Categories: OLD Media Moves

Founder of Boston, Providence business journals dies

Robert C. Bergenheim, the former Boston Herald American publisher who co-founded the Boston Business Journal and Providence Business News, died on Saturday at the age of 86.

William Hamilton and Ted Nesi of the Business News write that after being publisher of the Herald American, “Bergenheim then became vice president of legal affairs, human relations and public relations at Boston University, where he had previously served as a trustee. He negotiated a series of settlements with BU’s unions during a period of bitter labor strife at the school, and worked for the university until 1987.

“At the same time, Bergenheim launched the Boston Business Journal, seeing an opening for a weekly newspaper focused on the local business scene, and in 1986 he expanded the franchise to Providence.

“Two years later, the Bergenheims sold the Boston Business Journal, Boston Business magazine – another Bergenheim startup – and half-ownership of PBN to a Minneapolis-based publishing company. They bought back full control of the Providence weekly in 1990. In 1995, they also founded the weekly Newport Observer, which closed down a year later.”