BankNews Media
BankNews Media is a niche trade media company publishing daily digital news, a print magazine, a weekly newsletter, and video content focused on the U.S. community banking industry, primarily serving Midwest and Central-state bankers and advertisers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersEden Prairie, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What BankNews Media does
BankNews Media operates a niche trade media portfolio serving the U.S. community banking industry, with a concentration on the Midwest and Central states. The core product is BankNews.com, a digital news platform delivering daily coverage of regulatory developments, M&A activity, personnel moves, ag banking, and industry opinion, complemented by BankBeat Magazine in both print and digital formats. The portfolio also includes the Pulse weekly electronic newsletter (reaching nearly 13,500 subscribers), the BankNews.com Conversations video series, and four annual honors programs (Banker of the Year, Rising Stars in Banking, Amazing Outside Directors, and Outstanding Women in Banking) sponsored by industry partners including Bell Bank, Winthrop & Weinstine, and United Bankers' Bank. The business is owned and operated by NFR Communications, Inc., a privately held media company founded in 1992 and led by Tom Bengtson, with Sam Wilmes as digital managing editor and offices in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Mission, Kansas. Underlying technology is the Quintype digital publishing platform, with revenue generated primarily through digital display advertising (horizontal banner at $750/month and horizontal rectangle at $600/month) and a freemium subscription model featuring a metered paywall on premium content.
BankNews Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BankNews Media
- Legal name
- NFR Communications, Inc.
- Website
- https://banknews.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BankNews Media is a niche trade media company publishing daily digital news, a print magazine, a weekly newsletter, and video content focused on the U.S. community banking industry, primarily serving Midwest and Central-state bankers and advertisers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BankNews Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Media & Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers (MPAJADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ), Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)
Keywords
Where BankNews Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eden Prairie
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
BankNews Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Digital advertising: BankNews.com sells display advertising in two formats: Horizontal Banner (728x90 pixels) at $750 per month and Horizontal Rectangle (300x250 pixels) at $600 per month. Ads typically link to advertiser landing pages and can begin at any time.
- Subscription/paid content: The site operates a freemium model with premium content requiring subscription. The weekly Pulse newsletter reaches nearly 13,500 subscribers. Premium stories are limited with messaging such as 'You can still access 4 more articles for free' indicating metered paywall.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Horizontal Banner Ad placement |
| Subscription | Monthly | Horizontal Rectangle Ad placement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
BankNews Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BankNews Media publishes daily community banking news and insights through BankNews.com, a digital platform covering regulatory developments, M&A activity, personnel changes, and industry trends with emphasis on the Midwest and Central United States. The company also operates BankBeat Magazine in print and digital formats, the Pulse weekly electronic newsletter, and the BankNews.com Conversations video series.
Product overview
BankNews Media operates a multi-platform news and information portfolio serving the community banking industry. The core offering consists of BankNews.com, a daily digital news platform delivering community banking news and insights, complemented by BankBeat Magazine in both print and digital formats. Additional offerings include the Pulse weekly electronic newsletter and BankNews.com Conversations, a video series featuring industry interviews and event coverage. The company also runs targeted honors programs recognizing banking professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BankNews.com A digital news platform providing daily community banking news and insights, with emphasis on the Midwest and Central states, featuring fresh content posted every business day covering regulatory updates, M&A activity, personnel changes, and industry trends.
- BankBeat Magazine
Companies that use BankNews Media
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BankNews Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BankNews Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bell BankcoreBell Bank serves as the sponsor for the annual Banker of the Year program, which honors bank presidents or chairs who have positively shaped the industry or made significant impact. Bell Bank is a Fargo, N.D.-based community bank.
- Winthrop & WeinstinecoreWinthrop & Weinstine serves as sponsor for the Amazing Outside Directors program (profiling directors who contribute to community bank governance) and the Outstanding Women in Banking program (recognizing bankers from tellers to presidents).
- United Bankers' BankcoreUnited Bankers' Bank (UBB) serves as sponsor for the Rising Stars in Banking program, which honors mid-career banking professionals poised for significant industry contributions.
- William Mills AgencyminorBankNews.com partnered with William Mills Agency (Atlanta-based fintech executive search firm) to gather industry predictions for the second half of 2026, featuring responses from fintech leaders on AI adoption and banking trends.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
BankNews Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BankNews Media social profiles
Digital presenceBankNews Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BankNews Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
BankNews Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BankNews Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BankNews Media
What does BankNews Media do?
BankNews Media publishes daily community banking news and insights through BankNews.com, a digital platform covering regulatory developments, M&A activity, personnel changes, and industry trends with emphasis on the Midwest and Central United States. The company also operates BankBeat Magazine in print and digital formats, the Pulse weekly electronic newsletter, and the BankNews.com Conversations video series.
Is BankNews Media a public or private company?
BankNews Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BankNews Media founded?
BankNews Media was founded in 1992. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is BankNews Media based?
BankNews Media is headquartered in Eden Prairie, United States, in the North America region.
How does BankNews Media make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Digital advertising is the primary driver. The others are subscription/paid content.
Does BankNews Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for BankNews Media.
What industry is BankNews Media in?
BankNews Media's product category is Trade Media & Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAC, Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers, with a secondary code of MPAJADAJ, Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.