New York is home to some of the biggest media companies in the country, like Condé Nast, The New York Times Co., News Corp., Hearst and Time Warner, just to name a few.

This year, those companies were imperiled, struggling to survive like many other companies around the world. But as print media disputed declarations that its days were numbered, these once-great companies that made their money from print pubs were fighting hard to keep their heads above water. In order to do that they made some decisions — like bringing in new investors, closing publications and selling them off. It was in no way a big year for media deals, but there were a few. Below, our list of the biggest business stories to come out of the New York media world this year.

Bloomberg LP Buys BusinessWeek

After seeking a buyer for BusinessWeek for most of the fall, publisher McGraw-Hill finally cut a deal with Bloomberg LP, which snapped up the magazine in October. The result? Bloomberg BusinessWeek, a new vision of the mag that has a new editor and a smaller staff.

After the jump, Carlos Slim invests in the Times, classical music and the Comcast-NBCU deal.

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New York public radio station WNYC just announced that it has purchased classical music station WQXR from The New York Times, promising to maintain its classical format and transform it into a public radio station.

As part of the deal, Univision Radio Inc. will pay $33.5 million to swap its FCC broadcast license for 105.9 FM and transmitting equipment for the New York Times Co.‘s license, equipment, and signal at 96.3 FM. Then WNYC will pay the Times Co. $11.5 million for 105.9 FM’s FCC broadcast license, transmitting equipment, WQXR’s call letters and Web site.

WNYC, the largest AM/FM radio station in the U.S., will maintain WQXR’s 73-year history of broadcasting classical music, but will move the station to 105.9 FM. Univision will be moving its WCAA station to 96.3 FM, a move that Gary Stone, president and COO of Univision Radio said would give “the Hispanic population of New York and the surrounding area…more diversity in music, entertainment and news, while classical music will continue to have a home.”

The $45 million deal, which is subject to FCC approval, is expected to close during the second half of the year and WQXR is expected to begin airing at its new spot on the dial in October.

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