Brush-Moore Newspapers Explained

Brush-Moore Newspapers
Industry:	Media
Founded:	1927
Defunct:	1967
Fate:	Acquired by Thomson Newspapers

Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc. was a United States newspaper group based in Ohio which had its origins in 1923 and was sold to Thomson Newspapers in 1967 for $72 million, the largest ever newspaper transaction at that time.^{[1] [2]}

In 1923, Louis Herbert Brush, who had joined the Salem News (of Salem, Ohio) as a manager in 1894 and purchased it in 1897, entered into a partnership with Roy Donald Moore and William Henry Vodrey, Jr. to purchase The Marion Star from then-U.S. President Warren G. Harding.^{[3] [4]} By 1924, Time magazine already noted the group as one of the prominent newspaper groups in the country, with four papers and a total circulation of 30,906.^[5] In 1927, the "Brush-Moore" chain was created from their holdings.^[6] Joseph K. Vodrey, son of W.H. Vodrey Jr., became general manager of Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc. in 1946. Vodrey was Vice-President and a member of the Brush-Moore board of directors from 1951 to 1968, when he retired. He also served as Vice-President and as a Director of the Beaverkettle Company.

At the time of the 1967 sale, Brush-Moore owned 12 daily papers, including six in Ohio (the Canton Repository, East Liverpool Review, Salem News, Steubenville Herald, Marion Star, and Portsmouth Times) three in California (Times-Standard, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and Oxnard Press-Courier), and one in Maryland (Salisbury Daily Times), Pennsylvania (Hanover Evening Sun), and West Virginia (Weirton Daily Times), with a total circulation of approximately 540,000.^{[1] [7]}

Holdings

Ohio

• Salem News. Owned by Brush since 1897. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• East Liverpool Review. Acquired by Brush in 1901.^[8] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• The Marion Star. Acquired in 1923 from President Warren G. Harding. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• Steubenville Herald Acquired 1925.^[8] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• Canton Repository. Acquired 1927.^[9] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• Portsmouth Times. Acquired 1930.^[10] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• Canton Daily News. Acquired and shut down this 97-year-old paper in 1930, leaving Brush-Moore with the only evening paper in the town.^[11]
• Ironton Tribune. Acquired 50% interest in 1930, and full ownership in 1955.^[12] Sold in 1960s prior to sale to Thomson.

California

• San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Acquired 1960.^[13] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• Oxnard Press-Courier. Acquired 1963.^[14] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• Times-Standard (Eureka). Acquired in 1967, and sold to Thomson the same year.^[15]

Other

• Salisbury Daily Times (Maryland). Acquired 1937.^[16] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• Hanover Evening Sun (Pennsylvania). Acquired 1958.^[17] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• Weirton Daily Times. Acquired 1962.^[18] Sold to Thomson in 1967.
• In 1964, Brush-Moore attempted to purchase the Arizona Daily Star.^[19]

Radio

Ohio Broadcasting Co. was a subsidiary of Brush-Moore which focused on radio interests.

• WHBC (AM) (Canton, Ohio). Purchased 1936.
• WPAY (AM) (Portsmouth, Ohio), acquired in 1944 through purchase of Scioto Broadcasting company.^[8]
• WONE (AM) (Dayton, Ohio). Purchased in 1961,^[20] sold in 1964 to Group One Broadcasting.^{[21] [22]}
• WONE-FM (now WTUE) (Dayton, Ohio). Purchased in 1961,^[20] sold in 1964 to Group One Broadcasting.^{[21] [22]}
• WONE-TV (now WKEF). Dayton television station, purchased in 1961,^[20] sold in 1963 to Springfield Television.^{[23] [24]}
• WPDQ (Jacksonville, Florida). Sold in 1964 to Belk Broadcasting Co.^[25]

Notes and References

1. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EyIMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pFwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4797,2811858&dq=brush-moore&hl=en Thomson Buys Paper Group
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20081209080227/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,899782,00.html Newspapers: Strength in the Afternoon
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307113555/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,760568,00.html The Press: Ledger to Brush-Moore?
4. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/05/02/archives/roy-moore-dead-0hi0-pijblisher-66-chief-of-brushmoore-chain-of-8.html Roy Moore Dead; Ohio Publisher, 66
5. https://web.archive.org/web/20101121090320/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,717868,00.html The Press: Magnates
6. https://www.nytimes.com/1948/06/25/archives/louis-btost6-pubtlst-is-dead-chairnanof-board-of-ohio-newspaper.html Louis H. Brush, 76, Publisher, Is Dead: Chairman of Board of Ohio Newspaper Chain is Stricken at Republican Convention
7. https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/26/archives/12-brushmoore-newspapers-sold-to-thomson.html 12 Brush-Moore Newspapers Sold to Thomson
8. https://books.google.com/books?id=xwzYAAAAMAAJ&q=repository+brush-moore The National cyclopaedia of American biography
9. https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0B17F9385B157A93C0AB178DD85F438285F9 Newspapers May Finance: Brush-Moore Chain Buys Two Publications in Canton
10. https://www.nytimes.com/1932/03/13/archives/harry-e-taylor-ohio-editor-dead-retired-owner-of-portsmouth-times.html Harry E. Taylor, Ohio Editor, Dead
11. https://www.nytimes.com/1930/07/04/archives/cox-sells-canton-news-brushmoore-group-to-discontinue-paper-don.html COX SELLS CANTON NEWS.; Brush-Moore Group to Discontinue Paper Don Mellett Served
12. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LMAaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w0UEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6760,3437869 Ownership Of Ironton Newspaper Passes To Brush-Moore Co.
13. News: Eastern Company Buys Paper in West Covina . . March 17, 1960 . 24 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20121104002036/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/446263182.html?dids=446263182:446263182&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+17,+1960&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Eastern+Company+Buys+Paper+in+West+Covina&pqatl=google . November 4, 2012.
14. News: Ohio Company Buys Oxnard Press-Courier . . January 17, 1963 . 21 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20121104002022/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/469022972.html?dids=469022972:469022972&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+17,+1963&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Ohio+Company+Buys+Oxnard+Press-Courier&pqatl=google . November 4, 2012.
15. Thompson . Mike . Mike Thompson (California politician) . Honoring the 150th Anniversary of the Times-Standard . . November 18, 2004 . 150 . 133 . January 4, 2024 . en.
16. https://www.nytimes.com/1937/07/09/archives/maryland-papers-sold-salisbury-journals-are-published-now-by.html Maryland Papers Sold; Salisbury Journals Are Published Now by Brush-Moore
17. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sIE0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=AegFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3842,5485218 Out of the past: 25 years ago
18. Welch, Jack. History of Hancock County, p.97 (1963)
19. https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/26/archives/the-arizona-star-is-sold-provisionally-to-ohio-chain.html The Arizona Star Is Sold Provisionally to Ohio Chain
20. The Media: Changing Hands . Broadcasting . March 27, 1961 . 78, 79 . American Radio History . September 19, 2015.
21. https://books.google.com/books?id=TyAEAAAAMBAJ&dq=WHBC&pg=PA26 WONE Bought
22. https://web.archive.org/web/20121104002102/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/djreprints/access/108003085.html?dids=108003085:108003085&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+05,+1964&author=&pub=Wall+Street+Journal&desc=Summit+Radio+Unit+Acquires+Dayton,+Ohio,+Radio+Station&pqatl=google Summit Radio Unit Acquires Dayton, Ohio, Radio Station
23. The Media: Changing Hands . Broadcasting . December 16, 1963 . 71 . American Radio History . September 19, 2015.
24. For the Record: Ownership Changes . Broadcasting . December 16, 1963 . 104 . American Radio History . September 19, 2015.
25. https://books.google.com/books?id=ETAoAAAAMAAJ&q=WPDQ+jacksonville+brush-moore WPDQ Jacksonville sold for $750,000