InterMedia

InterMedia

Founded in 1991 by Peter S. Kaufman and Leo Hindery Jr., InterMedia Partners emerged from the intersection of Wall Street restructuring expertise and hands-on cable-operating experience. Kaufman, a former First Boston banker, specialized in distressed media assets, while Hindery brought executive operating chops from the cable industry. The firm structured itself around acquiring controlling stakes in mid-market media and telecom businesses where operational intervention could unlock value, a thesis that shaped its first two decades. The firm navigates buyouts across media, cable television, broadband, and targeted business-information services. InterMedia typically pursues control investments, often stepping into complex carve-outs or distressed situations where it can install operating partners or restructure balance sheets. Its portfolio has included Oxygen Media, a cable network co-founded with Oprah Winfrey and Geraldine Laybourne; InterMedia also held a major stake in TV One, the African-American targeted cable network. Geographically, the firm concentrates on US-based assets, occasionally extending into English-language Canadian media properties. Its deal structure frequently blends private equity capital with management operating agreements, allowing principals to take interim executive roles. InterMedia operates from New York with a lean partnership structure. The firm has historically raised capital on a deal-by-deal or committed-fund basis, rather than maintaining a continuously deployed mega-fund. In addition to its core buyout activities, the firm has navigated several high-profile exits, including the sale of its stake in TV One to Comcast and Radio One in 2015. More recently, InterMedia has focused on information services and events businesses, acquiring companies like the National Journal Group. The firm's principals, particularly Kaufman and Hindery, have maintained personal profiles in media and political circles, with Hindery serving as chair of the YES Network and an outspoken advocate on labor and economic policy issues. Structurally, InterMedia blurs the line between a committed fund manager and a permanent-capital holding company. Much of its capital historically came from a small group of institutional limited partners such as pension funds, alongside the general partners' own co-investment. This structure gives the firm patience on holding periods — it can own an asset for a decade or more if the operational turnaround requires it, a posture that sets it apart from fixed-life blind-pool funds.