What 5280 magazine's new owner plans to do
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Illustration: Courtesy of 5280
The new owner of 5280 magazine has Mile High aspirations.
State of play: Charity Huff, a prominent Denver media entrepreneur and digital advertising leader, purchased the venerable magazine earlier this week from founder Daniel Brogan for an undisclosed sum.
- She's promising to lead the publication into a new era that embraces its print legacy while pushing its digital presence.
- Expect to see more pages in the 55,000 copies per issue, more content on digital platforms and more events.
What she's saying: "5280 is something special, and I want it to be bigger and everywhere in Denver," she said in an interview Wednesday.
- "It welcomed me to the city when I moved here 27 years ago, and I know it's done the same for countless other people that wanted to be in Denver, wanted to be connected to Colorado."
The big picture: The move comes as the national magazine industry shrinks — both in terms of the pages and consumer reach. But digital-focused media companies are seeing an opportunity to transform traditional publications and spur growth.
- Huff, who will take the role of publisher, remains bullish about the potential, calling the print product "the anchor of this brand" and saying it remains valuable to advertisers.
Between the lines: The magazine wasn't on the market when Huff approached him about buying it, said Brogan, who led the publication for three decades.
- But after they talked, he said he realized she "checked the boxes of what I really wanted in the next owner — being local, being independent."
What's next: No major redesign is planned, but the logo is going to be everywhere, Huff said, with new events planned for 2025.