$50 million plus assumption of pension liabilities. He increased staff and added new sections at the Orange County Register and began a new daily, the Long Beach Register. In January 2014, however, he announced heavy layoffs in Orange County and at the Riverside Press-Enterprise, which he also owned. The Register launched a Los Angeles edition, the Los Angeles Register, on April 16, 2014, but the venture ended five months later. The Long Beach Register became a Sunday-only publication in June 2014, and ceased publication in December 2014. Freedom closed the sale of The Gazette (Colorado Springs) to Clarity Media, a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, on November 30, 2012. In 2013, Freedom Communications sold the Yuma Sun and the Porterville Recorder to Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers and the Appeal-Democrat to Horizon Publications. In 2014, Freedom sold the Daily Press and the Desert Dispatch to New Media Investment Group. On November 1, 2015, Freedom Communications filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In January, Freedom closed several of its weekly papers in Orange County. On March 21, 2016 a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of Freedom Communications and its two major newspapers, the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise to Digital First Media (DFM). DFM is the parent of the Los Angeles News Group (LANG), which was renamed the Southern California News Group on the same day, and which owns eleven daily newspapers in Southern California. Leadership Founder and chief executive officer R.C. Hoiles led Freedom until his death in 1970. He was succeeded as chief executive officer by his son, C.H. Hoiles, who served until 1981, and then by: D.R. Segal (1981–1992) James N. Rosse (1992–1999) Samuel C. Wolgemuth (1999–2002) Alan Bell (2002–2006) Scott N. Flanders (2006–2009) Burl Osborne (2009–2010) Mitchell Stern (2010–2012) Aaron Kushner (2012–2015) Rich Mirman (2015−2016) Newspapers Freedom's newspaper portfolio consists of: Los Angeles County Weekly newspapers: Easy Reader of Hermosa Beach (managed by Freedom pursuant to long-term agreement); includes 3 Easy Reader magazines: Beach Peninsula People Drop Zone Riverside County The Press-Enterprise of Riverside Weekly newspaper: Desert Enterprise of Palm Springs Regional Unidos en el Sur de California (regional Spanish-language weekly) Orange County The Orange County Register of Santa Ana Weekly newspapers: Anaheim Hills News of Anaheim Hills Anaheim Bulletin of Anaheim Capistrano Valley News of San Juan Capistrano The Current of Newport Beach Dana Point News of Dana Point Fountain Valley View of Fountain Valley