The Gazette appoints Associate Publisher, three new directors

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – July 1, 2009 - The Gazette in Colorado Springs today announced the appointment of four executives to its management team, including an Associate Publisher and three director-level executives.

Judi Terzotis, advertising director for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, MS., has been named Associate Publisher at The Gazette in Colorado Springs, CO. Terzotis will join The Gazette on July 13.

Her primary responsibility will be to oversee the advertising division and focus on our traditional and interactive revenue streams while also being heavily involved in the community.

“We are delighted that Judi is joining our leadership team,” said president and publisher Steve Pope. “Judi brings a wealth of knowledge about our business and also has a keen understanding of the military world, which will be extremely valuable in our market. She has a history of being very active in community affairs and will be a great addition to our efforts to be intimately connected with the community we serve.”

Terzotis has been in the newspaper business for 24 years and with Gannett for 19 years in various sales and senior management positions including the president and publisher of the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, TN.

She was an army brat and attended 11 different schools growing up. Terzotis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a degree in communications.

“I am thrilled to be joining Freedom Communications and moving to the Colorado Springs market,” said Terzotis. “I can appreciate the intensely local mission of The Gazette and I look forward to creating strong alliances with our customers and being able to contribute to a high performing team.”

David J. Harwood has joined The Gazette in Colorado Springs, CO. as the Regional Director of Interactive Sales. Harwood most recently worked for CK Media in Golden, Colorado as the vice president of Online/e-Media Operations.

Harwood comes to The Gazette and Freedom Communications Inc. with more than 20 years of sales experience and a strong focus on interactive sales. He will be directing the interactive sales efforts in Colorado Springs as well as several other Freedom properties in the central part of the United States.

“The internet and full development of our interactive publishing activities is one of the highest priorities at the Gazette,” Pope said. “Our Web sites revenue has been growing strongly and David’s skills will help us ramp up the growth to even higher levels.”

Harwood is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Carmen Boles has been named Director of Interactive Content and Audience Development for The Gazette in Colorado Springs, CO. Boles most recently served as the Online News Editor for The Gazette.

Boles has more than 15 years of experience in the newspaper business and is considered a social media expert in Colorado Springs. She will be directing the content for The Gazette’s interactive niche sites including the prestigious and newly redesigned ColoradoSprings.com.

“Continued development of our interactive publishing activities is one of the highest priorities at the Gazette,” Pope said. “Our Web sites currently receive more traffic than all of the other locally published sites combined. Carmen’s skills will help us expand that lead as we enter the new decade.”

Boles earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1993.

Michelle Ackerman has joined The Gazette as Director of Classified Advertising. Ackerman was formerly the Classified Products Director for the Denver Newspaper Agency.

She joins The Gazette and Freedom Communications with more than 20 years of newspaper sales experience, sales management and project management. Ackerman will be overseeing classified sales including real estate, automotive, recruitment and private party.

“Michelle brings an extensive set of skills to the Gazette. She is strong in the traditional print world but is also very experienced in the interactive activities that are becoming more important to our company every day,” Pope said. “Michelle’s skills will help us push both the print and the interactive sides of our business as we enter the new decade.”

Ackerman is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

About Freedom Communications, Inc.
Freedom Communications, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., is a national privately owned information and entertainment company of print publications, broadcast television stations and interactive businesses. The company's print portfolio includes more than 100 daily and weekly publications, including just over 30 daily newspapers, plus ancillary magazines and other specialty publications. The broadcast company's stations - five CBS, two ABC network affiliates and one CW affiliate - reach more than 3 million households across the country. The Company's news, information and entertainment websites complement its print and broadcast properties.