Ottawa Business Journal and related magazines sold by Transcon to local media group

Transcontinental Media has, in recent years, been better known as an acquirer than a divestor of media properties. However it has decided to sell Ottawa Business Journal and related magazines and events to a local magazine and newspaper publishing group made up of current and former executives of the publication. 

According to an article on the OBJ's website, Mark Sutcliffe, one of the founders and its publisher until 2002, Michael Curran, who has been publisher since 2002 and Donna Neil, a former executive, are taking over. The paper will become part of Great River Media, which publishes the Kitchissippi Times community newspaper, the national running magazine iRun and the magazine for the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, The Voice.

The deal involves OBJ and a number of magazines and events: magazines are Ottawa Technology, Ottawa HR, Meeting in the Capital, the Book of Lists and Ottawa at Home; events are Forty Under 40, CEO of the Year, the Employees’ Choice Awards, the Ottawa Business Summit and the Mayor’s Breakfast Series.

“It’s great that OBJ is returning to local ownership and I’m really happy to be joining Mark and Donna at Great River Media,” said Mr. Curran. “We all worked together at OBJ in the past and we’re very excited about building on OBJ’s successful track record in this community.”