Williamson Herald
Williamson Herald is a privately-held local news outlet serving Williamson County, Tennessee, with a weekly print newspaper, a digital site built on BLOX CMS, and a companion lifestyle magazine. It generates revenue primarily from local advertising, subscriptions, and classifieds targeting county residents and small businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersFranklin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Williamson Herald does
Williamson Herald is a privately-held local news outlet founded in 2005 and headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. It serves Williamson County and surrounding communities (including Brentwood, Nolensville, Spring Hill, and Thompson's Station) with hyper-local coverage of news, sports, features, obituaries, public notices, classifieds, and opinion. The company operates a dual-channel model: a print newspaper with a circulation of approximately 10,000 copies distributed through rack locations at major retail chains, and a digital platform at williamsonherald.com that is built on the BLOX Content Management System from BLOX Digital.
The business generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) advertising across print, web, and a Daily Email E-blast product sold in tiered weekly packages priced from $125 to $350, with the E-blast achieving a 20% open rate versus a 12% industry average; (2) recurring print and digital subscriptions, terms of which are not publicly disclosed; and (3) classified advertising spanning real estate, jobs, vehicles, and community announcements. The company is owned by CMD Publishing and remains locally operated, with printing handled by Franklin Web Printing.
Williamson Herald also publishes the companion lifestyle magazine Southern Exposure and runs recurring community programs, including the JMB Scholar-Athlete of the Month (with John Maher Builders) and the Boxwood Insurance Best in Business Award. Distribution is concentrated in a single affluent Tennessee county, with a small team in the 11–50 employee range and no disclosed financial data.
Williamson Herald firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Williamson Herald
- Legal name
- Williamson Herald
- Website
- https://williamsonherald.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Williamson Herald is a privately-held local news outlet serving Williamson County, Tennessee, with a weekly print newspaper, a digital site built on BLOX CMS, and a companion lifestyle magazine. It generates revenue primarily from local advertising, subscriptions, and classifieds targeting county residents and small businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Williamson Herald industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local News Media
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Newsstand & Single-Copy Distribution (MPAJAKAC)
Keywords
Where Williamson Herald is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Franklin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Williamson Herald business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Print and Digital Advertising: Advertising packages combining Daily E-blast emails, website ads, and newspaper print ads. Sold on weekly basis with tiered pricing.
- Subscriptions: Subscription services for newspaper access, both print and digital. Pricing and tiers not publicly disclosed.
- Classifieds: Classified advertising section covering jobs, real estate, vehicles, services, and community announcements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Weekly | Daily E-blast |
| Subscription | Weekly | Daily E-blast plus Web Ad |
| Subscription | Weekly | Daily E-blast/Web/Print Combo |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Williamson Herald product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Williamson Herald publishes local news, sports, features, obituaries, public notices, classifieds, and weather information for Williamson County, Tennessee, through both a printed weekly newspaper (10,000+ circulation) and a digital website (williamsonherald.com). Founded in 2005, the publication operates from Franklin, Tennessee, and is owned by CMD Publishing, monetizing primarily through advertising and subscriptions.
Product overview
Williamson Herald operates as a local digital-first news platform with accompanying print newspaper subscription service for Williamson County, Tennessee. The core product is the williamsonherald.com news website offering comprehensive local coverage across multiple sections (News, Sports, Features, Communities, Opinion, Classifieds, Multimedia). Revenue is generated through advertising products including Daily E-blast email newsletters, web display advertising, and print advertising in the physical newspaper (23,000 circulation). The company also publishes Southern Exposure Magazine as a complementary lifestyle publication and operates community programs such as the JMB Scholar-Athlete recognition and Boxwood Insurance Best in Business Award.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Southern Exposure Magazine: A magazine publication co-published alongside the Williamson Herald, with its own publisher (Cassie Jones) and media kit.
Companies that use Williamson Herald
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Williamson Herald technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Williamson Herald partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- CMD PublishingcoreParent company ownership. CMD Publishing owns the Williamson Herald, which remains locally owned and operated.
- Franklin Web PrintingcoreLocal print partner that prints the Williamson Herald newspaper locally, supporting the locally-owned and operated positioning.
- John Maher BuildersflagshipCo-sponsor of the John Maher-Williamson Herald Scholar Athlete Program, recognizing male and female scholar-athletes from Williamson County high schools monthly. Partnership includes annual banquet and scholarship awards.
- Boxwood InsuranceflagshipTitle sponsor of the Boxwood Insurance Best in Business Award, recognizing exceptional local businesses and customer service in Williamson County. Winner featured in Williamson Herald and honored at ceremony.
- Southern Exposure MagazinecoreRelated publication with shared publisher (Cassie Jones). Co-marketed in media kits and advertising packages.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Williamson Herald competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Patch.com: A digital-first hyperlocal news network with U.S. county-level editions. Comparable as a competitor for local advertisers and readers in Williamson County, representing the digital-only threat to print-led community newspapers.
- The Daily Memphian: A digital-first daily news outlet serving the Memphis metro. Comparable as a Tennessee local news operation monetizing through reader subscriptions and digital advertising rather than print, representing the digital-native model Williamson Herald is gradually shifting toward.
Broad incumbents
- Gannett Co. The largest U.S. newspaper chain, owner of The Tennessean, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, Knoxville News Sentinel, and other Tennessee dailies. Operates as a broad incumbent competitor with centralized sales, classifieds infrastructure, and national advertising reach that Williamson Herald cannot match.
- The Tennessean: The dominant Nashville-metro daily newspaper, owned by Gannett. Operates in Williamson County with regional daily coverage, overlapping advertiser base, and competing subscription/advertising products, but serves a much broader geography.
Direct peers
- Brentwood Home Page: A hyperlocal online news outlet covering Brentwood and other Williamson County communities. Directly competes with Williamson Herald for the same readers, advertisers, and local news inventory within the same Tennessee county.
- Chattanooga Times Free Press: A regional daily newspaper serving the Chattanooga metro and southeast Tennessee. Comparable in operating model (print circulation, digital subscriptions, display + classified advertising, local sports coverage) at a similar regional scale.
- Main Street Media of Nashville: A portfolio of community newspapers and local publications across Middle Tennessee. Directly comparable as a Tennessee-based local newspaper group using similar hyperlocal coverage, print + digital advertising, and community engagement models to Williamson Herald.
- Columbia Daily Herald: A daily newspaper serving Maury County in southern Middle Tennessee. Directly comparable as a Tennessee hyperlocal print+digital daily monetizing through local advertising, subscriptions, and community event coverage.
- Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: A Gannett-owned daily newspaper serving Clarksville/Montgomery County in Middle Tennessee. Comparable in business model (print + digital subscriptions, local retail advertising, community features) and regional scale to Williamson Herald.
- Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: A Gannett-owned regional daily serving Rutherford County, Tennessee. Directly comparable as a Tennessee daily newspaper combining print circulation, digital readership, and local advertising sales with hyperlocal sports and government coverage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Williamson Herald social profiles
Digital presenceWilliamson Herald financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Williamson Herald leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Williamson Herald funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Williamson Herald 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 Williamson Herald
What does Williamson Herald do?
Williamson Herald publishes local news, sports, features, obituaries, public notices, classifieds, and weather information for Williamson County, Tennessee, through both a printed weekly newspaper (10,000+ circulation) and a digital website (williamsonherald.com). Founded in 2005, the publication operates from Franklin, Tennessee, and is owned by CMD Publishing, monetizing primarily through advertising and subscriptions.
Is Williamson Herald a public or private company?
Williamson Herald is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Williamson Herald founded?
Williamson Herald was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Williamson Herald based?
Williamson Herald is headquartered in Franklin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Williamson Herald make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Print and Digital Advertising is the primary driver. The others are subscriptions and classifieds.
Who are Williamson Herald's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Patch.com and The Daily Memphian. Broad incumbents are Gannett Co. and The Tennessean. Direct peers are Brentwood Home Page, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Main Street Media of Nashville, Columbia Daily Herald, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle and Murfreesboro Daily News Journal.
Does Williamson Herald have an API?
No public API is recorded for Williamson Herald.
What industry is Williamson Herald in?
Williamson Herald's product category is Local News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital), with a secondary code of MPAJAKAC, Newsstand & Single-Copy Distribution. Its NAICS code is 51311 and its SIC code is 2711.