St. Pete Patch, the hyper-local news site which has made a name for itself in local circles for its coverage of city politics and roster of interesting bloggers, is going dark on or about October 15, says a former Patch editor familiar with the company’s operations.
This development matches up with a post on JimRomenesko.com, in which Bud Rosenthal, the new CEO of AOL’s Patch, told employees in a memo that a number of Patch sites will have to be closed, with a handful of sites closing in the second and third week of October. Apparently, St. Pete Patch is one of the sites to be shuttered after not being able to find a local partner for the website.
Patch has not been the same since it implemented a new content management system. Many bloggers have stopped using the site because of the “upgrade” problems. Also, readers have complained about the lack of news and ability to find relevant material.
This blog already hired away former Patch editor Linda Hersey, leaving intrepid blogger/reporter William Mansell to manage what’s left of St. Pete Patch.
