Washington, D.C. (January 3, 2022) -- GovExec, the leading information services and insights company for government leaders and contractors, has acquired News Service of Florida, the state’s most comprehensive and in-depth source of political and policy news. The acquisition will become a part of GovExec’s City & State (CS) platform, which also operates in New York and Pennsylvania. Today’s acquisition builds on GovExec’s highly strategic acquisitions the company has carried out over the last year to reinforce its commitment to actionable intelligence and decision support tools for government leaders and contractors. The announcement was made today by Tim Hartman, CEO, GovExec. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Peter Goldstone, Chairman of GovExec, served as an advisor, and the deal was completed with financial support from mid-market private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners (GCP). 

News Service of Florida will continue to provide unmatched coverage of Florida State House issues relied upon by its loyal subscribers, state and local government leaders, as well as other media outlets in and around Florida. Simultaneously, the City & State team will build out its newest and first southern locale, City & State Florida, with new product offerings, events and more. News Service of Florida will serve as the newest addition to GovExec’s strong state and local portfolio, which includes The Atlas for Cities, Route Fifty, City & State New York, and City & State Pennsylvania. 

“We continue to build a powerful network of assets in state and local government, ” said Tim Hartman. “Now having the City & State brand in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida, we see an incredible opportunity for future expansion, delivering even more trusted news and connections between government leaders and those who support them.”

"We are incredibly excited about becoming part of GovExec. The News Service has worked hard to become Florida's most-trusted source of news about state government, politics and legal issues. The move to GovExec will provide a great opportunity to expand on that success,” said Executive Editor Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida.

This year the company plans to expand the News Service of Florida subscription to include member-only events across the state; comprehensive legislative directories of Florida’s Executive, Judicial, House, Senate and Congressional branches of government; and election resources such as polling data and an exclusive database of candidates running for state and federal office in Florida. In addition, the company will also start producing and publishing its First Read daily newsletter, Power Lists and events, the other core components of City & State’s business model. 

“Our goal is to deliver the highest-quality journalism and analysis to the leaders of Florida,” said Tom Allon, General Manager of the City & State portfolio. “As we've done in New York and Pennsylvania, we plan to become an indispensable part of the day for Florida's political community.” 

Launched in 2008, News Service Florida reaches state and local government leaders, local media outlets in print, online, radio and TV, and lobbyists, and corporations and associations that need to stay apprised of legislative issues that impact their businesses. The company will continue to provide comprehensive and in-depth policy news.

GovExec’s investment, marketing prowess and powerful state and local offerings, including The Atlas for Cities, City & State New York, City & State Pennsylvania, and Route Fifty, will bring added infrastructure, resources and exposure to the state and local government community.

News Service Florida will remain headquartered  in Tallahassee, Florida. The new team will report to Tom Allon, General Manager of City & State. News Service of Florida was advised on the transaction by James McDonald of Grimes McGovern and Associates.

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About GovExec:

As the market-leading information platform, for over fifty years GovExec has empowered the government ecosystem to engage and support government leaders as they work to achieve their missions across federal, defense, and state and local agencies. All powered by the largest and most sophisticated database in the public sector, GovExec’s platform services are three-fold—data that informs, media that connects, and marketing services that activate. Reaching 3.3 million government influencers each month, GovExec’s brand and platform portfolio includes Government Executive, GovTribe, Market Connections, Nextgov, Public Sector 360, Government Contracting Institute, Government Marketing University, Defense One, Military Periscope, The Atlas for Cities, Route Fifty, City & State New York, City & State Pennsylvania, Professional Development Academy, and a strategic investment in Power Almanac.

About News Service of Florida:

The News Service of Florida is the state’s most comprehensive and in-depth source of political and policy news. We have the largest capitol news bureau in the state. Our subscribers depend on us for timely, unbiased, and detailed coverage of state government, including legislative and budgetary issues, the courts, the Florida economy and much more. 

Media Contact
Liz Stein
lstein@govexec.com | (240) 461-3053