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The New Colorado Springs Independent

Pikes Peak Media Company Leads Revival of the Colorado Springs Independent and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Colorado Springs, CO- February 15, 2024- Entrepreneurs Kevin O’Neil and JW Roth have established Pikes Peak Media Company (PPMC) and, through this new venture, have taken ownership of two key local publications, The Colorado Springs Independent and the Colorado Springs Business Journal. This strategic move aims to revive and sustain these publications, while ensuring that these critical components of the Colorado Springs media landscape remain operational and under local ownership.

Former Colorado Spring Independent Publisher, Fran Zankowski, has been named Interim Publisher and will oversee the search for a new Editor, Publisher and additional Editorial Staff. Fran most recently oversaw the Colorado Springs Independent and Colorado Springs Business Journal until its closing in December of 2023 and was previously with the publications for over a decade.  

“The Colorado Springs Independent and the Colorado Springs Business Journal have a 30-year legacy of outstanding journalism,” said Fran Zankowski, Interim Publisher. “Collaborating with JW and Kevin has been exciting as we propel the papers to new heights with expanded city-wide coverage. With their advocacy, the publications are set to grow and become a thoughtful voice for the city.”

Under PPMC's stewardship the publication’s printed distribution will be drastically increased to upwards of 30,000. With printed copies directly mailed to households and placed in traditional distribution racks across the Pikes Peak region. This distribution initiative aims to triple the previous readership and engage a larger footprint of neighborhoods in the region, heralding an exciting new chapter for these publications. The initial phase and publishing schedule will commence with the Colorado Springs Independent in Spring 2024, followed by the revival of the Colorado Springs Business Journal. 

JW Roth, co-founder of PPMC says “As a 5th Generation Coloradan, I take great pride in providing my hometown with another trusted, civic driven, and relevant publication. This opportunity offers the Independent and the Business Journal a chance to thrive under unprecedented stability. From the feedback that we are hearing, this is a welcomed change in historical landscape.”

“As a native of our region, I have invested in many businesses and organizations in Colorado Springs and this opportunity fit my focus on building a stronger community where a diverse range of voices are heard.” Says Co-founder of PPMC, Kevin O’Neil. “A robust media landscape telling all our stories makes our community better, so I am pleased to be in a position to support this effort for Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region. We are excited to engage with our unique neighborhoods, industry, arts and culture, academia, non-profits, civic organizations, and the military to showcase what makes us one of the best places to live and work.”

Yemi Mobolade, Mayor of Colorado Springs said in response to the news of the revival, “I applaud and appreciate the efforts of these local leaders to lead a resurgence of the Colorado Springs Independent and the Colorado Springs Business Journal. These publications hold a unique place in the Colorado Springs media landscape, offering a platform for diverse perspectives and contributing to the civic life of Colorado Springs. Our local news outlets serve a core public service and are critical to community building. The information shared through these outlets is vital in giving residents the information they need to improve their quality of life.” 

“We are excited about PPMC’s acquisition of the Colorado Springs Independent and the Colorado Springs Business Journal, creating jobs, and bringing in new energy and diverse perspectives to continue to inform and tell the Colorado Springs story,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, President & CEO of Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation. “Kevin O’Neil and JW Roth are visionaries that love our region and are invested in driving the growth and prosperity of the Pikes Peak region. Today’s announcement is an affirmation of their commitment to our region.” 

Following its hiatus, the Colorado Springs Independent and Colorado Springs Business Journal, a cornerstone of the community for three decades, is now primed for a remarkable resurgence. PPMC's acquisition encompasses all rights to the brands, trademarks, copyrights, and associated events of both the Colorado Springs Independent and the Colorado Springs Business Journal. 

About Pikes Peak Media Company: Pikes Peak Media Company (PPMC) is a dynamic media enterprise founded by Kevin O’Neil and JW Roth, dedicated to revitalizing, and enriching the media landscape in Colorado Springs. Through strategic acquisitions and innovative initiatives, PPMC aims to foster community engagement and deliver quality content to audiences across the region. 

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Mythbusters: Hand counts of ballots are better than machines?

NewsMythbuster-cropped.jpg

County Clerk and Recorder Chuck Broerman

In the runup to the 2022 elections — the primary will be held June 28, the general election on Nov. 8 — the Indy will offer up some election facts, dispel some of the most common rumors and correct misinformation.

Misconception: Hand-counting ballots is more reliable than machine counting.

If you put that statement to El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Chuck Broerman, he says, “I would say that is false. That is a myth. That is not the case for a number of reasons.”

Not only are machines more accurate — many times over — than hand-counting, but hand-counting is more expensive and time-consuming.

“There’s just not a plus side,” he says.

Broerman, a Republican who’s overseen local elections for seven years and worked at the Clerk and Recorder’s Office two years before being elected in 2014, is certified as an election official by the state of Colorado and nationally.

He points to a study conducted in 2012 by Rice University and Clemson University (tinyurl.com/deyxnnhy) that found two different methods of hand-counting ballots proved to be up to 2 percent inaccurate.

Machine tabulations, he says, are virtually error-free.

“Our scanners were tested by the election assistance center in Washington, D.C.,” Broerman says. “Their standard was one misread ballot for 500,000 counted. They had not one misread. They then went to 1.5 million, and then 2 million. Nothing [no errors]. That’s what a machine does well. We as humans are not good at doing repetitive things.”

Broerman says the state and county conduct multiple tests to prove the accuracy of machine counting before an election.

To demonstrate the difference in accuracy between machine- and hand-counting, Broerman gave ballots to 25 election canvas workers, including Republican and Democratic volunteers, to mark. The group then tallied them by hand. It took five hand-counts by the workers before achieving an accurate tally.

Broerman says vote-counting machines are secured in a locked room with cameras and controlled access. The rooms also have alarms and the election equipment has encrypted passwords.

“We have many, many layers of security,” he says.

He also notes that post-election auditing in Colorado is the most robust in the country to assure accuracy. “The state of Colorado was the genesis of that,” he says. “Several other states are now doing that. We actually look at the ballot and compare it to what the machine read.”

If the county had to count ballots by hand, it would be an extraordinary burden, considering more than 383,000 votes were cast in the 2020 presidential election. Thirty-two contests appeared on that ballot, meaning hand-counting wouldn’t require tallying the presidential race alone, but all 32 races. That would require tracking 12.2 million contest votes in El Paso County’s election.

“Machines can do that very quickly,” Broerman says, noting that, by law, ballots must be counted within nine days of an election.

“We don’t have the space to do a hand count,” he adds. “We would have to rent a building, or a ballroom at some hotel.” That scenario would pose a security challenge in itself, he says.

Besides being inaccurate and time-consuming, hand-counting is prohibitively expensive. Broerman says machines count at a rate of “pennies per ballot” compared to $1.25 or so per ballot for hand-counting.

“It would cost $400,000 to $600,000 or more for an election,” he says. “I don’t have the budget for that.” Also, such a cost would be spread over all other entities that have races or measures on the ballot.

Still in doubt? Broerman has set up a method for citizens themselves to verify results. They can download digital images of every ballot cast in an election and conduct their own count, if they’re so inclined. Or, they can come to his office and ask to count ballots one box at a time. Each box contains 100 ballots.

“They can be their own auditor,” he says.

Indy readers are invited to submit their own questions about election procedures to news@csindy.com with “mythbusters” in the subject line. 

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