USA Radio bought by 'new digital kid on block'

WASHINGTON – There's a new kid on the block in the digital media world.

Without much fanfare or notice from industry press or even competitors, a company called Liftable Media has suddenly lifted itself into the top tier of media properties through a binge of acquisitions – the latest one being the venerable USA Radio Networks, founded 30 years ago by the late Marlin Maddoux.

Very quietly, founded only last year by 26-year-old Patrick Brown of Arizona, Liftable Media has joined the top 100 digital properties, according to Quantcast.com, reaching around 40 million unique American visitors a month.

It all started with the creation of social-story website Lifitable.com, followed by the purchase of Thoughtfulwomen.org and WesternJournalism.com in 2014, and then ConservativeTribune.com and TPNN.com in 2015. The purchase of USA Radio Networks is Liftable Media's first foray into a non-digital media platform.

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"USA Radio Networks has been a category leader in providing independent news to hundreds of radio stations around the country and we intend to take that platform and improve on it," said Brown.

USA Radio has two channels devoted to Christian stations and a secular channel aimed at talk-based stations. It also provides both commercial and non-commercial newscasts hourly, 24 hours seven days a week.

"We have lots of ideas we want to implement, all of them aimed at helping our affiliates succeed both in listenership and financially," Brown says about the new radio venture.

Patrick Brown

"Radio is a medium which has experienced huge changes in the past 20 years but it is still viable, particularly in flyover country where many of our affiliates are located. By adding together the reach of our different properties we estimate we will reach over 50 million Americans with over 200 million impressions of original content each and every month. The acquisition of USA Radio Networks will put Liftable Media into an elite category of media firms which have broad cultural impact. We intend to be a force of positive, God-honoring, tradition supporting quality content."

USA Radio Networks was purchased last year by Sam Hassell's Cross Platform Media. Hassell had this to add about the deal: "I am excited that USA and Liftable Media found each other. This is a perfect fit to accelerate our mutual vision with a team that absolutely gets the evolving media landscape – and how to capitalize on it. This is a very smart move for all involved."