Stauffer Communications was a privately held media corporation based in Topeka, Kansas , that owned many publications and broadcast outlets, including the Topeka Capital-Journal and WIBW , WIBW-FM , and WIBW-TV . The company operated from 1930 to 1995.
7-630: The company was founded by Oscar S. Stauffer in 1930 as Stauffer Publications. Oscar Stauffer had started a journalism career at the Emporia Gazette and Kansas City Star , and in 1915 had become the publisher of the Peabody Gazette-Herald in Peabody, Kansas , until 1922. When Stauffer died at age 95 in 1982 the company had grown to include 31 newspapers and broadcast companies in 11 states. Oscar Stauffer's son John H. Stauffer became head of
14-578: The Peabody Gazette-Herald in Peabody, Kansas , and was editor until 1922. He eventually bought five other newspapers, and merged them into Stauffer Publications in 1930. In 1935, Stauffer encountered Kansas City Star editor Roy Roberts and is reported to have asked him, "Look here Roy, when are going to do something about getting Alf nominated?" Shortly thereafter, Roberts, Stauffer, Kansas City Star reporter Laci Haynes and Pittsburg, Kansas publisher Fred Brinkerhoff chipped in $ 500 each to open an "Alf Landon For President" campaign headquarters in
21-729: The Muehlebach Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri . Rather than printing any stationery , the publishers used the letterhead of Arkansas City Daily Traveler in Arkansas City, Kansas . In 1975, the Kansas State High School Activities Association began the Oscar Stauffer Award, which each year honors a sports broadcaster and newspaper reporter for their outstanding coverage of high school athletics in
28-452: The company in 1992. In 1994, the company arranged to sell its properties to Morris Communications of Augusta, Georgia . The transaction was completed in 1995 for $ 275 million. At the time of its sale, Stauffer's multi-state operations included 20 daily newspapers, 11 radio stations, 3 magazines, and the broadcast rights to Kansas City Royals baseball. As a condition of the sale, Morris had to sell Stauffer's television holdings. Most of
35-505: The former Stauffer television holdings, including WIBW-TV, were sold to Benedek Broadcasting in 1996. Morris also sold off all of Stauffer's magazines and its insurance and alarm operations. Mary Stauffer Brownback, daughter of John Stauffer and granddaughter of Oscar Stauffer, is married to former U.S. Senator and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback . Colorado Glenwood Post (Glenwood Springs CO) Oscar S. Stauffer Oscar Stanley Stauffer (November 26, 1886 – February 24, 1982)
42-511: Was born in Hope, Kansas . After graduating from Emporia High School (Emporia, Kansas) in 1906, Stauffer went to work for William Allen White at the Emporia Gazette for $ 6/week. White fired him in 1908 to force him to attend the journalism school at the University of Kansas . After graduating from college, he worked five years at The Kansas City Star . In 1915, he bought his first newspaper,
49-507: Was the founder of the media company Stauffer Communications and is often credited with starting the bandwagon for Kansas Governor Alf Landon getting the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 1936. At the time of his death, Stauffer owned 20 newspapers, two television stations, nine radio stations and several affiliated operations in 11 states. In 1886, Stauffer
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