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Freedom Communications, Inc. was an American media conglomerate that operated daily and weekly newspapers, websites and mobile applications, as well as Coast Magazine and other specialty publications. Headquartered at 625 N. Grand Avenue in Santa Ana, California , it was owned by a private equity firm , 2100 Trust, established in 2010 by investor Aaron Kushner. Freedom's flagship newspaper was the Orange County Register , based in Santa Ana.

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48-475: Founder R.C. Hoiles gained a one-third interest in his first newspaper ( The Alliance Review in Ohio) sometime in the 1910s. He and his brother Frank bought many more local newspapers over the next several decades. In 1935 he moved his base of operations to Santa Ana, California , and in 1950 he incorporated his syndicate as Freedom Newspapers, Inc . It was renamed Freedom Communications in 1993. The company became

96-412: A hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen : BSh), with hot, dry summers and mild winters with moderate rainfall. Rainfall averages about 12.54 in (318.5 mm) per year, most of which falls from November through April. There are an average of 35 days with measurable precipitation annually. The record high temperature for Santa Ana was 112 °F (44 °C) on June 14, 1917. The record low temperature

144-475: A 40 percent share in Freedom for about $ 460 million. As part of this transaction, Freedom had acquired substantial debt. On September 1, 2009, Freedom Communications went into a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. The company left bankruptcy on April 30, 2010, under the ownership of investment firms Alden Global Capital , Angelo, Gordon & Co. and Luxor Capital Group. Lenders to the company also retained

192-858: A bankruptcy judge approved the sale of Freedom Communications and its two major newspapers, the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise to Digital First Media (DFM). DFM is the parent of the Los Angeles News Group (LANG), which was renamed the Southern California News Group on the same day, and which owns eleven daily newspapers in Southern California . Founder and chief executive officer R.C. Hoiles led Freedom until his death in 1970. He

240-420: A cycle of displacement. Residents formed a social movement to address lead concentrations in lower-income areas of the city. A 2020 study found that areas of Santa Ana with a median income below $ 50,000 had five times higher lead concentrations than higher-income areas of the city, which is particularly a concern for children. Residents continue to advocate for environmental justice in the city. Santa Ana

288-447: A dynamic commercial and entertainment center for working-class Latinos. The Santa Ana Artist's Village was created around Cal State Fullerton 's Grand Central Art Center to attract artists and young professionals to live-work lofts and new businesses. The process continued into 2009 with the reopening of the historic Yost Theater . In the 2010s, gentrification became a larger concern of Santa Ana residents, with its roots starting in

336-469: A female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 12.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.55 and the average family size was 4.72. In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.2% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 13.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

384-684: A major intermediate station. In 1890, whites made up 71 percent of the city's population, most of whom migrated to Santa Ana from confederate states following the American Civil War in search of real estate ventures and other economic opportunities. By 1905, the Los Angeles Interurban Railway, a predecessor to the Pacific Electric Railway , extended from Los Angeles to Santa Ana, running along Fourth Street downtown. Firestone Boulevard ,

432-470: A merger with a subsidiary of 2100 Trust. On July 25, 2012, the latter, led by entrepreneur Aaron Kushner , acquired Freedom's dailies, associated non-daily publications and digital properties. The company continued to operate under the name Freedom Communications. Kushner, who "preached the virtues of local journalism and a print product," bought Freedom in 2012 for $ 50 million plus assumption of pension liabilities. He increased staff and added new sections at

480-1014: A stake in Freedom. The company announced on November 2, 2011 that it would sell its entire television division to Sinclair Broadcast Group for $ 385 million in a move to eliminate the company's debt. The sale was completed on April 2, 2012. Freedom began selling the majority of its newspaper portfolio in 2012. Four papers in the Midwest were sold to Ohio Community Media, an affiliate of the private equity firm Versa Capital Management, in May. The Clovis News Journal and other newspapers in New Mexico were sold to Stevenson Newspapers. Freedom papers in Texas were sold to AIM Media Texas. Its Florida and North Carolina papers were sold to Halifax Media Group . On June 11, 2012, Freedom Communications Holdings, Inc., announced an agreement to be acquired by 2100 Trust, LLC. in

528-517: A television station owner in 1984, with the acquisition of its first two stations WTVC-TV , Chattanooga, Tennessee and KFDM-TV , Beaumont, Texas . The Freedom television group eventually grew to six stations, including WRGB-TV Albany, New York , WPEC-TV West Palm Beach, Florida , WWMT-TV , Kalamazoo, Michigan and KTVL-TV Medford, Oregon . Freedom was operated as an entirely family-owned business until 2004, when private-equity firms Blackstone Group and Providence Equity Partners acquired

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576-672: Is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California , United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California , the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As of 2023, Santa Ana is the third most populous city in Orange County (after Anaheim and Irvine), the 14th-most populous city in California , and the 65th most populous city in the United States . Santa Ana

624-713: Is a major regional economic and cultural hub for the Orange Coast . In 1810, the Spanish governor of California granted Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana to José Antonio Yorba . Following the Mexican War of Independence , the Yorba family rancho was enlarged, becoming one of the largest and most valuable in the region and home to a diverse Californio community. Following the American Conquest of California ,

672-499: Is located at 33°44′27″N 117°52′53″W  /  33.74083°N 117.88139°W  / 33.74083; -117.88139 (33.740717, -117.881408). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 27.5 square miles (71 km ). 27.3 square miles (71 km ) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km ) of it (0.90%) is water. With 12,471.5 people per sq. mile, it

720-433: Is now northern and central Orange County. It had a population of 756 in 1860 and 880 in 1870. The Anaheim district was enumerated separately from Santa Ana in 1870. Claimed in 1869 by Kentuckian William H. Spurgeon on land obtained from the descendants of Jose Antonio Yorba , Santa Ana was incorporated as a city in 1886 with a population of 2000 and in 1889 became the seat of the newly formed Orange County . In 1877,

768-879: The Orange County Register and began a new daily, the Long Beach Register. In January 2014, however, he announced heavy layoffs in Orange County and at the Riverside Press-Enterprise , which he also owned. The Register launched a Los Angeles edition, the Los Angeles Register , on April 16, 2014, but the venture ended five months later. The Long Beach Register became a Sunday-only publication in June 2014, and ceased publication in December 2014. Freedom closed

816-859: The Southern Pacific Railroad built a branch line from Los Angeles to Santa Ana, which offered free right of way, land for a depot, and $ 10,000 in cash to the railroad in exchange for terminating the line in Santa Ana and not neighboring Tustin . In 1887, the California Central Railway (which became a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway the following year) broke the Southern Pacific's local monopoly on rail travel, offering service between Los Angeles and San Diego by way of Santa Ana as

864-587: The United States Army Air Forces . The base was responsible for continued population growth in Santa Ana and the rest of Orange County as many veterans moved to the area to raise families after the end of the war. Santa Ana was at the center of Orange County's economic boom in the 1950s with its agricultural and defense industries. However, most of this prosperity was only experienced by the city's white residents, while Latinos did not similarly benefit. Instead, economic inequality between

912-835: The Wright Company in 1916. In recent years, the nearby city of Irvine has outpaced Santa Ana in commercial growth, with the Irvine Business District located near John Wayne Airport . To compete with this, Santa Ana has approved commercial projects in the South Coast Metro area, as well as the "Metro East" development, located at the confluence of the Santa Ana Freeway and the Costa Mesa Freeway . Orange County Register Too Many Requests If you report this error to

960-597: The Xerox corporation, Ultimate Software , and T-Mobile . Nonprofits based in Santa Ana include Open Doors . One of Santa Ana's most notable businesses is the Rickenbacker musical instrument company, whose electric guitars and bass guitars earned fame in the hands of many rock and roll legends. Then Glenn L. Martin Company , a precursor to Lockheed Martin , was founded in Santa Ana in 1912 before merging with

1008-502: The 1990s. Despite strong Latino political representation, gentrification efforts have increasingly displaced the Mexican immigrant presence in the downtown area of the city in favor of outsiders. Primarily Spanish-speaking businesses that served immigrant populations have been demolished in favor of arts projects to draw in outside investment, which bring clientele who further question why Spanish-speaking businesses are present, leading to

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1056-642: The 20th century, and is a continued threat despite the existence of the dams. Now fully developed, Santa Ana has several distinct districts. The core of the city is the downtown area, which contains both retail and housing, as well as the Santa Ana Civic Center , which is a dense campus of administrative buildings for both the city and the county of Orange. The civic center is also home to the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse . Several historic homes dating from

1104-539: The charter in November 1988 to provide for the direct election of the Mayor who until that point had been appointed from the council membership. Miguel A. Pulido was the first mayor of Latino descent in the city's history and the first Mayor directly elected by the voters. Since the 1980s, Santa Ana has been characterized by an effort to revitalize the downtown area which had declined in influence, even as it had become

1152-470: The city council has envisioned as a secondary mixed-use development district. Currently the area is occupied by several office towers, but little retail or housing. Also on the east side of the city is the Santa Ana Zoo , notable for its collection of monkeys and species from South and Central America . The southeast end of the city is part of the South Coast Metro area, which is shared with

1200-495: The city of Costa Mesa . South Coast Plaza , a major shopping center, is the primary destination of this area, which also contains several high-rise office and apartment buildings. Yokohama Tire Corporation's United States headquarters are located at 1 MacArthur Place in the South Coast Metro area of Santa Ana, and Banc of California 's headquarters relocated from the neighboring city of Irvine. Santa Ana experiences

1248-405: The city was 42.73% White , 1.70% African American , 1.19% Native American , 8.81% Asian , 0.34% Pacific Islander , 40.64% from other races , and 4.58% from two or more races. 76.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 73,002 households, out of which 53.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 13.5% had

1296-402: The city's downtown becoming increasingly frequented by Latinos. This changed perceptions of the city and its economic value, with property values dropping significantly by 1974, while surrounding cities of Laguna Beach , Newport Beach , and Villa Park increased in value. Santa Ana entered the 1980s as a city of equal numbers of whites and Latinos. What had been the white commercial center of

1344-427: The city, Fourth Street, was now a street of Latino businesses and character. Latino immigrant and working-class families could now be found in every neighborhood of the city, rather than in just a few ethnic enclaves , as they were previously. Santa Ana became more often referred to as Santana and Fourth Street as La Cuatro. Having been a charter city since November 11, 1952, the citizens of Santa Ana amended

1392-612: The country." Members of the Tongva and Juaneño / Luiseño are indigenous to the area. The Tongva called the Santa Ana area "Hotuuk." The village of Pajbenga was located at modern day Santa Ana along the Santa Ana River . After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolá out of Mexico City , then capital of New Spain , Friar Junípero Serra named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint Anne , or Santa Ana Valley ). On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano

1440-400: The first direct automobile route between Los Angeles and Santa Ana, opened in 1935; it was enlarged into the Santa Ana Freeway in 1953. The Pacific Electric Santa Ana Line ran from 1905 to 1958. Santa Ana was the home of the original Glenn L. Martin aviation company , founded in 1912 before merging with the Wright Company in 1916. Later, Glenn Luther Martin created a second company of

1488-681: The late 1800s can be found as well, and their preservation is a key issue as development of the downtown area continues. North of downtown is the "Midtown" district along Main St., home to entertainment destinations such as the Bowers Museum , MainPlace Mall, and the Discovery Science Center . Near the intersection of the Santa Ana Freeway and the Costa Mesa Freeway is the newly designated "Metro East" area, which

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1536-659: The population) lived in households, 1,415 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 3,243 (1.0%) were institutionalized. There were 73,174 households, out of which 41,181 (56.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41,389 (56.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 11,808 (16.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6,451 (8.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4,933 (6.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 556 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 9,254 households (12.6%) were made up of individuals, and 3,378 (4.6%) had someone living alone who

1584-571: The population) lived in owner-occupied dwelling units and 165,825 people (51.1%) lived in rental dwelling units. During 2009–2013, Santa Ana had a median household income of $ 53,335, with 21.5% of the population living below the federal poverty line. As of the census of 2000, there were 337,977 people, 73,002 households, and 59,788 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,808.2 people/km (12,453 people/sq mi). There were 74,588 housing units at an average density of 1,061.1 units/km (2,748 units/sq mi). The racial makeup of

1632-525: The rancho was sold to the Sepúlveda family , who subsequently lost their land claim . In 1869, William H. Spurgeon then purchased the rancho and formally founded the modern city of Santa Ana. Approximately four-fifths Hispanic or Latino, Santa Ana has been characterized by The New York Times as the "face of a new California, a state where Latinos have more influence in everyday life—electorally, culturally and demographically—than almost anywhere else in

1680-901: The sale of The Gazette (Colorado Springs) to Clarity Media, a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation , on November 30, 2012. In 2013, Freedom Communications sold the Yuma Sun and the Porterville Recorder to Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers and the Appeal-Democrat to Horizon Publications. In 2014, Freedom sold the Daily Press and the Desert Dispatch to New Media Investment Group. On November 1, 2015, Freedom Communications filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In January, Freedom closed several of its weekly papers in Orange County. On March 21, 2016

1728-614: The same name in Cleveland , Ohio which eventually merged with the Lockheed Corporation to form the largest defense contractor in the world, Lockheed Martin . Although there was a significant wave of Mexican migration to the city following the 1910 Mexican Revolution , the city remained majority white in 1939. During World War II , the Santa Ana Army Air Base was built as a training center for

1776-511: The two groups rapidly increased during this time. In 1958, the Honer Plaza and Bullock's Fashion Square malls opened and would supplant Downtown Santa Ana, with its department stores such as Rankin's , Ward's , Penney's and Buffums . Fashion Square was completely renovated and became MainPlace Mall in 1987. By the 1970s, Santa Ana was becoming an increasingly Latino city, with white flight to surrounding suburbs coinciding with

1824-526: Was $ 12,152. 19.8% of the population and 16.1% of families were below the poverty line . Out of the total population, 24.1% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Santa Ana is the corporate headquarters of several companies, including Behr Paint , First American Corporation , Greenwood & Hall , Ingram Micro , SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union , STEC , TTM Technologies , Kern's , and Wahoo's Fish Taco . It also houses major regional headquarters for

1872-497: Was 16 °F (−9 °C) on January 12, 1989. There are an average of 30.1 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher. The wettest "rain year" in Santa Ana was from July 1940 to June 1941 with 34.34 inches (872.2 mm), and the driest was from July 2017 to June 2018 with a mere 2.73 inches (69.3 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 13.99 inches (355.3 mm) in February 1998. The most rainfall in 24 hours

1920-400: Was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.7 males. The median income for a household from 2005 to 2009 was $ 54,521. The median income for a household in the city was $ 43,412, and the median income for a family was $ 41,050. Males had a median income of $ 23,342 versus $ 21,637 for females. The per capita income for the city

1968-410: Was 29.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.6 males. There were 76,896 dwelling units at an average density of 2,794.4 per square mile (1,078.9/km ), of which 34,756 (47.5%) were owner-occupied, and 38,418 (52.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 154,045 people (47.5% of

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2016-422: Was 4.69 inches (119.1 mm) on February 16, 1927. The most common Hispanic ancestries in Santa Ana are Mexican, Salvadorian and Guatemalan. The most common European ancestries are German, Irish, English and Italian. By the late 1970s, African-American families began to move out of Santa Ana. The 2020 United States Census reported that Santa Ana had a population of 310,227. The racial makeup of Santa Ana

2064-443: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.37. There were 59,648 families (81.5% of all households); the average family size was 4.54. The age distribution of the population was as follows: 99,678 people (30.7%) under the age of 18, 39,165 people (12.1%) aged 18 to 24, 102,399 people (31.6%) aged 25 to 44, 61,375 people (18.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 21,911 people (6.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

2112-750: Was 8.5% Non-Hispanic White , 1.1% African American , 3.7% Native American, 12.3% Asian, 0.3% Pacific islander, 45.1% Other, 19.1% two or more races, and 76.7% Hispanic or Latino. The 2010 United States Census reported that Santa Ana had a population of 324,528. The population density was 11,793.3 inhabitants per square mile (4,553.4/km ). The racial makeup of Santa Ana was 148,838 (45.9%) White (9.2% Non-Hispanic White ), 4,856 (1.5%) African American , 3,260 (1.0%) Native American , 34,138 (10.5%) Asian , 976 (0.3%) Pacific Islander , 120,789 (37.2%) from other races , and 11,671 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 253,928 (78.2%). The census reported that 319,870 people (98.6% of

2160-443: Was established within this valley. In 1810, the first year of the Mexican War of Independence , Jose Antonio Yorba , a sergeant of the Spanish army, was granted land that he called Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana . Yorba's rancho included the lands where the cities of Olive , Orange , Irvine , Yorba Linda , Villa Park , Santa Ana, Tustin , Costa Mesa and unincorporated El Modena , and Santa Ana Heights , are today. This rancho

2208-577: Was succeeded as chief executive officer by his son, C.H. Hoiles , who served until 1981, and then by: Freedom's newspaper portfolio consists of: Los Angeles County Riverside County Regional Orange County Freedom folded its broadcast division in 2012; as a result, none of these stations are currently owned by the company: Notes: 33°45′04″N 117°51′02″W  /  33.7511°N 117.8505°W  / 33.7511; -117.8505 Santa Ana, California Santa Ana ( Spanish for ' Saint Anne ' )

2256-469: Was the fourth-most densely populated city in the United States with a population of 300,000 or more. Santa Ana is nested on flat, low-lying plains with little land elevation change. Running through the west end of the city is the mostly channelized Santa Ana River , which is also largely seasonal due to the construction of the Prado Dam and Seven Oaks Dam . The river caused several severe floods in

2304-582: Was the only land grant in Orange County granted under Spanish Rule . Surrounding land grants in Orange County were granted after Mexican Independence by the new government. After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, Alta California became part of the United States and American settlers arrived in this area. Santa Ana was listed as a township of Los Angeles County in the 1860 and 1870 census, with an area encompassing most of what

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