Ladies Home Journal Shifts to Quarterly
Ladies Home Journal is shifting from a monthly to quarterly print schedule as the 132-year publication seeks to deal with sinking circulation and advertising revenues and lifestyle changes in its target audience.One-time cultural touchstone, LHG is firing 35 staffers in New York and moving editorial to Des Moines, home of parent company Meredith Corp.
The shutdown will result in a $8.5M severance charge and $9.3M write-off on the value of LHJ’s trademark.
Meredith will continue publishing women-oriented Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Allrecipes, Every Day with Rachel Ray and Eating Well magazines on their normal basis.
Newsweek Vet Takes Cosumer Reports EIC Post
Ellen Kampinksy, a former senior editor at Newsweek/Daily Beast and 10-year veteran of Glamour, is the new editor-in-chief of Consumer Reports.
She’s in charge of strategic direction for the 4M print circulation print edition and its online offerings and charged with oversight of graphic presentation, packaging, voice and tone.
Kampinksy reports to Brent Diamond, VP/GM of CR, who praised her “impressive track record across multiple formats of media and her commitment to upholding the highest standards of journalistic standards.”
CR was founded in 1936.
Time Warner Names Time Inc's Board
Time Warner has named a 10-person board of directors for the soon-to-be-spun off Time Inc. magazine unit.
Time Warner has named a 10-person board of directors for the soon-to-be-spun off Time Inc. magazine unit.
Joining CEO Joe Ripp as directors are Kay Koplovitz, USA Networks founder; Howard Stringer, ex-CEO of Sony Corp.; Dennis Fitzsimmons, retired CEO of Tribune Co.; Betsy Holden, former co-CEO of Kraft Foods; John Fahey, former CEO of National Geographic Society of America; David Bell, former CEO of Interpublic Group; Manuel Fernandez, ex-CEO of Gartner Inc.; Ron Rolfe, former Cravath, Swaine & Moore partner, and Randall MacDonald, CEO of Windham Mountain Partners.
TW CEO Jeff Bewkes said the group will “provide sound independent judgment and guidance to the management team as it works to build and grow the business.”
Discovery Unloads Website
Discovery Communications is selling its HowStuffWorks.com to Blucora Inc. of Bellevue, WA, for $45M.
The No. 1 pay-TV programmer acquired HSW for $250M in 2007 as part of a then-diversification drive.
The site offers easy-to-understand explanations and unbiased information that generates about 200M page views and 38M unique visitors each month. It launched in 1998.
Discovery plans to partner with HSW on native advertising opportunities and retain access to its video library.
Bill Ruckelshaus, CEO of Blucora, calls his newest acquisition “a leading and trusted online source for high-quality content that informs, educates and nourishes the curiosity of millions of people of all ages.”
The transaction is slated for completion next month.
Discovery’s properties include Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science TV networks, which reach 2.5B subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories.
Witherspoon Assumes Gov't Exec Prexy Slot
National Journal Group chief Tim Hartman has named Connine Witherspoon president of the Government Executive Media Group, which includes the recently launched Defense One site.
She’s been publisher of GEMG since 2013, previously leading marketing and events for the brand.
From 2006 to 2008, Witherspoon guided NJ’s efforts to the Democratic and Republican conventions.
Hartman said Witherspoon’s “deep understanding of the public sector combined with her natural leadership talents make her an ideal choice to steward GE’s expansion as we continue our move into the defense and state and local arenas.”
Cable Europe Gets PR Chief
Virginia Lee is the new director of communications for Cable Europe.
She’s a veteran of Discovery Networks Europe, where he handles public policy and communications, Granada Media Group (corporate affairs) and Independent Television Commission (spokesperson).
Lee also was communications and government affairs consultant for UK’s Satellite and Cable Broadcasters’ Group.
Bonck Gets Brand Gig at Demar-Mercury
Karen Bonck has joined TV syndicator Debmar-Mercury as senior VP for branded partnerships, reporting to co-presidents Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus.
She’s responsible for development of content and advertiser partnerships for D-M’s first-run series including The Wendy Williams Show and upcoming Celebrity Name Game.
Bonck had branded entertainment jobs at NBC Universal and Disney ABC TV Group.
Guardian Editors Joins CPJ Board
Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger has joined the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Sandra Mims Rowe, CPJ board chairman, said Rusbridger “has been determined and courageous in publishing some of the biggest stories of our time, including recent revelations of U.S. and U.K. mass surveillance for which the Guardian was recently awarded a Pulitzer Prize.”
He’s edited the UK newspaper since 1995.
Trump Media & Technology Group today reported a $58.2M net loss on $4.1M in 2023 revenues, a disclosure that drove its stock price down 22.6 percent to $47.96.
Barry Pollack, an attorney at Wall Street’s Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler, has registered Julian Assange as a client with the Justice Dept. “out of an abundance of caution.”
Paramount Global to slash 800 jobs in what chief executive Bob Bakish calls part of an effort to “return the company to earnings growth"... Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Noah Shachtman is exiting at the end of the month due to disagreements with chief executive Gus Wenner over the direction the magazine is taking... The New York Times broke the $1 billion barrier in annual revenue from digital subscriptions in 2023... Press Forward is investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms.
The majority of news articles are read within the first three days of publication, according to a recent report.
The Los Angeles Times gives pink slips to 115 people or 20 percent of its newsroom staff... TIME is also laying off about 30 employees, which is approximately 15 percent of its editorial staff... The Baltimore Banner, which was launched by Stewart Bainum in 2022 after he failed to buy the Baltimore Sun, added 500 subscribers per day in the three days following Sinclair Broadcast Group's deal to purchase the Sun.
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