Dix Puts 4 Radio Stations, 2 Newspapers On the Block

With a strategic plan in place, a 120-year-old publishing company is charting into new territory as it sells some of its media properties while at the same time looking to diversify its portfolio with the purchase of other businesses.

Dix Communications President Chuck Dix said the company will sell Defiance Publishing, Frankfort (Ky.) Publishing and its four radio stations in the Frostburg/Cumberland, Md., area. No deals have been finalized, but there has been strong interest shown in the media entities.

"We love the communities we're exiting and the people there," Dix said. "But, we are very excited about the future and the potential we see with collaborating with our business units in Northeastern and Eastern Ohio."

Nothing will really change for the company's other publishing companies. Dix Communications is keeping its other print media properties, including the Record-Courier and Record Publishing Co.'s eight weekly newspapers, and its three Florida radio stations in Gainesville and Ocala, which are in a growth market.

Charles Dix

The strategic plan, more than six months in the making, concentrates the geographical reach -- and focus -- of Dix Communications, a fifth generation, family-owned business. Three priorities emerged: To reinvest in its publishing operations, which includes print (newspaper, magazines, niche publications) and digital products; establish and grow its ad agency, Full Spectrum Marketing; and acquire small to medium-sized businesses outside of the publishing industry.

The reason for the geographic concentration is because of Dix Communications' Joint Production Facility (printing plant) in Wooster, a state-of-the-art printing facility.

"Since the recession, many things have been in transition, including the publishing industry," Dix said. "We feel the best way to transition ourselves is to set up our business so we can create efficiencies that allow us to publish our products in a cost-effective way that leads to profitability and to competitive advertising pricing for our clients.

"Our Joint Production Facility allows efficiencies."

The properties up for sale are the Crescent-News in Defiance, The State Journal in Frankfort, Ky., and four radio stations in the Frostburg/Cumberland, Md., area WFRB 105.3/105.7 FM, GO 106 FM, WTBO 1450 AM.