A new power in conservative media

A player in Christian and talk radio stations is buying up popular conservative websites -- moves that could make Salem Communications the next big thing in right-wing media.

The California-based company has recently gobbled up sites that reach millions of readers, like Michelle Malkin’s Twitchy.com, the Eagle Publishing group which is home to RedState.com, HumanEvents.com and the conservative publishing house Regnery. The Salem empire already includes more than 100 Christian and conservative talk-radio stations and several Christian-themed websites, as well as HotAir.com and TownHall.com. Though Salem doesn’t appear to be planning major changes to the sites, media experts say the move represents a bid to consolidate the huge conservative market and power up the company’s effort to reach beyond its core conservative Christian devotees to possibly become more of a powerful political force on the right. The consolidation Salem is undertaking is unlike anything seen on the left, where media efforts are generally much more individualized. With the expansion, Salem is well-positioned to expand its audience -- and its conservative influence -- by tapping a new group of listeners and readers described by one media observer as those who are “the sister or cousin” of the hardcore Tea Party member who’s already tuned in.