Colorado Springs Biz Journal has been sold

Local entrepreneurs have purchased the Independent and its sister publication, the Colorado Springs Business Journal, through their new joint venture, Pikes Peak Media Co., reports Andrea Chalfin of KRCC.

Chalfin reports, “Local businessman Roth has spearheaded the development of the Sunset Amphitheater in northeastern Colorado Springs through his company Notes Live. O’Neil is founder and CEO of the investment company The O’Neil Group, whose ventures include the Catalyst Campus near downtown Colorado Springs.

“The Pikes Peak Media Company purchase of the Independent and Business Journal comes after ongoing funding issues that included a move to a non-profit model and an ill-fated attempt to combine brands into one publication. The purchase includes all associated brands, trademarks, copyrights and events associated with the papers.

“Former Independent publisher Fran Zankowski will resume the role on an interim basis and will oversee a search for a new editor, publisher and additional editorial staff. It’s unclear if former senior reporter Pam Zubeck, who remained after others in the newsroom had been laid off, is slated to return.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.