Morning News, KFSM Lead Region’s Media Lists

Blackwood Martin/CJRW tops ad agency list; Gulfstar stations dominate area radio market

The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas leads the two-county area in newspaper circulation with 36,443 on Sundays.

But circulation numbers from March indicate the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will probably take over the No. 2 spot from the Northwest Arkansas Times, which will likely drop to third, with a Sunday circulation of 14,207.

For Washington and Benton counties combined, the D-G had a weekday distribution of 16,166 and a Sunday distribution of 21,589, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

But March numbers from the other three local daily newspapers aren’t yet available, and the D-G statistics are for distribution, which will be slightly more than paid circulation after the dust settles. (Distribution includes rack newspapers that may not sell and eventually may be returned to the newspaper.)

The list compiled by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, however, was provided by the Arkansas Press Association, and reflects only statewide circulations numbers for the D-G.

Over the past two years, the Benton County Daily Record was the only daily newspaper in the area to post circulation gains.

The Morning News is owned by Donrey Media Group of Fort Smith. The D-G is owned by Walter Hussman of Little Rock. The Times is owned by American Publishing Co. of Chicago, a division of Hollinger International of Canada. The Daily Record is owned by Community Publishers Inc. of Bentonville, which is controlled by Jim Walton, son of Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Weekly newspapers

The weekly newspaper market in Northwest Arkansas is divided between two companies: Community Publishers Inc., which owns all the weeklies in Benton County; and Ozark Newspapers Inc., which owns all the weeklies in Washington County. Weekly tabloid newspapers that aren’t members of the Arkansas Press Association aren’t included in the list.

Based in Bentonville, CPI owns eight weeklies in addition to the Daily Record. The largest weekly in that company’s stable is The Herald Leader of Siloam Springs with a circulation of 4,656. The Decatur Herald, one of CPI’s Benton County weeklies, is not a member of the APA.

ONI recently purchased the Cherokee Group Inc. from Boyce Davis, a Lincoln lawyer. ONI now owns three weeklies with the largest being the Prairie Grove Enterprise with a circulation of 1,690.

Broadcast media

In the area’s broadcast media market, KFSM, Channel 5, based in Fort Smith and Fayetteville, led the television competition with the highest Nielsen rating. KFSM was followed closely in the rankings by KHBS/KHOG, Channels 29/40, the only other station in the area with a local newscast.

In the radio competition, the top three stations as rated by Arbitron are owned by Gulfstar Communications Inc., the Southwest division of Capstar Broadcasting Corp., which in turn is owned by Chancellor Media Corp., the largest owner of radio stations in the world.

The top three stations are KKIX, KEZA and KJEM, all of which are on the FM dial.

Last year, Cumulus Media Inc. of Wisconsin purchased six radio stations from two Fayetteville companies: KFAY-AM/FM and KKEG-FM from Demaree Media Inc. and KMCK-FM, KAMO-FM and KZRA-AM from Hochman Communications.

Advertising agencies

Last year, two of the state’s largest advertising agencies merged. Cranford, Johnson, Robinson, Woods of Little Rock merged with Blackwood Martin & Associates of Fayetteville. The merger created Blackwood Martin/CJRW of Fayetteville, which is Northwest Arkansas’ largest advertising agency with 49 employees.

A total of 16 agencies are on the Business Journal’s list.

Thompson Murray is No.2 with 18 employees.

Thompson Murry is a new partnership formed by the merger of the former Thompson Earnhart & Associates and BrandWorks Consulting, both of Fay- etteville. The merger was finalized May 1.

The Mulliking Agency of Springdale was No. 3 with 12 employees.

Three Fayetteville agencies took the next three slots — Taylor Mack Advertising with 12 employees and The Goggans Agency and Walker Creative, each with eight employees.