For 134 years, the Alliance Times-Herald has been there to report on local news and keep citizens informed about what is happening in their community. Kathryn Kellar and Shaun Friedrichsen wish to continue that tradition while honoring the publication’s history after purchasing the media company.
Kellar and Friedrichsen, who live in Alliance, signed the agreement with the Seaton family, making the sale official last Wednesday.
The Seaton family has owned the Alliance Times-Herald since 1949. After the deal was signed, the Alliance Times-Herald became Box Butte County’s only locally and family owned newspaper. Friedrichsen and Kellar, who are celebrating their recent engagement, are excited for the opportunity to continue to serve the community and to record its history.
“The Alliance Times-Herald has a rich history from the time it was formed in 1887 leading to present day,” said Friedrichsen. “Seeing that history made the agreement very attractive. There are not many businesses that have remained open for 134 years, and it’s my goal to see the publication remain open for many more years to come.
“As I was reading through the history of the Times-Herald, I stumbled upon a quote that sums up our goal as a media company: ‘The Times-Herald records your history, the city history and the history of Box Butte County in print.’ One of the many things I find appealing about working in the news industry is that our records are used by many people for many different projects. Almost every week, we receive calls or emails asking to see an article from 2013, or an obituary that ran in 1947. It just reinforces what we do, and how we make a difference in the community we serve. That makes it a joy to come to work every day.”
Friedrichsen graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a degree in writing and political science. While in college, he worked at the Fairbury Journal News, his hometown newspaper, where he returned to work as News Editor and Director of Fairbury TV after graduating. In 2016, he formed an online media company. Friedrichsen worked for a brief period at the Keith County News before moving to Alliance.
“I have had a lot of great experience in the industry throughout my life, and I hope to implement the things I have learned throughout my career at the Alliance Times-Herald,” said Friedrichsen. “I can’t wait to hit the ground running with the great staff we have here at the Times-Herald.”
Kellar, originally from Ohio, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She started her career in Ogallala as a staff writer where she worked for several years before working at Lee Enterprises’ regional design center in Indiana. From there Kellar joined Friedrichsen in Alliance taking over circulation, design, legals and classifieds. In her first few months at the Times-Herald, Kellar initiated a redesign of the paper to modernize the look and use of space.
“Throughout my entire career in print newspaper I have seen so many unique designs implemented in both large and small papers,” Kellar said. “I hope to have the Times-Herald always evolving and doing new and exciting things. Shaun and I have several new and exciting projects we want to accomplish and look forward to implementing them. Alliance has been our home for a while and we decided to invest in something we believe in. We believe in not only the paper, but also the historical building that is rich with local history.”
Kellar and Friedrichsen are two of the youngest newspaper owners in Nebraska.