YCN Sweepstakes 10 year anniversary celebration
Jonathan McNiven
Well, Folks, this week marks our 10-year anniversary of owning the Yellowstone County News. Sometimes I wonder where did the time go? Other times, I wonder what in the world did I get myself into? However, I’m amazed looking back how much we’ve been able to do and how far we have come.
I remember asking some close family and friends what they thought about us purchasing the newspaper back on October 1, 2014. Some were very supportive as others were very against a “dying industry”. However, I’m glad we did it as it has been one of the best business decisions in my life.
However, I remember signing the paperwork at the Yellowstone Valley Electric Cooperative office in Huntley and getting it notarized. I remember the anxiety I had in owning a new business I had no idea how to run. I remember starting out for the first two months in the back little office of the R&R Trading and then moving to a little closet next door for about five years. We were a very little family business and trying to find our way as we went. I remember the many nights working until about two or three in the morning as I was trying to figure out the new programs. I remember the insecurities I felt not knowing really what to expect, but somehow, found my way through it and just started working as if it all depended on myself while secretly praying as if it all depended on the Lord.
I remember my first story about the record black bear that was shot and killed by Adam Vogel in Worden. I remember Dan Vogel calling me and telling me that I needed to come out and take a look at this black bear. (I did not think it was going to be that big of a bear until I saw it with my own eyes.) I’m glad they had a truck scale there to weigh it as it was huge. I remember taking pictures with my camera just to document it as I figured there would be people thinking I’m putting out fake news in our first week’s paper edition.
I didn’t know how to write articles, manage staff, complete weekly deadlines, complete payroll, operate a program called InDesign, use Photoshop, and all the aspects of running a business. The only thing I knew how to do was work hard and believe in myself.
I remember announcing to the public that I would be stepping down from my position as a state representative to run the newly bought weekly newspaper only after basically one month of owning it. I kept at it week after week, month after month and year after year putting out a weekly newspaper every week with a deadline which now makes 10 years this week.
Now, here’s some big milestones we’ve accomplished in the 10 years of owning the newspaper.
10/1/2014 – Jonathan & Tana bought YCN Newspaper,
1/1/2015 – launched Yellowstone County News Website
6/20/17 – YCN chosen as official Publication of Record for the City of Billings for all legal advertising,
10/1/2019 – YCN chosen as Official Publication of Record for Yellowstone County for all legal advertising.
11/20/18 Announced 1st YCN Snap Shot – Photo Contest.
3/1/2019 – Announced 1st Annual Best of Yellowstone County Awards annual recognition in YCN paper.
6/7/19 – Announced 1st Annual Dig It Days to be completed in August 2019.
9/13/19, first YCN Sports broadcast with HP/SHS football game going into double over time, audio from computer, not head sets.
9/13/19 – First YCN Sports Stream & Broadcast HP vs. SHS FB.
2020 Covid year of masks, doing our first state tournament in Shelby.
8/11/20 – Bought KFHW 101.1 FM Radio station from Dave Riley.
10/1/2020 – Moved into our new building on the corner of Nahmis Ave. and Northern Ave. (Staff moved home to work during Covid.)
8/25/20 – Started 2nd YCN Sports Stream to cover HP & SHS.
5/13/22–Published biggest paper to date at 40 pages.
9/9/22- started 3rd Stream on YCN Sports to accommodate Skyview Sports.
9/16/22 — First time ever to complete four- game broadcast at the same time for YCN Sports with one on YCN Radio only.
1/1/2024 – Completed nine years in a row as the #1 Statewide Display Advertiser (out of 63 newspapers).
6/23/24 – Recognized as #1 Newspaper in General Excellence Award (Division 3) from the Montana Newspaper Association.
9/1/2024 – Took over legal advertising for Billings Times as their newspaper closed down.
Now, to celebrate this 10-year milestone with our readers and subscribers, we are announcing 50 YCN Sweepstakes numbers in this week’s paper. If your YCN Sweepstakes number was chosen and is within those 50 chosen numbers, then hurry and call our office with your YCN Sweepstakes number, and we will give you $50 each cash, but it will only be for the first ten subscribers who find their four- digit number in our 10-year anniversary celebration ad. (If you don’t know what your YCN Sweepstakes number is, it’s the four digit number to the right of your mailing address on the front of the newspaper.) We’ll have a total of $500 that we will be giving away for the first ten subscribers who find their YCN Sweepstakes number in the ad.
Good luck and thank you to all those who have supported us, subscribed, and helped us be the #1 Best Newspaper!
Until then, see you in the paper and listening to YCN Sports at www.ycnsports.com
JDM
