Former Rocky Mountain News staffers have defected from , an online news source, to form their own Internet news magazine, .
The online venture is spearheaded by former Rocky business writer David Milstead and former sports staffer Steve Foster.
The two parted company with . when the website failed to reach its business-plan goal of 50,000 subscribers. The future of that website isn’t clear.
“We wanted to get out there and announce we were still intending to do something,” Milstead said. “We didn’t want to publicly state specific goals or a timeline for success or failure.”
. has set up a website, with content to come. Unlike ., the new website will be initially financed by the dozen or so journalists working for the site, with ongoing support from membership and ad sales.
“We own the company rather than giving away half of it,” Milstead said about the . business model, which was funded by three local businessmen.
“In the beginning, a few thousand dollars can come in handy for incidental costs,” Milstead said. “At this point, we do not have any non-journalists putting in money.”
. launched March 16 with about 30 staff members after the Rocky folded. The website intended to attract 50,000 subscribers but instead garnered roughly 3,000.
. also will partner with ., the website started by Rocky employees when owner E.W. Scripps put the paper up for sale. The new site will link to ., which will relaunch May 20.
Sweet revenge.
Larry McDonald didn’t get mad, he got even.
After a dispute with his business partner in JR’s — at one time Denver’s most successful gay bar — McDonald found himself out of a job with no recourse.
So he took a break at Aspen’s Gay Ski Week when opportunity knocked. Denver nightclub king Regas Christou proposed a partnership with McDonald on a new gay bar, Mo’s (yes, it’s short for homos) at 1037 Broadway.
The joint is open from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. nightly, with happy-hour specials from 3 to 8. A piano bar rocks the place Tuesdays, and Thursdays feature a DJ dance club.
The seen.
Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and his wife, Wilma, as well as former ProLogis chief executive Jeff Schwartz, at the Nuggets game Wednesday.
Eavesdropping
on a man and a woman: “We’re having a baby in December.”
“What kind?”
“Human.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-AM (630). Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@ .
