Chris Keating, formerly chief operating officer of Euclid Media Group, purchased four of its publications this week.
LEO Weekly has a new owner — but that owner may look a bit like the old one.Chris Keating, previously the chief operating officer of Euclid Media Group, announced today that he has completed his purchase of four of the eight alt-weekly newspapers previously owned by the publishing company. Keating will now own and operate the Riverfront Times, Detroit Metro Times, Cincinnati CityBeat and LEO Weekly under the rubric of Big Lou Holdings LLC.
Keating is a longtime newspaper publisher with 25 years in the industry. He was part of the group that formed Euclid Media Group in 2013.
Based in St. Louis, Keating says he intends to be hands-on owner who is deeply committed to publishing journalism that challenges the status quo and explores the best in food, drink, music, nightlife and cannabis in four markets. He notes that LEO remains under the leadership of Editor in Chief Erica Rucker, along with the supporting team of Marsha Blacker and Elizabeth Knapp.
“LEO has a long tradition of excellence, and I plan to continue that,” said Keating. “Whether it’s great restaurant criticism or a deeply reported story that explains the most important issues facing our communities, people rely on these publications. I intend to make sure they not only survive but thrive in this new era.”
Euclid Media Group also successfully completed the sale this week of the four other publications in its portfolio — San Antonio Current, Orlando Weekly, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay and Cleveland Scene. Those publications have been purchased by Michael Wagner, who was also previously a chief operating officer of the company.
