overview

landmarks

     landmarks

This chronology is indicative only. Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline.

1868 Minneapolis Tribune, predecessor of Star Tribune, launched in Minneapolis

1878 Minneapolis Journal launched

1903 banker Gardner Cowles Sr buys Des Moines morning Register & Leader

1908 buys Des Moines evening Tribune

1915 Des Moines Register & Leader becomes Register

1926 Buffalo Courier and Buffalo Express merge as Courier-Express

1931 Cowles family buys W9CNF Cedar Rapids (founded 1922)

1934 buys WMT Cedar Rapids (founded 1922

1935 buys Minneapolis Daily Star

1937 Gardner Cowles launches Look magazine

1938 Cowles Broadcasting Co buys radio WNAX Yankton

1939 Cowles family buys Minneapolis Journal

1941 Cowles family buys Minneapolis Tribune

1946 sells New York station WHOM to Generoso Pope

1950 Fleur Cowles founds Flair magazine

1951 Flair closes

1958 radio WNAX Yankton sold to Peoples Broadcasting Corp

1971 NY Times buys Cowles Communications (inc Family Circle and Look magazines, Cambridge Book Company, Memphis tv station and regional newspapers) for US$67m

1977 Cowles buys Buffalo Courier-Express

1980 MacArthur Foundation and Atlantic Richfield establish Harper's Magazine Foundation, which takes over Harpers for US$250,000

1982 Des Moines Tribune ceases

1982 Buffalo Courier-Express ceases

1982 merger of Minneapolis Tribune, Journal and Star as the Star Tribune

1985 Cowles Media sells Des Moines Register and papers in Independence, Indianola and Jackson to Gannett

1985 Washington Post buys 28% of Cowles

1994 Cowles buys Cable World and Cable Avails

1995 Cowles buys Simba Business Information

1998 McClatchy buys Star Tribune and other Cowles Media assets from Cowles family for US$1.4bn

1999 McClatchy sells Cowles Media's magazine and book publishing interests (25 enthusiast titles, 11 technical/trade titles and 15 trade shows) to Primedia and others for US$208m



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