Tallahassee-based News Service of Florida sold to GovExec media group

Tallahassee Democrat
·2 min read

The Tallahassee-based News Service of Florida — which specializes in state government news, among other coverage — announced this week it had been bought by GovExec, a Washington, D.C.-based media group.

The News Service joins the company's "City & State" platform, which covers New York and Pennsylvania, according to a press release. The sale price was not disclosed.

GovExec's other brands include Route Fifty, a website that focuses on "technology and innovation at the state and local level."

Recent News Service stories:

The company said it plans to offer "member-only events" across the state, offer "comprehensive" government directories, as well as "polling data and an exclusive database of candidates running for state and federal office in Florida."

What follows is a brief Q&A with Tim Hartman, CEO of GovExec, on the immediate next steps for this local business. (Disclosure: The Democrat and several other Florida newspapers in the USA TODAY Network are News Service subscribers.):

Q: Who approached whom first about the deal?

Hartman: We initially reached out to (News Service) parent company State House News about a year ago. We have a list of businesses that we think are compelling as a strategic fit.

Q: Why was the News Service in particular chosen as an acquisition rather than, say, starting a presence from scratch?

Hartman: News Service of Florida has a strong reputation and a very loyal subscriber base in a politically consequential state. It is an essential read in Florida politics, and you just can’t build that overnight. All of that creates great opportunities for new products and expansion, which is really what we are most interested in.

Q: Will the operation’s name change to “City & State Florida”?

Hartman: Both brands will be used for the foreseeable future. News Service of Florida will continue to be the name we use for the existing products. Then we plan to expand the City & State brand to Florida, offering deeper coverage, new events, podcasts and newsletters that complement the news service.

Q: Can you say whether you will retain all current employees?

Hartman: Yes. And we plan to significantly expand the staff as well.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: News Service of Florida sold to GovExec media group