What Shaw Suburban Media does

Shaw Media is a privately held, family-owned local media company headquartered at 7717 South Illinois Route 31, Crystal Lake, Illinois, founded in 1851. It is the third-oldest continuously owned and operated family newspaper company in the United States and ranks as the eighth-largest newspaper publisher in the nation, operating approximately 80 newspapers and news websites across Northern Illinois and Central Iowa alongside 12 radio stations in Illinois. The company delivers hyperlocal news, sports, and community content to residents and local businesses through three coordinated product lines: print and digital newspaper titles (Northwest Herald, Herald-News, Daily Chronicle, Kane County Chronicle, Daily Journal, Sauk Valley Media, plus acquired titles), the ShawLocal.com digital platform (redesigned in August 2025 for mobile-first community-centric access), and Shaw Local Radio. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring print newspaper subscriptions, digital and print advertising sold primarily to local small and mid-sized businesses, and advertising-supported radio broadcasting. The go-to-market model is community-led, with locally embedded reporters driving audience trust through coverage of municipal government, schools, sports, and community events.

Technology infrastructure centers on a multi-platform content management system supporting print composition, digital publishing, and broadcast radio operations across a unified editorial umbrella (ShawLocal, Shaw Media Marketing, Shaw Local Radio). Distribution combines direct-to-consumer print and digital subscriptions with field sales for SMB advertising clients. Since 2023, Shaw has executed an aggressive, internally funded acquisition cadence — adding the Illinois Valley radio cluster (2023), three Sauk Valley stations from NRG Media (May 2024), the Daily Journal in Kankakee (October 2024), four News Media Corp. titles (August 2025), and three Kankakee stations from STARadio Corp. (June 2026) — without any disclosed external funding rounds. Leadership is anchored by President and CEO John Rung, Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer J. Tom Shaw, Executive Editor M. Eileen Brown, and a reorganized editorial bench that since 2023 has included former Chicago Tribune senior editors Diana Wallace and Mark Hume.

Name

Shaw Suburban Media

Legal name

Shaw Media

Website

https://shawmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Shaw Media is a privately held, family-owned local media company founded in 1851, operating approximately 80 newspapers, the ShawLocal.com digital platform, and 12 radio stations across Northern Illinois and Central Iowa, serving community readers and local SMB advertisers with hyperlocal news, sports, and marketing solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper and Broadcast Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Community journalism
• Digital news platforms
• Radio broadcasting
• Local marketing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

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 Newspapers: Traditional print newspaper publication and sales across multiple northern Illinois and Iowa communities
2. Digital Advertising: Online advertising through ShawLocal.com and digital platforms
3. Radio Broadcasting: 12 radio stations across Illinois generating advertising revenue

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shaw Media operates a multi-platform local media business that publishes community newspapers, runs the ShawLocal.com digital news platform, and broadcasts across 12 radio stations in Illinois. The company also sells advertising and marketing services to local and regional businesses through Shaw Media Marketing, reaching audiences across Northern Illinois and Central Iowa via print, online, and broadcast channels.

Product overview

Shaw Media operates as a diversified local media company offering a platform-plus-channels model. The core offering centers on ShawLocal.com as the primary digital hub providing 24/7 local news coverage, supplemented by a portfolio of regional print newspapers (Northwest Herald, Herald-News, Daily Journal, Daily Chronicle, Kane County Chronicle, Sauk Valley Media) and Shaw Local Radio broadcasting 12 stations across Illinois. The company also provides marketing services through Shaw Media Marketing. The portfolio was expanded through strategic acquisitions including the Daily Journal (2024) and four northern Illinois newspapers from News Media Corp. (2025). The August 2025 redesign of ShawLocal.com unified the digital experience across all properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ShawLocal.com: Digital news platform serving northern Illinois communities
• Shaw Media Marketing

Products and services

• ShawLocal.com Primary digital news platform providing 24/7 local news coverage across northern Illinois communities, featuring community-specific content sections and a mobile-optimized reading experience.
• Shaw Local Radio Radio broadcasting division operating 12 stations across Illinois including WKAN, WXNU, WYKT, WIXN, WRCV, WSEY, and WALS, offering music, news, and community content across 6 different radio brands.
• Northwest Herald Newspaper serving McHenry County communities with print and digital editions, recognized for sports coverage including APSE Top 10 award for Bears vs Packers game reporting.
• The Herald-News Newspaper serving Joliet and Will County with print and digital editions, including the annual Herald Angels charitable campaign supporting United Way of Will County.
• Daily Journal Historic newspaper serving the Kankakee community since 1903, acquired by Shaw Media in October 2024, covering Kankakee County and surrounding counties with print and digital editions.
• Daily Chronicle Newspaper serving DeKalb County with print and digital editions, leading Shaw publications with six first-place awards in the small daily newspaper competition.
• Kane County Chronicle Newspaper serving Kane County communities including Geneva, St. Charles, and Batavia with print and digital editions.
• Sauk Valley Media Newspaper group serving the Sauk Valley area including Sterling, Dixon, and Rock Falls, with paired radio stations WIXN and River Country 101.7.
• Acquired Northern Illinois Newspapers Four northern Illinois newspapers acquired in August 2025 from News Media Corp.: The Rochelle News-Leader, The Mendota Reporter, Ogle County Life, and The Amboy News.
• Shaw Media Marketing Full-service local marketing solutions division providing advertising and promotional services to local and regional businesses across Shaw's print, digital, and broadcast media platforms.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• STARadio Corp.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Shaw Media completed purchase of three Kankakee radio stations (101.3 WKAN, 106.5 WXNU, and 105.5 WYKT) from STARadio Corp. Federal Communications Commission approved the purchase in early June 2026. This acquisition expanded Shaw Media's radio portfolio to 12 stations in Illinois.
• Former News Media Corp. EmployeesminorOthers · 1 August 2025Shaw Media acquired four northern Illinois newspapers from News Media Corp. after their abrupt shutdown and planned to hire back many former employees, including at least several from the closed Rochelle News-Leader, Ogle County LIFE, Ashton Gazette, Amboy News, and Mendota Reporter.
• Small Family (Daily Journal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Shaw Media acquired the Daily Journal newspaper in Kankakee from the Small family, who had owned it since Len Small founded it in 1903. Shaw Media committed to continuing the paper's 120+ year legacy of serving the Kankakee community.
• NRG Media, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Shaw Local Radio Company, a subsidiary of Shaw Media, purchased WIXN AM/FM, WRCV FM (River Country 101.7), and WSEY FM (Sky 95.7) from NRG Media LLC. The acquisition expanded Shaw Local Radio to nine stations in Sauk Valley and the Illinois Valley.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MediaNews Group: Owns daily and community newspapers across multiple U.S. regions with a multi-platform local news model. Directly comparable to Shaw Media in newspaper portfolio scale, digital transition efforts, and small/mid-market focus.
• Ogden Newspapers: Family-owned newspaper company operating daily and weekly community publications across multiple states. Directly comparable to Shaw Media in private family stewardship, community-newspaper focus, and multi-platform local news strategy.
• CNHI (Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.): Owns and operates community newspapers and related digital products across the U.S. Highly comparable to Shaw Media's portfolio model of operating multiple community titles with shared back-office and digital infrastructure.
• Lee Enterprises: Publicly traded community newspaper publisher operating daily and weekly papers across the U.S. Midwest, South, and Northeast. Directly comparable to Shaw Media in multi-platform local news, geographic mix (overlapping Illinois/Iowa presence), and acquisition-driven growth strategy.
• Adams Publishing Group: Family-owned regional newspaper and media company operating community papers and digital platforms across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. Closely comparable to Shaw in ownership structure (private family), community newspaper focus, and multi-market regional footprint.

Regional players

• Emmis Communications: Radio broadcasting and local media operator with stations and regional publications. Comparable to Shaw's radio-plus-publishing hybrid, though smaller and more geographically concentrated in select markets.
• Townsquare Media: Operates local radio stations and digital media platforms concentrated in small and mid-sized U.S. markets. Comparable to Shaw's Shaw Local Radio division in local-market radio focus, advertising model, and geographic concentration outside major metros.

Broad incumbents

• Cumulus Media / Westwood One: One of the largest U.S. radio broadcasters with hundreds of stations plus digital audio advertising. Comparable to Shaw Local Radio in ad-supported broadcast audio model, though operating nationally at much greater scale.
• Gannett: Largest U.S. newspaper publisher (USA TODAY network and hundreds of local publications) with national digital reach. Comparable as a scaled multi-platform local news operator, though substantially larger and publicly traded with a different capital structure.
• Hearst Media: Diversified media conglomerate operating newspapers, broadcast television, radio, and digital media businesses. Comparable as a multi-platform local/regional media operator, though substantially larger with a broader portfolio including national magazines and TV.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 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 Shaw Suburban Media