[citation needed] In January 1881, a new rival newspaper, the Evening Light, was first published by A. W. Gifford and J. P. Newcomb, who had been an early investor in the Express.

In 1911 Harrison L. Beach and Charles S. Diehl, veteran correspondents of national standing, moved to San Antonio and bought the Light and Gazette.

Beach and Diehl installed leased wire news service and published the first full stock market reports in a San Antonio paper.

[citation needed] The 1920s was marked by expansion by Express Publishing as the company started one of the city's first radio stations, WOAI, in 1922.

However, the Light skyrocketed to the top of the market when it acquired a number of popular comic strips, like Dick Tracy.

[citation needed] In 1973, with the Light beating both the Express and the News in circulation numbers, a new ownership group emerged.

The Light was now forced to compete against two different styles of newspaper while at the same time trying to combat the growing costs of an afternoon circulation.

[citation needed] By September 1984, the Express and the News merged into the San Antonio Express-News and afternoon service was slowly discontinued, while the Light started getting into the morning circulation business in order to keep up.

The Hearst Corporation, which still owned the Light, agreed to either sell or close the newspaper and acquire the Express-News in order to keep its stake in the San Antonio market.

Following this move, employees began transitioning back to in-person work, and the news organization now operates under a hybrid model.