Notice to Our Community - Sale of The Bakersfield Californian

After 122 years of ownership, our family is selling The Bakersfield Californian and the other ancillary publications and digital properties owned by our company, TBC Media. We have entered into a definitive agreement to sell these assets to Sound News Media, led by veteran newspaper executive Steven Malkowich, as the new ownership of the newspaper. The parties anticipate that the transaction will be completed on June 30, 2019.

We are honored to have been a steward of the newspaper in Kern County, and have loved being part of this vibrant community and providing it with a relevant and reliable news source. Although we will no longer be owners of these assets, we will continue to be part of this great community. The Bakersfield Californian and those it serves have given our family a deep sense of purpose for well over a century, and serving our community in this way has been a privilege and honor for all of us.

We are grateful to so many. We thank Alfred and Virginia Harrell for purchasing the newspaper in 1897 and building our family’s legacy in Bakersfield, and all of the subsequent generations of our family who helped to support and advance this great newspaper. We thank all of our staff for believing in our mission - your hard work, talent, integrity and dedication have amazed us every day. To our readers, thank you for opening our pages at home, at the office or on your computer or cell phone, and to our advertisers, thank you for believing in our reach and value throughout Kern County. You are all the reason for our efforts.

Throughout the period of our ownership, we have strongly believed in the empowerment and role of verified information for a society's truth, accountability and positive growth. We trust that Bakersfield and Kern County will continue to hold those values highly as the challenging environment facing our business drives change more than ever before.

We are confident that Sound News Media, as the new owner of The Bakersfield Californian and our other media properties, will continue to provide great reader experiences along with highly effective advertising and marketing opportunities. Their valuable experience and expertise in the industry will enable these publications to continue to grow and thrive. We are excited for the promise they hold for the future, and welcome them to Bakersfield and Kern County.

Garret P. (“Peter”) Cowenhoven

Virginia L. (“Ginny”) Cowenhoven

Virginia F. (“Ginger”) Moorhouse