Times Mirror Company
Former American newspaper, publishing, broadcasting, and cable-television group best known as the owner of the Los Angeles Times.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Times Mirror Company was an American media group that operated from 1884 until its acquisition by Tribune Company in 2000. Its origins lay in the combination of the Mirror Printing and Binding House, a commercial printer established in 1873, and the Los Angeles Daily Times, first published in 1881. The two businesses were purchased and combined in 1884, creating a company whose principal identity for much of its existence was tied to the Los Angeles Times and to newspaper publishing in the United States. Over time, Times Mirror developed well beyond a single newspaper. Its newspaper portfolio included the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Denver Post, The Dallas Times Herald, The Hartford Courant, and The Baltimore Sun, acquired through the purchase of A.S. Abell Company in 1986. The company also entered book publishing, magazine publishing, legal and medical reference publishing, aviation information, broadcast trade publishing, television, radio, and cable television. This diversification reflected the broader strategy of large American newspaper groups in the second half of the twentieth century: using a strong metropolitan newspaper base to build a wider information and communications portfolio. The company acquired New American Library in 1960 and World Publishing Company in 1962, giving it a substantial presence in consumer and general book publishing. It later sold World Publishing to Collins Publishers in 1974 and New American Library to private investors in 1983. Times Mirror also owned specialist publishing businesses, including Matthew Bender, C.V. Mosby Company, Harry N. Abrams, Richard D. Irwin, Wm. C. Brown, and Jeppesen. Its textbook activities were sold to McGraw-Hill in 1996, while several other publishing assets were divested during the 1990s. Magazine publishing became another important activity. In 1967, Times Mirror acquired Popular Science, Outdoor Life, Golf Magazine, and Ski Magazine. It later added titles including Field & Stream, Yachting, Home Mechanix, and Skiing. The company owned The Sporting News from 1977 until 2000. Following the Tribune acquisition, the former Times Mirror magazine properties were sold to Time Inc., while Jeppesen was sold to Boeing. Times Mirror also maintained a significant broadcasting presence. It was a founding owner of Los Angeles television station KTTV, acquired the former Nassour Studios in Hollywood for broadcasting operations, and later re-entered television ownership through its 1970 purchase of The Dallas Times Herald and its associated Dallas stations. The broadcasting group subsequently acquired stations in Austin, Birmingham, St. Louis, Syracuse, Elmira, and Harrisburg. It also operated cable systems in markets including Phoenix and San Diego and briefly attempted a pay-television service through the Spotlight movie network. Cable operations were sold to Cox Communications in the mid-1990s, while the station portfolio was progressively reduced through regulatory-driven divestitures and later asset sales. Tribune Company acquired Times Mirror in 2000. The transaction ended Times Mirror as an independent corporate group. Tribune subsequently disposed of several former Times Mirror assets, including Jeppesen and the magazine portfolio. The Los Angeles Times continued under Tribune ownership for a period after the transaction, but the Times Mirror corporate identity itself ceased to operate independently.
History
Times Mirror Company's corporate history began with two Los Angeles enterprises. The Mirror Printing and Binding House was established in 1873 as a commercial printing business. The Los Angeles Daily Times began publication in 1881 and was printed by the company. In 1884, the two operations were acquired and combined, creating Times Mirror Company. The newspaper eventually became known as the Los Angeles Times and served as the group's principal journalistic and commercial foundation. The company expanded during the twentieth century through a mixture of acquisitions and internal development. Its first major diversification was into books. New American Library was acquired in 1960, followed by World Publishing Company in 1962. World Publishing was a high-volume book producer, but Times Mirror later sold it to Collins Publishers in 1974. New American Library was sold in 1983 to Odyssey Partners and Ira J. Hechler. Times Mirror also developed a specialist publishing portfolio that included legal publisher Matthew Bender, medical and educational publisher C.V. Mosby Company, art-book publisher Harry N. Abrams, textbook businesses Richard D. Irwin and Wm. C. Brown, and aviation-information provider Jeppesen. The textbook operations were sold to McGraw-Hill in 1996, while several other specialist businesses were divested before or after the 2000 Tribune transaction. Magazine publishing became a significant part of the group from 1967, when it purchased Popular Science, Outdoor Life, Golf Magazine, and Ski Magazine. Later acquisitions included Field & Stream, Yachting, Home Mechanix, and Skiing. The Sporting News was owned from 1977 to 2000. These titles gave Times Mirror exposure to national special-interest audiences rather than only the regional readership served by its newspapers. After Tribune acquired the company, the former Times Mirror magazines were sold to Time Inc. Newspapers remained central. By 1983, the group owned the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Denver Post, The Dallas Times Herald, and The Hartford Courant. In 1986, it acquired A.S. Abell Company, owner of The Baltimore Sun. The transaction increased Times Mirror's national newspaper scale, although the associated television assets had to be separated in response to Federal Communications Commission cross-ownership rules. Broadcasting was another recurring area of activity. Times Mirror was a founding owner of KTTV in Los Angeles, which began broadcasting in 1949. It became the station's sole owner in 1951 and bought Nassour Studios in Hollywood in 1950 to consolidate operations. The studio complex later became associated with Metromedia Square and was sold with KTTV to Metromedia in 1963. After a seven-year withdrawal, Times Mirror returned to broadcasting in 1970 through the purchase of The Dallas Times Herald and KRLD radio and television properties. The television station was renamed KDFW-TV. Additional acquisitions included KTBC-TV in Austin in 1973 and a group of stations in Birmingham, St. Louis, Syracuse, Elmira, and Harrisburg in 1980. The broadcasting division later sold the Syracuse, Elmira, and Harrisburg stations in 1986. Stations obtained with The Baltimore Sun were also divested to satisfy ownership rules. In 1993, the remaining station group was transferred to Argyle Television; those stations later became part of New World Communications and participated in the major U.S. network-affiliation changes of 1994–1995. Times Mirror also operated cable systems under the Times-Mirror Cable and later Dimension Cable Television names in markets including Phoenix and San Diego. Its attempted pay-television service, Spotlight, was unsuccessful and closed quickly. The cable systems were sold to Cox Communications in the mid-1990s. By the late 1990s, Times Mirror was a diversified but increasingly fluid collection of newspaper, magazine, professional-publishing, and communications assets. Tribune Company acquired it in 2000. The acquisition terminated Times Mirror as an independent corporation. Tribune subsequently sold Jeppesen to Boeing and disposed of the former Times Mirror magazine properties to Time Inc. The corporate brand therefore survives primarily as a historical name associated with American metropolitan newspapers and media consolidation rather than as an active operating brand.
- 2000
Tribune Company acquires Times Mirror
[1]The acquisition ends Times Mirror's independent corporate existence.
- 1996
Textbook operations are sold
[1]Times Mirror sells its textbook businesses to McGraw-Hill.
- 1986
The Baltimore Sun joins the newspaper group
[1]Times Mirror acquires A.S. Abell Company, owner of The Baltimore Sun.
- 1980
Times Mirror expands its station group
[1]The company acquires television stations in Birmingham, St. Louis, Syracuse, Elmira, and Harrisburg.
- 1970
Broadcasting operations are reactivated
[1]The Dallas Times Herald purchase brings radio and television stations back into the group.
- 1967
Magazine portfolio is launched
[1]Popular Science, Outdoor Life, Golf Magazine, and Ski Magazine join the company.
- 1962
World Publishing Company is acquired
[1]Times Mirror adds a large-scale book producer to its publishing portfolio.
- 1960
New American Library is acquired
[1]The acquisition marks a major expansion into book publishing.
- 1949
KTTV begins broadcasting
[1]Times Mirror's founding television investment in Los Angeles launches operations.
- 1884
Times Mirror Company is formed
[1]The printing business and Los Angeles newspaper operation are combined into Times Mirror Company.
Products and positioning
Diversified American metropolitan-news and information-media group
Newspaper · 1881
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times was Times Mirror's core newspaper asset and the principal publication around which the company developed. It began as the Los Angeles Daily Times in 1881 and became a major metropolitan newspaper serving Southern California. The title anchored Times Mirror's newspaper portfolio and remained with the business through its acquisition by Tribune Company in 2000.
Newspaper
Newsday
Newsday was one of Times Mirror's major metropolitan newspaper holdings. Its ownership broadened the company's geographic reach beyond California and formed part of the newspaper portfolio that also included titles in Colorado, Texas, Connecticut, and Maryland.
Newspaper
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun entered Times Mirror's newspaper group through the 1986 acquisition of A.S. Abell Company. It represented the company's expansion into another major U.S. metropolitan market and was acquired alongside broadcasting assets that were subsequently separated for regulatory reasons.
Magazine
Popular Science
Popular Science was among the national-interest magazines acquired by Times Mirror in 1967. Its addition helped transform the company from a primarily newspaper-centered publisher into a broader magazine group with specialized consumer audiences.
Broadcast television station · 1949
KTTV
KTTV was a Los Angeles television station in which Times Mirror was a founding owner. The company became its sole owner in 1951, later selling the station and associated studio operations to Metromedia in 1963.
Pay-television network
Spotlight
Spotlight was Times Mirror's attempted pay-television movie service. The network did not achieve a lasting market position and was shut down soon after launch.
Aviation information and publishing
Jeppesen
Jeppesen was an aviation-information and publishing business owned by Times Mirror for decades. It remained associated with the group until the Tribune acquisition and was subsequently sold to Boeing.
Brand decisions
2000
Accept Tribune Company acquisitionM&ABackground
Times Mirror had become a diversified media group spanning newspapers, magazines, professional publishing, broadcasting, and cable systems.
Action taken
Tribune Company acquired Times Mirror and absorbed its operating businesses.
Aftermath
Times Mirror ceased to exist as an independent corporate entity. Tribune later sold Jeppesen to Boeing and the former Times Mirror magazines to Time Inc.
1996
Exit textbook publishingStrategyBackground
Times Mirror had built a textbook business through acquisitions including Richard D. Irwin and Wm. C. Brown, but was subsequently reducing its exposure to specialist publishing.
Action taken
The company sold its textbook operations to McGraw-Hill.
Aftermath
The sale narrowed Times Mirror's publishing portfolio before the eventual Tribune acquisition.
1986
Acquire A.S. Abell CompanyM&ABackground
Times Mirror sought to expand its metropolitan newspaper portfolio through the owner of The Baltimore Sun. The transaction also involved broadcasting assets subject to Federal Communications Commission cross-ownership restrictions.
Action taken
Times Mirror acquired A.S. Abell Company while the related broadcasting unit was sold to Gillett Communications to address regulatory requirements.
Aftermath
The Baltimore Sun became part of Times Mirror's newspaper group, while the broadcasting assets were separated from the transaction.
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