Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in 2015

ParkerGale Capital completed a control investment in Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP), a Brisbane, California-based aviation information and technical-publishing business. The founder, Caroline Daniels, exited and management invested alongside ParkerGale; Charles Picasso was named CEO and ParkerGale said it will pursue international expansion and add-on acquisitions to grow the business.

ChyronHego has acquired Newsroom Solutions, a Charlotte-based provider of data-driven ticker and specialty graphics used by hundreds of U.S. TV stations. The deal strengthens ChyronHego's live-TV news production software suite by adding real-time data presentation capabilities and expands Newsroom Solutions' access to ChyronHego's global product and customer base.

Northern Lights Broadcasting, a subsidiary of the Pohlad Companies, purchased the Minnesota-focused local digital and broadcast news operation of BringMeTheNews, LLC in an asset sale advised by Cherry Tree & Associates. The transaction transfers BringMeTheNews' 24-hour digital news curation operation and related Minnesota assets — including its name and a 28‑station radio network reach — to Northern Lights, while BringMeTheNews' founder refocuses the remaining business under the name PresentNation for national digital news curation.

Wilmington plc has acquired the trading assets and assumed certain liabilities of Financial Research Associates LLC (FRA), a U.S. conference and networking provider focused on healthcare and finance, for up to $20.6 million. The deal strengthens Wilmington's networking capability within its Finance and Insight divisions and expands the Group's presence in North America; FRA's founding management will remain with the business.

Time Inc. acquired Missouri-based FanSided, a network of more than 300 fan-focused sports, entertainment and lifestyle websites that reached roughly 15 million unique visitors per month. Founders Adam and Zach Best (and partner Matt Blake) will join Time Inc. to run FanSided as part of the Sports Illustrated Group; terms were not disclosed.

Sandbox Partners has acquired the Family Education Network (FEN), an edutainment digital network that includes properties such as Poptropica, Funbrain and FamilyEducation, from Pearson. The acquisition positions Sandbox to scale FEN's children's learning and entertainment brands internationally and expand reach to parents, teachers and students across new markets.

blinkx plc completed the all-cash acquisition of All Media Network, LLC, gaining consumer entertainment and music properties including AllMusic, AllMovie, SideReel and Celebified (together reaching over 25 million unique users per month). The deal, funded in late March 2015, is intended to be earnings accretive within the first full year and to strengthen blinkx's digital advertising platform by adding audience scale and editorial talent.

Emerald Expositions, LLC acquired three design- and event-focused brands — Healthcare Design (conference + magazine), Environments For Aging (EFA), and Construction SuperConference (CSC) — from Vendome Group, LLC. The brands and team (based in Cleveland, Ohio) will join Emerald's Design Group; financial terms were not disclosed and Berkery Noyes represented Vendome.

Stagnito Business Information, a portfolio company of Topspin Partners, has acquired a collection of Canadian convenience, foodservice, pharmacy and related B2B media brands and events from Fulcrum Media. The deal expands Stagnito's media and events footprint in Canada and broadens its capabilities across convenience retail, foodservice and pharmacy markets.

Recorded Books, a portfolio company of Wasserstein & Co., LP, acquired 100% of the stock of Tantor Media, Inc. in an all-cash transaction that closed on December 31, 2014. The acquisition adds Tantor's extensive audiobook catalog and production capabilities to Recorded Books' distribution channels, aiming to accelerate growth and expand reach into library, school and retail markets.