Home News Politics Sports Things To Do Business Subscribe Sign In Subscribe Sign In STORIES MOST RECENT STORIES High School Punches thrown after Nevada vs. Carlisle boys basketball game Randy Peterson Peterson: Let's explore Iowa State's bowl options, but first, this word about OU Cyclone Insider Otzelberger, Cyclones to face former boss Greg McDermott, Creighton education Johnston School Board ends mask mandate for students, staff H.S. Sports Awards Who made the Register's 2021 All-Iowa football teams? retail Amazon to open 1st physical store in Iowa at Jordan Creek Town Center High School Do recent fights signal the end of postgame handshakes in boys hoops? retail Hy-Vee's Wall to Wall Wine & Spirits brand opens in West Des Moines Crime & Courts Des Moines elementary school placed on lockdown after shots fired recruiting Iowa Eight: Meet the state's top boys basketball prospects in 2021-22 Sale of Meredith Corp. final as Gray Television, IAC/Interactive's Dotdash take over TYLER JETT | Des Moines Register Show Caption The sales of Des Moines-based Meredith Corp.'s broadcasting and magazine divisions closed Wednesday. Following a shareholder vote Tuesday in which 99% of investors approved of the deal, Meredith sold its 17 local TV stations to Atlanta-based Gray Television for $2.8 billion. Meredith then spun off its magazine division to a separate company, which New York-based Dotdash purchased for $2.7 billion. Gray announced in a news release Wednesday that the Meredith deal gives the company the second-most revenue of any local broadcaster in the country, with a foothold in 113 local markets. Among Gray's new stations are channels in Atlanta, Phoenix, Portland, Oregon, and Nashville, Tennessee. The Meredith Corporation downtown Des Moines campus on Monday, Sep. 27, 2021. KELSEY KREMER/THE REGISTER Gray and Meredith first announced the deal in May. The sale will have limited impact in Des Moines, as Meredith's TV division only employed five workers at its corporate headquarters and had no stations in Iowa. “Gray is a far stronger company today with the exciting and transformative addition of Meredith’s excellent television stations and its fine employees,” CEO Hilton Howell said in a statement. Dotdash, meanwhile, takes over Meredith's magazine division, including 39 websites. The division accounted for about two-thirds of Meredith's revenue last year, led by the titles People and Better Homes and Gardens. More: What Dotdash's purchase could mean for Des Moines' Meredith Corporation: Bringing 'an outsider view' Dotdash is a division of the publicly traded tech incubator IAC/Interactive Corp. Owned by former studio executive Barry Diller, IAC/Interactive develops digital companies with the goal of eventually spinning them off at a profit. Dotdash is the product of IAC/Interactive's acquisition in 2012 of About.com, a New York Times-owned site where expert sources posted answers to questions on a variety of subjects. Event co-chairs Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg attend the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts American Songbook Gala at Alice Tully Hall on Tuesday, … Show more EVAN AGOSTINI, EVAN AGOSTINI/INVISION/AP The company rebranded as Dotdash in 2017, breaking up About.com's content into separate lifestyle websites, including the home design site The Spruce and the beauty publication Byrdie. The company runs on what is known as an "intent-driven" journalism model, continuing to write posts that answer questions that attract readers through Google searches. It will now become Dotdash Meredith. IAC leaders have told investors the acquisition marries the strengths of two worlds: the brand recognition of the well-established publications of Meredith, which was founded in Des Moines in 1902, and the tech know-how of the Dotdash team. “No other media company in the world combines this kind of heritage with the scale, speed and power of a digital-first business," Dotdash CEO Neil Vogel said in a news release Wednesday. About.com CEO Neil Vogel ABOUT.COM, FOR USA TODAY More: Here's what to know about Meredith's new boss, Neil Vogel The Dotdash sites are known for loading especially fast, avoiding auto-play videos and pop-up advertisements. The websites deliberately limit ads, which Dotdash leaders say makes for a cleaner user experience that draws more viewers. Ads are matched to the content on a particular page so companies reach the customers they want. The company also directs readers to online retailers, receiving revenue for each sale that comes from a Dotdash click. The IAC team has not yet said what the acquisition will mean for Des Moines, where about 870 Meredith workers are based, though Dotdash has said it will be an important part of the combined companies' operations. Vogel also told investors on a call in November that the Meredith properties will continue to publish printed magazines, though he added, "We're not the guys that are going to change the secular advertising decline on print." More: Meredith Corp. walks back communication about job losses in pending Dotdash sale Tyler Jett covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at tjett@registermedia.com, 515-284-8215, or on Twitter at @LetsJett. Share your feedback to help improve our site! 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