The Huntsville Times
A former Huntsville, Alabama newspaper whose journalism is now carried digitally by Alabama Media Group through AL.com.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
The Huntsville Times was a newspaper serving Huntsville and the surrounding communities of north Alabama and the Tennessee Valley. Although its print schedule and operating model changed substantially over time, the publication was historically an important local news institution in a region shaped by government, aerospace, defense, manufacturing, education, and rapid population growth. The paper operated as an afternoon publication during an earlier period, later moving to a morning schedule after The Huntsville News ceased publication. Its local coverage included government, business, community affairs, sports, culture, and regional news. Huntsville’s distinctive economic base also gave the newspaper a specialized editorial role. The city is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal, so The Huntsville Times maintained a desk focused on science, aerospace, and military affairs. This specialization helped it cover institutions whose importance extended well beyond the immediate metropolitan area. The Huntsville Times was published by The Huntsville Times Company, Inc., which was owned by Advance Publications. Advance founder Samuel Newhouse Sr. acquired the paper in 1955. The Times subsequently operated as part of Advance’s Alabama newspaper group alongside The Birmingham News and the Mobile Press-Register. It received recognition from organizations including the Alabama Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists, although the available reference material does not provide a complete award list. Like many metropolitan newspapers, The Huntsville Times faced declining print advertising revenue and circulation. On May 24, 2012, Advance announced a major reduction in the print schedules of its three Alabama newspapers. Beginning October 1, 2012, The Huntsville Times moved from daily printing to a three-days-per-week schedule. The last daily edition appeared on September 30, 2012, ending more than a century of daily newspaper service in Huntsville. The restructuring also placed greater emphasis on AL.com and divided responsibilities between Alabama Media Group, which handled editorial operations, and Advance Central Services Alabama, which handled production, distribution, and back-office functions. The reduced print schedule continued for a decade. On November 3, 2022, Advance management announced that The Huntsville Times and its sister Alabama newspapers would stop printing entirely and become digital operations. The final printed issue was published on February 26, 2023. News and other content associated with the Times then moved to AL.com, the Alabama Media Group website. Accordingly, the newspaper no longer exists as a printed publication, while elements of its reporting and brand legacy continue within the group’s digital Alabama news operation.
History
The Huntsville Times was a long-standing newspaper serving Huntsville and the wider Tennessee Valley region of north Alabama. Its importance was closely connected to Huntsville’s role as a center of aerospace research, military activity, technology, and government employment. Coverage of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal was sufficiently important that the paper maintained a specialized science, aerospace, and military desk. The newspaper operated at different points as an afternoon and morning publication. It moved to a morning schedule after The Huntsville News ceased publication. The reference material identifies Samuel Newhouse Sr., founder of Advance Publications, as the paper’s acquirer in 1955. The Huntsville Times Company, Inc. published the newspaper as an Advance subsidiary. It later functioned within a group of Alabama properties that included The Birmingham News and the Mobile Press-Register. The Times was historically among Alabama’s leading daily newspapers and had the state’s third-highest circulation among daily papers before its print-frequency reduction. It also received awards from the Alabama Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, and other journalism organizations. Patrick McCauley was the longest-serving editor of the daily Huntsville Times, holding that position from 1966 through 1994. Earlier editor Reese Thomas Amis had mentored McCauley while McCauley worked as a Times reporter between 1949 and 1954. The newspaper’s transformation reflected the structural problems facing traditional metropolitan newspapers. On May 24, 2012, Advance Publications announced that its three Alabama papers would stop printing on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The stated business context was the continuing decline of advertising revenue and circulation in traditional print products. The first reduced schedule began October 1, 2012, after the final daily edition was printed on September 30. The change meant Huntsville no longer had a daily printed newspaper for the first time in more than a century. The restructuring also changed the organization of the business. Alabama Media Group became responsible for editorial operations, while Advance Central Services Alabama handled production, distribution, and administrative support. At the same time, AL.com became increasingly central as the digital destination for Alabama news. On November 3, 2022, Advance announced that The Huntsville Times, along with its Birmingham and Mobile sister publications, would end print publication altogether. The final printed edition appeared on February 26, 2023. The Times therefore ceased to operate as a print newspaper, while its content and journalistic presence were transferred to the Alabama Media Group website, AL.com. The brand is best understood today as a defunct print newspaper whose reporting legacy continues within a broader digital news platform.
- 2023
Final print edition
[1]The final printed issue was published on February 26, 2023, after which the newspaper’s content moved to AL.com.
- 2022
All-digital conversion announced
[1]Advance announced that The Huntsville Times would discontinue its printed newspaper and move to an all-digital model.
- 2012
Print schedule reduced from daily to three times weekly
[1]Advance Publications reduced the print frequency of its Alabama newspapers, including The Huntsville Times, in response to falling advertising revenue and circulation.
- 1994
End of Patrick McCauley’s editorship
[1]Patrick McCauley concluded a 28-year tenure as editor, described in the reference material as the longest-serving editor of the daily paper.
- 1966
Patrick McCauley becomes editor
[1]Patrick McCauley began his long tenure as editor of the daily Huntsville Times.
- 1955
Samuel Newhouse Sr. acquires the newspaper
[1]The Huntsville Times was acquired by Samuel Newhouse Sr., founder of Advance Publications, and became part of the Advance newspaper portfolio.
Products and positioning
A local and regional news institution focused on Huntsville, north Alabama, and the Tennessee Valley, with particular relevance to the area's aerospace, science, military, government, and business sectors.
Newspaper
The Huntsville Times print newspaper
The core product was a local and regional newspaper serving Huntsville and nearby communities in north Alabama and the Tennessee Valley. It covered civic affairs, government, business, community life, sports, and regional developments, with specialist attention to aerospace, science, and military institutions. The paper first operated on a daily schedule, later printed three times weekly, and ceased print publication in February 2023.
Digital news · 2023
Digital Huntsville Times content on AL.com
Following the end of print publication, content associated with The Huntsville Times moved to AL.com, the digital news platform operated by Alabama Media Group. This transition preserved a digital outlet for coverage of Huntsville and north Alabama, although the newspaper no longer exists as a standalone printed daily or triweekly publication.
Brand decisions
2022
End printed publicationStrategyBackground
After operating on a reduced print schedule for a decade, Advance management announced a further shift away from physical newspaper distribution.
Action taken
On November 3, 2022, management announced that The Huntsville Times would discontinue its print edition and convert to an all-digital operation.
Aftermath
The final print edition appeared on February 26, 2023, and the newspaper’s content moved to AL.com.
2012
Reduce print frequency and reorganize Alabama operationsStrategyBackground
Advance Publications cited continuing declines in traditional newspaper advertising revenue and circulation as the business context for changing the schedules of its Alabama newspapers.
Action taken
The Huntsville Times eliminated print editions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, beginning a three-days-per-week schedule on October 1, 2012. Editorial responsibilities were placed with Alabama Media Group, while Advance Central Services Alabama handled production, distribution, and back-office functions.
Aftermath
The last daily issue was printed on September 30, 2012. The change increased the role of AL.com and ended daily print newspaper service in Huntsville for the first time in more than a century.
Recent events
- 2023
Final printed edition of The Huntsville Times is published[1]
Other
The newspaper’s last print issue appeared on February 26, 2023. Its content subsequently moved to AL.com, ending the brand’s printed-newspaper operation.
- 2022
Advance announces an all-digital future for The Huntsville Times[1]
Other
Advance management announced that The Huntsville Times and its Alabama sister newspapers would discontinue printed editions and operate digitally through the group’s online publishing structure.
- 2012
Advance announces reduced print schedules for three Alabama newspapers[1]
Other
Advance Publications announced that The Huntsville Times, The Birmingham News, and the Mobile Press-Register would eliminate print editions on four weekdays and publish three times per week. The change responded to declining advertising revenue and circulation and increased the strategic importance of AL.com.
- 2012
The Huntsville Times ends daily print publication[1]
Other
The final daily edition was published on September 30, 2012. Starting the following day, the newspaper published three print editions per week rather than appearing daily.
Sources2 sources
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