Group Services of New York brokered the sale (info@KamenGroup.com)
For more information, contact:
Joan Lynch
Director, Madavor Media
www.madavor.com
617-706-9080
Vic Williams
Executive Editor, Fairways & Greens
www.fgmagazine.com
775-745-3190
Fingerstyle Guitar and Bassics Magazines Sold; Brokered by Kamen & Co.
Baldwin, New York – July, 2009
Mark Hausser, President/CEO of Progressive Communications & Graphics of Rochester, New York has acquired Fingerstyle Guitar and Bassics Magazines from MI Media’s Lowell Blankfort and Ron Garant. Kamen & Co Group Services of New York (www.KamenGroup.com) brokered the sale.
Progress Newspapers of Pennsylvania Sold To United Publishing,LLC of New Jersey
Baldwin, New York – June, 2009
Matthew Petersohn of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania has sold the nearly 60 year old family owned and operated Progress Newspapers, Inc to Mark Barry of United Publishing, LLC of Kingston, New Jersey. The newspapers are The Bucks County Tribune, Montgomery County Progress, Sunday Telegraph and The Far Northeast Citizen-Sentinel. Kamen & CO. Group Services of New York (www.KamenGroup.com) brokered the sale.
Kamen & CO. Brokers Sale of Tampa Based Senior Voice of Florida Newspaper
Baldwin, New York – June, 2009
Lisa and Rick Parsons have sold the 29 year old monthly Senior Voice of Florida newspaper to Senior Publishing and Meetings, Inc. of Lutz, Florida. Todd Goldman is the new publisher. The monthly is distributed free of charge and is circulated in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties. Kamen & CO. Group Services of New York (www.KamenGroup.com) brokered the sale.
Construction Guide Magazine sold to COLE Publishing
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Baldwin, NY – Construction Guide Magazine, a twice per month niche magazine that is headquartered in Minnesota and distributed via mail to contractors and landscapers in seven states in the Upper Midwest has been sold to COLE Publishing of Three Lakes, Wisconsin, publisher of five highly respected trade publications.
The deal was brokered by Kevin Kamen, President/CEO of the New York based print & digital media appraisal and brokerage firm Kamen & Co Group Services (WWW.KAMENGROUP.COM). Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Kamen & Co. Group Services To Spearhead Multi-Part Publishing/Dm Survey
Monday, November 26, 2007
Baldwin,NY- Kamen & Co. Group Services (WWW.KAMENGROUP.COM) will embark on a multi-part publishing leadership survey in early 2008 involving over 500 Newspaper, Magazine, Shopper, Directory, Direct, Interactive and Database Marketers in the United States, Canada, Europe and throughout Latin & South America. Leaders who serve as Chairman, President, Publisher, General Manager or Director of Human Resources will be selected and invited to participate. Kamen & Co, a leading print & digital media valuation and brokerage firm that services clients from across the globe, hopes to discover the greatest challenges facing the print-media and direct interactive database industry collectively and plans to sponsor an e-based publishing platform in the near future that will address these issues and assist all publishing and direct mail executives. In making this announcement, Kevin B. Kamen, Chairman & CEO of Kamen & Co, based in New York, said, “We hope to use our latest technology and in-house resources to extend and reach out to this leadership group. Our media valuation team will then target and assist our primary network of clients with content that builds publishing infrastructures and enhances leading online and offline local, national and international search business.”
Kamen & Co. Group Services To Develop e-learning Valuation Media Platforms – afcp’s Newsletter – Monday, September 03, 2007
Baldwin, NY – Kamen & Co. Group Services, a leading provider of print & digital media valuations to US, Canadian, European, Latin and South American publishing companies, announced today that they will begin to establish an e-learning Valuation Platform that will become an educational tool for all business and management departments at publishing entities which will assist in guiding and monitoring the fiscal status of the media organization. This system will distinguish the major departments at publishing companies and will provide powerful capabilities that enable publishing organizations to develop and manage content and assess expenditures on a quarterly basis.
Kevin B. Kamen, President/CEO of Kamen & Co. stated, “We are constantly hearing from publishing executives and their ownership groups that they require our firm to assist them structurally with fiscal concepts and long-plan impact studies.The availability of this e-learning platform that we have created internally will assist all our clients on a global basis and enable them to keep engaged with our professional staff online. This program, the first of its kind in the media industry, will help extend valuation capabilities and will foster a deeper connection between our firm and all clientele.”
Kamen & Co. expands to Latin and South America – The Independent Publisher – August 2007
It was announced today that Kamen & Co. Group Services, the leading print & digital media valuation firm in the United States, who already services Canadian and European publishing companies, will begin providing financial media valuations and business plans to the Latin and South American publishing community. “We’re proud to be able to help these publishers and their ownership groups with financial appraisals of their media institutions and we’re delighted that we’ve been requested to assist them” stated Kevin B. Kamen, President and CEO of New York based Kamen & Co.
Kamen & Co. Group Services financially values magazines, newspapers, shoppers, websites, directories, listing companies, catalogs, direct mail, b2b direct and fulfillment organizations.
BtoB Daily News Alert
Kamen & Co. expands services to include online and offline channels
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Baldwin, N.Y.—Kamen & Co. Group Services, a print media appraisal and brokerage company, announced it has expanded its international and domestic media valuation services to include online channels. Kevin B. Kamen, president-CEO, said the move reflects changes in media consumption and his company’s intent to adapt to those changing needs on behalf of clients.
Kamen & Co. negotiates sale of sports directory
Friday, August 19, 2005
BALDWIN, NY- Skater’s Edge Sourcebook, the world famous 550-page ice skating directory that focuses on ice rinks, hockey skates, boots & blades, videos, books, apparel, construction companies, suppliers and manufacturers has been sold to Covey Communications of Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Covey Communications currently publishes Convention South, Sports Events and Condo Owner Magazines. Alice Berman, the founder and publisher of Skater’s Edge Sourcebook, has been retained by Covey Communications to assist with the expansion and further development of the title.
Kevin Kamen, owner of Kamen & Co. Group Services (www.kamengroup.com) a print & digital media appraisal and brokerage firm headquartered on Long Island, represented The Ice Skating Resource Guide of Kensington, Maryland. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Appraisals – Custom Brokering – Expert Valuation Witness – Formal Business Plans
Operating Analysis – Feasibility Studies – Staff Training – Restructuring
Labor Negotiations