TBQ: For This Publisher, A Black-and-White Choice

Rex Nelson recounts the story of Walter Hussman’s legendary journey in the Arkansas business arena in our latest edition of Talk Business Quarterly. Hussman, CEO of WEHCO Media and publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, will be inducted in the state’s Business Hall of Fame in February.

How did he get his start in publishing and find his way to what was then known as the Arkansas Democrat newspaper? Read on:

Hussman entered the business school at Columbia, obtained his master’s degree in 16 months and decided he wanted to be a business writer for one of three magazines – Forbes, Business Week or Fortune. He landed at Forbes.

“I was having fun in New York when my father called after less than a year at the magazine,” Hussman says.

Hussman’s two sisters – one of whom is eight years older and the other of whom is 12 years older – were not involved in the day-to-day operations of a family media business, which had grown to include newspapers, radio, television and cable television. Hussman’s father invited him to return to Arkansas and help run the family business. If he declined the offer, the elder Hussman, now age 63, would consider selling the company.

Walter Hussman Jr. became his father’s administrative assistant in 1970. The company’s cable television system – serving Hope, Camden and Prescott – had become operational. Resort Cable was being built in Hot Springs. Hussman spent part of his time in Vicksburg, Miss., helping get a cable system off the ground there.

Back home in Camden, it was discovered that the general manager of the Camden News had been embezzling money from the company and using it to build a swimming pool at his home.

“My father told me, ‘You’re going to run the paper until you find somebody else to run it,’” Hussman says. “You know, I had always wanted to be on the writing side because that’s where I thought the creativity came in. But I found out that you could be just as creative on the business side.”

Hussman has never ceased to be creative with his business tactics. He’s recognized nationally in the journalism world as an innovator. In 1973, he moved from Camden to Hot Springs to become the vice president and general manager of the Palmer Newspapers, which included the daily newspapers at Camden, Magnolia, El Dorado, Texarkana and Hot Springs. A year later, the company purchased the struggling afternoon daily newspaper in Little Rock, the Arkansas Democrat.

Read more about Hussman’s chronicles and the legendary newspaper war that he eventually won in Little Rock with the Arkansas Gazette.

You can access Rex Nelson’s story here and don’t forget to join our new TBQ Facebook page. We’re giving away free gifts as more friends join our page, so share with your friends and maybe you’ll be a lucky winner!