Lake County Record-Bee

What Lake County Record-Bee does

Lake County Record-Bee is a local newspaper serving Lake County, California, founded in 1961 and headquartered in Lakeport. It operates as a portfolio property of MediaNews Group, Inc. (d.b.a. Digital First Media), a privately held media conglomerate. The publication produces hyperlocal news, sports, business, outdoors, crime and courts, health, obituaries, and opinion coverage targeted at Lake County residents and the surrounding North Coast region.

Its core product is the record-bee.com digital news platform, built on WordPress.com VIP and the BLOX Content Management System from TownNews.com. The product surface includes an e-Edition digital replica of the print newspaper (enewspaper.record-bee.com), a standalone classifieds marketplace for housing, autos, jobs, and local business listings (classifieds.record-bee.com), email newsletters, dedicated branded/sponsored content, "Best Reviews" product recommendation content, and themed special sections (including World Cup 2026 coverage). Content distribution is augmented via AP wire syndication, Press Democrat regional content sharing, and social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X). The physical print edition remains an active distribution channel for subscribers.

The business model combines subscription revenue (digital access at a heavily promotional $2-for-2-years Standard Digital rate, plus separate print and e-Edition subscriptions), display and sponsored-content advertising (sold via NorCal Audience Solutions and Brandpoint), public-notice publishing for local government and legal advertisers, and classifieds transaction fees. Customer segments are overwhelmingly individual local readers and SMB local advertisers within Lake County. With a headcount of 1-10 and reliance on shared corporate infrastructure from MediaNews Group, the publication operates as a hyperlocal unit within a larger media portfolio rather than as an independent enterprise.

Name

Lake County Record-Bee

Legal name

Lake County Record-Bee

Website

https://record-bee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lake County Record-Bee is a local newspaper and digital news platform serving Lake County, California residents since 1961, owned by MediaNews Group, monetizing through digital and print subscriptions, local advertising, public notices, and a classifieds marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakeport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Standard Digital subscription model offering access to online content. Standard Digital pricing at $2 for 2 years promotional rate.
2. Print Subscriptions / e-Edition: E-Edition digital newspaper subscription providing digital replica of print edition
3. Classifieds Marketplace: Classifieds platform for housing, autos, jobs, and local guide listings including North Coast Jobs and real estate sections
4. Display Advertising: Digital advertising through website, sponsored content, branded content partnerships via Brandpoint, and NorCal Audience Solutions for local advertising
5. Public Notices: Publishing public notices section for local government and legal announcements

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lake County Record-Bee publishes hyperlocal news, sports, entertainment, obituaries, and opinion content for Lake County, California residents through its record-bee.com website, e-Edition digital newspaper, and print edition. It also operates a classifieds marketplace for housing, autos, jobs, and local guide listings, and sells digital and display advertising to local and regional businesses.

Product overview

Lake County Record-Bee operates a local news website serving Lake County, California, with its core product being a comprehensive digital news platform. The offering includes the main news website with multiple content sections (News, Sports, Entertainment, Obituaries, Opinion, Advertising), supplemented by an e-Edition for digital newspaper access, a classifieds marketplace for housing, autos, and jobs, digital subscription services, Best Reviews for product recommendations, Special Sections for themed content, and Branded Content for sponsored articles. The site is owned by MediaNews Group and powered by WordPress.com VIP with BLOX Content Management System from TownNews.com.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Digital Subscription A paid digital subscription product that grants individual Lake County residents access to premium news content, digital features, and newsletters on record-bee.com. Sold on a recurring annual basis with promotional introductory pricing.
• e-Edition Digital Newspaper A digital replica of the printed Lake County Record-Bee newspaper that subscribers can read online. Sold as a separate subscription product from Standard Digital access.
• Classifieds Marketplace An online classified advertising platform that lets individuals and local businesses post paid listings for housing, vehicles, jobs, and a local business directory serving Lake County.
• Print Edition Newspaper The physical print edition of the Lake County Record-Bee, distributed to subscribers in Lake County with content covering local news, sports, obituaries, opinion, and advertising.
• Display and Branded Content Advertising Paid advertising products including website display ads and sponsored/branded editorial content, sold to local businesses seeking reach among Lake County readers.
• Public Notices Publishing A paid publishing service that places legal and government public notices on the Lake County Record-Bee website and print edition, serving government agencies, attorneys, and legal filers.
• Email Newsletter Subscriptions A free or sign-up based email newsletter product that delivers curated Lake County news, breaking news, and daily updates to opted-in readers.

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MediaNews GroupcoreOthersMediaNews Group (d.b.a. Digital First Media) is the parent company owning Lake County Record-Bee. Provides centralized technology, advertising networks, and corporate infrastructure including privacy policies, terms of use, and arbitration procedures.
• TownNews.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationTownNews.com provides the BLOX Content Management System powering the record-bee.com website, classifieds platform, and digital publishing infrastructure.
• NorCal Audience SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal advertising sales representative for Lake County Record-Bee handling regional advertising inquiries and solutions for local businesses.
• Associated PressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSyndicated wire content provider supplying national and international news stories, photos, and breaking news coverage to supplement local journalism.
• BrandpointminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContent marketing service providing sponsored/paid content for Branded Content section of the website.
• Press DemocratminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional newspaper partner sharing staff and content including reporting from Martin Espinoza and Dan Taylor covering North Bay regional topics.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Napa Valley Register: Regional newspaper serving Napa County, California. Comparable community newspaper operating in a similar Northern California regional market with the same subscription and advertising-driven revenue model and digital-first publishing approach.
• Ukiah Daily Journal: Daily newspaper serving Mendocino County, California (adjacent to Lake County). Similar small-market community newspaper with comparable revenue streams (subscriptions, classifieds, display ads, public notices) and operational scale, making it a tightly comparable peer for valuation and benchmarking.
• Press Democrat: Regional newspaper serving Sonoma County, California, and an active content partner sharing reporting staff with Record-Bee. Covers an adjacent Northern California market with a similar subscription, classifieds, and display advertising model, making it the most directly comparable local newspaper peer.
• The Reporter: Daily newspaper serving Vacaville and Solano County, California. Comparable community newspaper with the same subscription and advertising model and similar small-to-medium California market footprint, useful for operational and digital subscription benchmarking.
• Times-Standard: Daily newspaper serving Humboldt County on California's North Coast. Similar small-market regional newspaper operating with a comparable business model, providing relevant benchmarks for subscription pricing, ad sales, and operational costs in similar geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Tribune Publishing: Major U.S. newspaper chain (now owned by Alden Global Capital, same parent ownership as MediaNews Group) operating metro and regional papers. Comparable subscription and advertising model across many local markets with relevant operational benchmarks.
• Hearst Newspapers: Major newspaper division operating large dailies including the San Francisco Chronicle. Comparable in the California market with overlapping state-level news coverage and a similar subscription-driven digital business model at greater scale.
• Lee Enterprises: Large U.S. newspaper chain operating dozens of mid-size daily newspapers across multiple states. Directly comparable in serving local markets with subscription and advertising revenue models, providing relevant valuation and operational benchmarks.
• Gannett: Largest U.S. newspaper chain operating hundreds of local papers including the USA Today Network. Operates broadly across small and mid-size markets with overlapping subscription and advertising models, providing scale benchmarks for ad networks, subscription technology, and operational efficiency.

Emerging players

• CalMatters: Digital-first nonprofit California news organization. While focused on state-level policy rather than hyperlocal news, it represents the digital-native model competing for California news audience attention and a portion of state-level digital advertising dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RecordBee
• Facebookfacebook.com/recordbee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/record-bee-newspaper-home-del

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Lake County Record-Bee