One of the Twin Cities' longest running free publications will be shutting down this week.
City Pages, which is owned and operated by the Star Tribune, announced on Wednesday that City Pages will cease both print and online operations this week. The publication covered the local arts and entertainment scene in the Twin Cities for 40 years and was known for the annual "Best Of" awards.
In a statement, Paul Kasbohm, chief revenue officer of the Star Tribune, says that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the business.
“As you can imagine, the current economic climate for City Pages advertisers has turned from unfavorable to unfeasible. Since City Pages revenue is 100% driven by advertisers and events—and those investments have dropped precipitously—there’s no reasonable financial scenario that would enable us to continue operations in the face of this pandemic. Unfortunately, we foresee no meaningful recovery of these sectors or their advertising investments in the near future, leaving us no other options than to close City Pages.”
With operations ending, all positions with City Pages will be eliminated. A release says that all staffers will receive a severance package.
The final edition of City Pages will be on newsstands this week.
