Kentucky Press Association

What Kentucky Press Association does

Kentucky Press Association, Inc. (KPA) is a nonprofit membership association founded on January 13, 1869, in Frankfort, Kentucky, making it the 10th oldest state press association in the United States. It serves Kentucky's newspaper industry through three interlocking functions: (1) industry advocacy and representation to the Kentucky General Assembly, (2) member services including training, contests, internships, and a statewide directory, and (3) advertising placement and aggregation services operated primarily through its subsidiary Kentucky Press Service (KPS). KPA's product portfolio includes the ARK (Ads Reaching Kentuckians) print display network across 109 newspapers reaching more than 2 million readers weekly, the Banner Ad Network of Kentucky (BANK) covering 37 newspaper websites with 728x90 pixel digital ads, the Statewide Classified Network spanning 86 newspapers, KyPublicNotice.com for public notices, a job listings and resume database platform, the Kentucky Journalism Foundation internship program, and the Earn Your Press Pass journalism training course in partnership with the Kansas Press Association.

The association operates a WordPress-based website (kypress.com) and is staffed by 5 employees: an Executive Director (Tim Timmons, effective March 15, 2026), a Business Assistant, a Controller, the Kentucky Press Advertising Assistant, and the Executive Director Emeritus (David Thompson, who retired after 42 years of service). KPA is governed by a 14-district Board of Directors and an Executive Committee comprising the President (Mike Scogin for 2026), President-Elect (Charles Myrick), Vice President (Allison Shepherd), Treasurer (Bruce Maples), and Past President (Dennis Brown). The organization is structured as a private nonprofit with two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Kentucky Press Service (KPS) for advertising placement and the School of Journalism Foundation of Kentucky, Inc. for education programs. No external investors, parent company, or equity ownership is involved.

KPA generates revenue through a mix of annual membership dues (tied to member newspaper advertising rates, with associate memberships at $450 per calendar year), transaction-based advertising placement commissions via KPS's "one-order, one-bill, one-check" service, and advertising fees on the ARK display network, BANK banner network, Statewide Classified Network (e.g., $250 for 25 words plus $7 per additional word), and State Survey Ads. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization serves a customer base confined to Kentucky, segmented into member newspapers, associate member newspapers, advertisers and advertising agencies, organizations/companies/agencies, and journalism students.

Name

Kentucky Press Association

Legal name

Kentucky Press Association, Inc.

Website

https://kypress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kentucky Press Association is a nonprofit membership trade association founded in 1869 that serves Kentucky's 109 member newspapers through legislative advocacy, training, and a unified advertising placement network (KPS, ARK, BANK, Statewide Classified) reaching more than 2 million readers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Newspaper Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Media Representatives (54184), Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Event PR & Communications Support (BPAFADAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Newspaper trade association
• Membership dues services
• Advertising placement network
• Classified ad network
• Press advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues paid by Kentucky newspapers, based on advertising rates. Associate member newspapers pay dues based on circulation. KPA Associates Division dues are $450 per calendar year.
2. Kentucky Press Service Advertising: One-Order, One-Bill, One-Check advertising placement service. KPS staff calls on advertisers and agencies to place ads in Kentucky newspapers. KPS receives commission from newspaper's national advertising rate. Payments made to member newspapers within 60 days of placement.
3. ARK Network Advertising: Ads Reaching Kentuckians (ARK) network offers 2x2 display advertising across 109 newspapers reaching nearly 2 million readers. Cost structure based on ad size and paper circulation.
4. Banner Ad Network of Kentucky (BANK): Digital banner advertising on 37 newspaper websites across Kentucky. 728x90 pixel ads run for one month on each participating paper's website.
5. Statewide Classified Network: Classified advertising placement across 86 newspapers representing about 2 million readers. Established July 1984.
6. State Survey Ads: Political and public interest advertising placement services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kentucky Press Association is a nonprofit membership trade association serving Kentucky newspapers. It provides membership services, legislative advocacy, and operates the Kentucky Press Service, a unified advertising placement network enabling advertisers to reach 109+ member newspapers statewide through one-order, one-bill, one-check transactions. Its offerings include the ARK display ad network, BANK digital banner network, Statewide Classified Network, and a member directory.

Product overview

The Kentucky Press Association operates a platform-plus-services model serving Kentucky's newspaper industry. Core offerings include the Newspaper Directory listing member publications across 109+ newspapers, and the KY Press Service which provides unified advertising placement across multiple outlets. KY Press Service encompasses three advertising products: the ARK (Ads Reaching Kentuckians) Network for display ads, BANK (Banner Ad Network of Kentucky) for website banner ads, and the Kentucky Statewide Classified Network. Additional services include a Job Listings platform with resume database, the Internship Program connecting students with host newspapers, the Earn Your Press Pass journalism training course, and annual KPA Contests recognizing editorial and advertising excellence at the Winter Convention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kentucky Press Service (KPS): One-Order, One-Bill, One-Check advertising placement service for Kentucky newspapers, operating since January 1984
• Ads Reaching Kentuckians (ARK) Network
• Banner Ad Network of Kentucky (BANK)
• Kentucky Statewide Classified Network
• Earn Your Press Pass
• Kentucky Journalism Foundation Internship Program

Products and services

• Newspaper Directory A comprehensive listing of member newspapers across Kentucky, organized by city, with details including publisher, editor, ad director, publication frequency, contact information, and websites. Serves as the association's primary directory for members, advertisers, and the public.
• Kentucky Press Service (KPS) Advertising placement service that enables advertisers and agencies to reach multiple Kentucky newspapers through a single point of contact with one-order, one-bill, one-check functionality. KPS staff calls on advertisers and agencies to place ads and remits payment to member newspapers within 60 days, retaining a commission on each placement.
• ARK (Ads Reaching Kentuckians) Network A 2x2 display advertising network reaching 841,000+ Kentucky households weekly through 109 participating newspapers, offering cost-effective statewide print coverage with pricing based on ad size and paper circulation.
• BANK (Banner Ad Network of Kentucky) Digital banner advertising network offering 728x90 pixel ads that run for one month on 37 participating newspaper websites across Kentucky, providing digital reach to statewide newspaper audiences.
• Kentucky Statewide Classified Network Classified advertising placement service enabling advertisers to place classified ads in approximately 86 newspapers representing about 2 million readers statewide. Pricing is $250 for 25 words with $7 per additional word.
• State Survey Ads Advertising placement service for state surveys and political/public interest advertising distributed across Kentucky newspapers, enabling advertisers to reach voters and citizens through coordinated newspaper placements.
• Job Listings Online job board service for the newspaper industry, connecting employers with journalism and media professionals, with options to search and filter positions including remote roles.
• Resume Database Self-serve platform for job seekers to submit and manage resumes for consideration by employers in the journalism and media industry, paired with the KPA job board.
• Internship Program Kentucky Journalism Foundation's internship program established in 1993, connecting student interns with host newspapers for up to 400 hours of real-world journalism experience, selected by KPA Past Presidents.
• Earn Your Press Pass Web-based journalism fundamentals course developed by Kansas Press Association, offered free to KPA member newspapers to train new hires in journalism basics.
• KPA Annual Contests Annual editorial and advertising contests recognizing excellence in Kentucky newspapers, including the News Excellence and Advertising Excellence awards judged by South Carolina Press Association members and presented at the Winter Convention.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• South Carolina Press AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SCPA members serve as judges for the annual KPA Excellence in Kentucky Newspapers and Excellence in Kentucky Advertising contests. This cooperative arrangement provides objective third-party evaluation of member newspaper submissions.
• Kentucky Journalism FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kentucky Journalism Foundation operates the Internship Program offered annually since 1993. KPA Past Presidents select Host Newspapers from applications, and host newspapers select student interns for up to 400 hours of newspaper work experience.
• Kansas Press AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPA participates in the Earn Your Press Pass program, a cooperative project launched by the Kansas Press Association. This web-based journalism fundamentals course is offered free to KPA member newspapers.
• Lindsey Young / Kansas Publishing VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLindsey Young, part owner of Kansas Publishing Ventures (four community weekly newspapers in south central Kansas), developed and instructs the Earn Your Press Pass journalism course.
• University Plaza Holiday Inn (Bowling Green)minorOthersConvention venue for KPA events. The association holds its annual winter convention at venues in central Kentucky (Lexington/Louisville area primarily).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kansas Press Association: State press trade association serving Kansas newspapers with membership services and advocacy. KPA directly partners with Kansas Press Association to offer the Earn Your Press Pass program, indicating comparable operating models, products, and member base structure.
• Hoosier State Press Association: Indiana state press association that incoming KPA Executive Director Tim Timmons served on as a board member, vice president and president. Operates the same nonprofit trade-association model for state newspapers.
• South Carolina Press Association: South Carolina state press association that partners with KPA by providing judges for its annual editorial and advertising contests. Same nonprofit state-press-association structure serving member newspapers.
• Tennessee Press Association: Neighboring state press association serving Tennessee newspapers with membership, advertising services, and advocacy — directly comparable in scope, scale, and mission to KPA.
• Ohio News Media Association: Ohio state press association providing membership services, advertising placement, and legislative advocacy for Ohio newspapers — same operating model as KPA but serving a larger newspaper base.

Broad incumbents

• America's Newspapers (formerly Inland Press Association & National Newspaper Association): National trade association for newspapers across the U.S., formed from merger of Inland Press and the National Newspaper Association. Operates as a broader-incumbent umbrella over state associations like KPA, offering national advocacy and services that complement KPA's state-level work.
• Associated Press (state-level news cooperative): National news cooperative whose state and regional member-desk structures parallel KPA's role for Kentucky newspapers, providing wire services, advocacy, and cooperative purchasing — broader in geographic scope but similar trade-body function.

Others

• Alliance for Audited Media: Not-for-profit auditing organization verifying newspaper and other media circulation. A complementary service-provider that KPA's newspaper members depend on, though it does not directly compete with KPA's membership or advertising services.
• Kentucky Broadcasters Association: Kentucky trade association for radio and TV broadcasters — same state-level association structure and parallel mission of advocacy and member services, but serving a different medium rather than competing with KPA.

Emerging players

• Local Media Association: Trade association focused on helping local media companies (including newspapers) develop digital revenue and transformation strategies. Overlaps with KPA in serving newspaper members but with a stronger digital-revenue focus and broader geographic remit.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kypress
• Xx.com/KY_Press

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Kentucky Press Association