San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express first appeared in 1865 as a weekly tabloid-style newspaper. At that time, the city already hosted several other newspapers published in different languages. All those competing publications eventually went out of business. This left only the Express to serve the entire city. In December 1866, the paper made its move from a weekly schedule to daily publication. It expanded into a full newspaper by the early 1870s. The early days were marked by several leadership changes that almost doomed the operation. A brand new company called the Express Printing Company took control in 1875. The Express eventually became a daily morning newspaper in 1878.
In January 1881, a new rival newspaper named the Evening Light was first published. A. W. Gifford and J. P. Newcomb launched this afternoon paper against the morning Express. Editors at the Express initially chose to ignore the upstart competition. The Light soon grew in popularity at the turn of the 20th century. In 1906, the Daily Light was sold to E. B. Chandler. By 1909, the Daily Light Publishing Company bought the San Antonio Gazette. From then until 1911, the paper was referred to as the Light and Gazette. Edward S. O'Reilly served as managing editor during part of this era. Harrison L. Beach and Charles S. Diehl moved to San Antonio in 1911 to buy the Light and Gazette. They installed leased wire news service and published the first full stock market reports in a San Antonio paper. While Beach and Diehl ran the publication, circulation increased from 11,000 to 25,000 copies daily. The Light became liberal-Democratic in its political views.
William Randolph Hearst bought the Light in 1924 and instituted new policies immediately. By 1945, the circulation reached approximately 70,000 copies. The Express ownership renamed itself the Express Publishing Company in 1918 before launching its own afternoon paper called the San Antonio Evening News. Soon thereafter, a rivalry developed between workers of the Express and the News. Some News workers dubbed a new office building as the News-Express building. In 1960s, Express Publishing was sold to the Harte-Hanks newspaper group. By September 1984, the Express and the News merged into the San Antonio Express-News. Afternoon service was slowly discontinued during this period. The Light started getting into the morning circulation business to keep up with competition. The Light never found a buyer and published its final edition on the 28th of January 1993. The Hearst Corporation agreed to acquire the Express-News to maintain its stake in the market.
The 1920s marked expansion by Express Publishing as it started one of the city's first radio stations. WOAI began operations in 1922. As the two rival publishers entered the 1950s, both the Express and the News had higher readership numbers than the Light. The Light skyrocketed to the top of the market when it acquired popular comic strips like Dick Tracy. The Express Publishing Company diversified further by acquiring two more radio stations. They also purchased a television station which they renamed KENS-TV. Those call letters were intended to stand for K-Express News Station. In the 1960s, Express Publishing was sold to the Harte-Hanks newspaper group. The company maintained multiple media properties throughout these decades of growth.
In 1973, Australian native Rupert Murdoch of News Corp bought the Express and the News from Harte-Hanks. Murdoch re-formatted the News as a more tabloid-styled paper while the Express retained its original conservative format. The Light was now forced to compete against two different styles of newspaper simultaneously. It tried to combat growing costs associated with afternoon circulation. Under News Corp., the Express-News adopted a more mainstream format. Services expanded to communities outside Bexar County. By 1992, News Corp had diversified into movies and television. They began looking to sell the Express-News operation. The Hearst Corporation agreed to acquire the Express-News in order to keep its stake in the San Antonio market. This acquisition made the Express-News San Antonio's leading newspaper for good.
In 2019, the Express-News sold its downtown headquarters building. The planned move to another downtown property faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff worked remotely during this period of uncertainty. In 2022, the paper relocated to the top two floors of the Light Building. This structure is named after its former tenant and Hearst property called The San Antonio Light. Following this move, employees began transitioning back to in-person work. The news organization now operates under a hybrid model. The online presence can be found at Expressnews.com. Hearst also owns MYSanAntonio.com which shares office space with the Express-News but maintains a separate newsroom and website. MySA remains editorially independent of ExpressNews.com. The daily circulation reached nearly 100,000 copies in 2016.
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Common questions
When was the San Antonio Express first published?
The San Antonio Express first appeared in 1865 as a weekly tabloid-style newspaper. It transitioned to daily publication in December 1866 and became a full newspaper by the early 1870s.
Who bought the Evening Light newspaper in 1924?
William Randolph Hearst purchased the Evening Light in 1924 and instituted new policies immediately. The paper eventually ceased operations on the 28th of January 1993 after failing to find a buyer.
What year did the San Antonio Express merge with the News?
The Express and the News merged into the San Antonio Express-News by September 1984. Afternoon service was slowly discontinued during this period while the Light entered morning circulation.
Which company acquired the San Antonio Express-News from Harte-Hanks in 1973?
Australian native Rupert Murdoch of News Corp bought the Express and the News from Harte-Hanks in 1973. He re-formatted the News as a more tabloid-styled paper while the Express retained its original conservative format.
Where is the current headquarters of the San Antonio Express-News located?
In 2022, the paper relocated to the top two floors of the Light Building which is named after its former tenant. This structure is now owned by the Hearst Corporation and houses the daily newsroom.