Will it be lights out for Qwest's blue sign?

For years, the blue light of the Qwest sign has dominated the downtown Denver skyline, even as its been joined by other light shows -- the spire on the Four Seasons, the logo atop the Xcel building. But if the merger deal between Qwest and CenturyLink goes through, will it...

By Patricia Calhoun

December 20, 2010

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For years, the blue light of the Qwest sign has dominated the downtown Denver skyline, even as its been joined by other light shows -- the spire on the Four Seasons, the logo atop the Xcel building. But if the merger deal between Qwest and CenturyLink goes through, will it be lights out for this landmark?

Last Wednesday, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission signed off on the proposed deal, the fifteenth state to do so. If the rest of the states affected by the proposal approve it, as they're expected to, the headquarters of the new company will be in Louisiana, where CenturyLink is based.

As for Qwest, the company that got its start as Mountain Bell, then US West, looks like it might ride the light right out of town.

em>Read more about the history of Qwest's blue light here.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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