Gazette publisher Steve Pope to resign

The Colorado Springs Gazette is reporting that its publisher Steve Pope has announced his resignation.

He was publisher for about two and a half years.

The newspaper said Pope will leave his post July 22 to take a job as COO for a Minnesota-based media company. Parent company Freedom Communications will begin a nationwide search for a replacement.

Freedom emerged from bankruptcy-court protection a little more than a year ago and has been seeking bidders to purchase the company.

The Gazette report did not mention whether Pope’s resignation is tied to the newspaper’s transition plans.