Community Media Group

What Community Media Group does

Community Media Group (CMG) is a privately held, family-controlled multimedia company founded in 1996 and headquartered in West Frankfort, Illinois. The company owns and operates more than 100 daily and weekly newspapers, shoppers, and other print distribution products across six U.S. states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania), alongside a portfolio of 11 owned radio stations concentrated in Illinois and Indiana markets. CMG's digital operations run on the third-party TownNews content management system and include individual newspaper websites and a centralized CMG Network aggregation portal, with combined digital properties reaching over 20 million unique users and 100 million pageviews in 2022.

CMG generates revenue through three primary streams: print publication subscriptions and advertising, radio broadcasting advertising, and digital advertising and marketing services delivered through its wholly-owned Community Media Digital agency. A secondary business line — Community Magazine Group, operating alongside a Community Health sub-brand — produces custom health and wellness magazines, wellness surveys, rewards programs, and benefit guides for employer clients under a turnkey revenue share model. The company maintains a sales-led, enterprise field sales go-to-market motion, with regional publishers managing relationships with local and regional advertisers across multiple states. CMG has grown primarily through acquisitions of distressed or divested newspaper assets, most recently acquiring the Burlington Hawk Eye from Gannett in December 2022.

The company is controlled by the Perrotto family, with Larry J. Perrotto as Chairman since inception and Mark J. Perrotto as President and CEO. No institutional investment, private equity backing, or public listing has been disclosed. Senior management includes executives with prior experience at American Publishing Company, Chicago Sun Times Company, GateHouse Media, Thomson Newspapers, and Community Newspaper Holdings, reflecting deep institutional roots in community newspaper publishing. The broader strategic positioning is that of a roll-up consolidator of regional print and broadcast media assets under structural pressure from larger national publishers divesting small-market properties.

Name

Community Media Group

Legal name

Community Media Group

Website

https://communitymediagroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Media Group is a privately held, family-owned multimedia company operating 100+ newspapers, 11 radio stations, and a digital agency across six U.S. states (IL, IN, IA, MI, NY, PA), serving local readers and advertisers with print, digital, and radio products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Newspaper Publishers (513110), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Community journalism
• Digital advertising services
• Radio broadcasting
• Multimedia content

Headquarters

HQ city

West Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print Publications Revenue: Revenue from daily and weekly newspapers, shoppers, and other print distribution products sold across six states. Includes single-copy sales, subscriptions, and classified advertising.
2. Digital Advertising and Marketing Services: Revenue from Community Media Digital agency services including digital advertising, website development, and online marketing solutions for local businesses.
3. Radio Broadcasting Revenue: Revenue from radio station operations including on-air advertising and promotional partnerships across multiple radio frequencies in Illinois and Indiana markets.
4. Community Magazine Group - Health Publications: Custom health and wellness magazines for employers, including print and digital publications, wellness surveys, rewards programs, engagement tools, health risk assessments, and benefit guides through a turnkey revenue share model.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Community Media Group is a privately held multimedia company that owns and operates more than 100 daily and weekly newspapers, shoppers, and other print distribution products across six U.S. states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania). The company also owns and operates a portfolio of radio stations, a full-service digital agency (Community Media Digital), and a Community Magazine Group division that produces custom health and wellness publications and communication tools for employers.

Product overview

Community Media Group is a privately held multimedia company operating a diversified portfolio of media products across six states. The core offering consists of over 100 daily and weekly newspaper publications, a network of radio stations, and a full-service digital agency (Community Media Digital). The company is structured with two main divisions: the newspaper and radio operations, and the Community Magazine Group/Community Health division which focuses on custom health and wellness communication tools for employers. The products work together to provide comprehensive local news, information, and marketing services to communities while offering health and wellness content solutions to enterprise clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Magazine Group: Division of CMG dedicated to creating custom health and wellness magazines for employers, including print and digital publications, wellness surveys, rewards programs, engagement tools, health risk assessments, and benefit guides.
• Community Health
• Community Media Digital

Products and services

• CMG Newspapers Daily and weekly newspapers, shoppers, and other print distribution products operated across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. The portfolio includes local publications such as The News-Gazette, Burlington Hawk Eye, Finger Lakes Times, Olean Times Herald, Bradford Era, and Clearfield Progress, providing local news, sports, obituaries, and community information to subscribers and single-copy readers.
• Community Media Digital Full-service digital agency providing digital advertising, website development, and online marketing solutions to help local businesses reach consumers in communities served by CMG publications. Offers integrated digital and marketing services including online advertising placements.
• Community Magazine Group A division of CMG dedicated to creating custom health and wellness magazines for employers, large and small, who want to help their employees be healthier. Offers custom communication tools including print and digital publications, wellness surveys, rewards programs, engagement tools, health risk assessments, and benefit guides.
• Community Health Health content services network offering award-winning content through a turnkey revenue share model, syndication platform, and affiliate partnerships for health and wellness communication. Operates as part of Community Magazine Group and targets employer health and wellness clients.
• CMG Radio Stations Owned-and-operated radio station portfolio broadcasting across multiple Illinois and Indiana markets, including NewsTalk1400, 97.5 WHMS, 105.5 WKIO, 107.9 ROOSTER, D102, 1490 WDAN, 94.9 KROCK, 95Q, Y103, 103.3 WSOY, and 1050AM. Generates revenue through on-air advertising and promotional partnerships.
• CMG Network Centralized news aggregation and distribution network that showcases content from all CMG properties, enabling cross-promotion and increased digital reach across the company's portfolio of publications.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bradford Publishing CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Bradford Publishing Company, owned by Vice Chairman John H. Satterwhite, operates the Bradford Era, Olean Times Herald, and Salamanca Press. This represents an affiliated ownership structure where CMG leadership maintains interests in multiple newspaper properties, forming a core part of CMG's regional newspaper group operations.
• TownNews (Bloomerang/TownNews)coreTechnology or IntegrationTownNews provides the content management system and digital publishing platform powering all CMG newspaper websites. The platform enables multi-site management, digital content delivery, and advertising solutions across all CMG properties.
• Dirks, Van Essen & AprilminorOthersMedia merger and acquisition firm that represented Gannett Co., Inc. in the sale of the Burlington Hawk Eye newspaper to Community Media Group. This was a one-time transaction advisory relationship for the acquisition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gannett Co. Largest U.S. newspaper publisher, operator of USA TODAY and hundreds of local titles. Functions as both an industry comparable and a key counterparty (Gannett sold the Burlington Hawk Eye to CMG), making it directly relevant for benchmarking cluster divestitures.
• Tribune Publishing: Major metropolitan newspaper group (Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, etc.) with a portfolio strategy overlapping CMG's local print and digital operations at a different (metro) scale.

Regional players

• Emmis Communications: Radio-focused operator with holdings in select U.S. markets. Relevant peer for CMG's commercial radio broadcasting operations in Illinois and Indiana.

Direct peers

• Boone Newspapers: Family-owned group of community newspapers in the South and Midwest with a focus on small and mid-sized markets. Comparable to CMG in privately held structure and community newspaper acquisition strategy.
• Townsquare Media: Operator of local radio stations and digital marketing platforms in small and mid-sized U.S. markets. Comparable to CMG's radio operations and digital agency arm (Community Media Digital) in serving local advertisers with audio plus digital.
• Ogden Newspapers: Family-owned newspaper company operating daily and weekly community papers across more than a dozen states. Highly comparable in family ownership, multi-state community footprint, and small-market focus.
• Paxton Media Group: Family-owned regional newspaper group with community dailies and weeklies concentrated in the Midwest and South. Directly comparable to CMG in acquisition-driven cluster strategy, local advertising focus, and privately held structure.
• Adams Publishing Group: Privately held operator of community newspapers, shoppers, and digital platforms across the Midwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable to CMG in print-plus-digital model and multi-state community footprint.
• Lee Enterprises: Lee Enterprises is one of the largest U.S. local newspaper groups, operating daily and weekly papers across multiple states. Highly comparable to CMG in print-heavy revenue mix, regional cluster strategy, and small/mid-market footprint, though at significantly larger scale.

Others

• News/Media Alliance: Industry trade association representing newspaper publishers on policy, distribution, and AI-licensing matters. Relevant as an ecosystem/advocacy peer rather than a direct competitor, but materially affects CMG's operating environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-media-group-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Media Group