Owensboro Times & Tanner Publishing merge under Black Box Media

Two of the area’s most recognized media companies have officially joined forces. Owensboro Times and Tanner Publishing Co. have merged under a new parent company, Black Box Media, uniting their shared mission of delivering meaningful, local storytelling across a growing lineup of publications.

The merger formalizes what has already been a close working relationship. Owensboro Times and the team behind Tanner’s magazines — Owensboro Living, Owensboro Parent, Henderson Family, and Bluegrass Unlimited — have long collaborated on content, events, and strategy. Now, they’re operating as one integrated company with a focus on elevating community journalism and lifestyle coverage across western Kentucky.

Tanner Publishing was founded by Jason Tanner in 2011 with the launch of Owensboro Parent, a free family-focused magazine. That success led to the creation of Owensboro Living, a lifestyle magazine covering people, places, and culture in the city. Henderson Family followed in 2016 to bring similar content to a neighboring community. Most recently, Tanner Publishing acquired the national publication Bluegrass Unlimited, which highlights the country’s biggest names in bluegrass.

Tanner, a graphic designer and photographer, was inspired to create Owensboro Parent during one of the most difficult periods of his life. After his oldest daughter underwent open-heart surgery in Nashville at age 2, he and his wife Natalie found themselves drawn to a parenting magazine in Davidson County during those frequent hospital visits.

“We loved it. Things to do, places to visit, great stories — the kind of thing I thought would be a perfect addition to our community here in Owensboro,” Tanner said. “From that first magazine, we made a decision that we only wanted to create what we felt were the highest quality publications. We put all our energy into creating a product that we were proud of and felt represented our changing and growing town.”

That commitment to quality expanded into other cities and brands. Tanner Publishing began creating custom publications for partners like Owensboro Health, Independence Bank, and the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce. Their creative output also led to the launch of Tanner+West, a branding and advertising agency known for nationally recognized video work.

Tanner+West earned a Regional Emmy and national acclaim for their commercial for Glenn Family Services, a local business owned by the family of Christy Taylor Chaney, who now co-owns Tanner Publishing and co-founded Owensboro Times. The TV spot, Between the Lines, was praised for its emotional storytelling and authentic use of local settings.

That project also marked a turning point in Tanner and Chaney’s working relationship. Collaborating on the concept and execution, they realized they had a strong creative rhythm — Tanner driving the visuals and Chaney shaping the messaging.
“It just clicked,” Chaney said. “We found we worked really well together, and that stuck with us.”

Chaney is a lifelong Owensboro resident with a passion for creative entrepreneurship and community storytelling. In 2010, she co-founded Studio Slant with her sister, Katherine Taylor, opening a gift boutique and art gallery that brought handmade goods and curated flair to the local retail scene. The pair also launched the East Bridge Arts and Music Festival, which grew from 25 artists in its first year to more than 100 artists and 30,000 visitors within 5 years.
When her sister stepped away to raise a family, Chaney shifted into digital marketing, becoming co-director of D2DM, a firm founded by her husband, Travis Chaney. She now serves as director of digital marketing and co-director of events, focusing on brand strategy, client engagement, and high-impact gifting experiences.

Chaney previously spent 17 years as a funeral director, helping families share meaningful stories about their loved ones. That experience naturally evolved into a broader focus on telling the stories of the living — highlighting the people and places that define her hometown.
In 2018, the Chaneys joined Tanner to launch Owensboro Times as a digital-only news source. It quickly grew into a trusted outlet for breaking news, government coverage, sports, and feature stories. OT, which remains the only locally owned news outlet in Daviess County, launched a quarterly print edition in 2025.

Now, all five publications — each retaining its unique identity — will operate as brands under Black Box Media. Each magazine continues to have a dedicated editor, while shared roles such as photography, design, and ad sales now work across all titles.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we built with Tanner Publishing, and I’m equally excited about what’s ahead under this new structure,” Tanner said. “We’ve got an amazing team in place. They care deeply about the communities we serve, and I trust them to take these publications to the next level.”

Chaney added, “This merger is really the natural next step. Our teams were already working so closely together behind the scenes that it just made sense to make it official. We believe this is going to make each individual publication stronger—more creative, more consistent, and more community-focused.”

Chaney and Tanner are, by their own admission, complete opposites, but that contrast is exactly what makes the partnership work. Along with OT Managing Editor Ryan Richardson, they lead a team committed to telling the real stories of Owensboro with creativity, clarity, and just the right amount of chaos.

“Jason makes everything better,” Chaney said. “He takes thoughts I pluck out of the air and turns them into visuals that actually tell the story. It’s like creative telepathy — only with more deadlines.”

Richardson, the managing editor of Owensboro Times, has been named publisher of all magazine brands in addition to his current editorial role with OT. He said the combined team is already working together to raise the bar on content and streamline internal communication.
“We’ve got editors who are passionate about their communities, a designer and a photographer each with an incredible eye, and a sales rep who knows what local businesses need,” Richardson said. “The best part is, our team already works so well together, and it’s going to show in every issue and every story. We’re not just merging on paper — we’re building something new and exciting that gives our readers more value, more convenience, and more access to local stories.”

Black Box Media is also developing a new subscription model that will allow readers to sign up for a bundled package: home delivery of the print magazines and daily delivery of the Owensboro Times email newsletter, all at a low cost.

More details on the subscription package and new projects will be announced in the coming months.