Slightly more than a month after CityBeat publisher Tony Frank joined Cincinnati Magazine, the biweekly arts and entertainment tabloid owner was talking to Covington-based LINK Media about acquiring the paper.
“This deal came together incredibly quickly. It was only five weeks from the first conversation with CityBeat's previous owner to our closing on Dec. 5,” says Lacy Starling, LINK Media CEO and publisher. Starling, who announced in July that she was leaving by the end of this year, has decided to stay and oversee the multiple publications.
The sale was finalized Friday, Dec. 5, for an undisclosed amount, LINK Media announced Wednesday.
City Beat, founded in 1994 by Jon Fox and Thomas Schiff, will continue “covering arts, culture and community vibrancy in the urban core of Cincinnati” on its bi-weekly schedule, LINK Media said. LINK nky “will maintain its regional news focus and Northern Kentucky identity," it said.
CityBeat’s three full-time employees will join LINK Media.
All CityBeat operations, “including advertising sales, design and print production, will move under LINK Media’s umbrella. Previously managed from Detroit and St. Louis, these back-end functions will now be brought in-house, creating a fully local operational foundation and streamlining workflows so the editorial team can stay focused on community-first reporting,” the company announced.
LINK Media managers boasted that acquiring the legacy alternative publication will strengthen “independent, sustainable local journalism” at a time that many news outlets are shedding reporters or shuttering their doors completely.
“We were presented with an opportunity to support a publication that has served Greater Cincinnati for decades,” said Greg Fischer, chair of LINK Media’s Managing Board, in the media release.
"At our core, we believe in public interest journalism and delivering news that helps communities stay informed, connected, and engaged. CityBeat’s mission closely aligns with these values, and LINK Media is well-positioned to support its long-term sustainability. While this move is strategic, it’s also an investment in a partnership that can strengthen local storytelling and expand the reach of a publication that has long served as a cultural anchor in our region,” Fischer said.
Some CityBeat arts and entertainment coverage will appear on the LINK nky website and print publications, Starling says.
“We are excited about being able to add CityBeat arts and culture coverage to LINK nky, when it makes sense for our readers and coverage areas, and vice versa. If the LINK nky staff writes a story that would be of interest to CityBeat readers, we'll share it there as well,” she says.
CityBeat’s foundation was shook in September, when publisher Frank left for Cincinnati Magazine, and took his seven Cincinnati Food Week events with him. Frank had worked with Fox at CityBeat until Fox was named Cincinnati Magazine’s editor-in-chief in 2017. Frank is now the magazine’s business development director.
Frank started Food Week in 2015 to provide affordable, limited-time meals. It grew into seven themed food weeks: a spring and fall Restaurant Week, Taco Week, Pizza Week, Chili Week, Burger Week and Wing Week.
CityBeat owner Chris Keating said in the statement that “it was crucial to find a partner that values local storytelling. LINK Media brings dedication and support needed to help this publication continue to grow and succeed,” said Keating, whose Big Lou Holdings LLC also owns media properties in St. Louis, Louisville, Detroit and Cleveland.
Lacy says the challenges of expanding the LINK Media operation led her to decide to stay at the organization. She helped found LINK nky in 2021 with Michael Monks, former WVXU-FM Cincinnati Edition host and Covington's River City News owner, and Mark Collier, who published Fort Thomas Matters.
“These decisions are always complex and multi-faceted, but this expansion opportunity was definitely a significant factor in my decision to stay,” Starling says.
“This acquisition represents a pivotal moment for LINK Media. My skill set has always been focused on scaling organizations in a way to strengthen their mission and increase impact. I plan to stay as long as the board and I agree that I am the right leader.”
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