FOLIO: Wire | 10.12.06

Relix Magazine Launches Digital Edition
Music publication Relix will begin publishing a digital edition of the magazine starting with its November issue. The magazine has created new software in partnership with internet software company Techistry that will run the magazine. The magazine plans on licensing the software, called Zenedition, to other publications. The digital edition will include hotlinks for advertisers and music streams and will be free of charge to subscribers. Relix's sister title, Global Rhythm will also go digital.

Outside Sponsors Ad Agency Contest to Promote Green Issue
Outside magazine has launched a new contest for advertising agencies. The magazine has challenged ad agencies across the country with a letter asking them to come up with a new slogan and logo to represent the environmental movement. The winning slogan will be featured on the cover of the April 2007 Green Issue. All submissions will appear on the Outside Web site and the top 10 finalists will be featured inside the April issue.

New Track Media Acquires Quilting Publisher
New Track Media LLC has completed the acquisition of Fons & Porter, a publisher of quilting periodicals and the producer of the Fons & Porter television program carried on most PBS stations across the country, New Track announced today in a news release. The core of the business, Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, is the country's largest magazine for quilting enthusiasts. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

New Track Media is a consumer enthusiast publishing platform formed in late 2005 by Boston Ventures and Stephen J. Kent. It made its first acquisition in February, with the purchase of Sky Publishing, publisher of Sky & Telescope and Night Sky magazines. The company plans to continue acquiring special interest titles that demonstrate growth potential in the new media arena, said Marcy McCreary, New Track's vice president of marketing & business development.

Marianne Fons and Liz Porter will continue to be involved with Fons & Porter under its new ownership, and publisher Dean Pieters will serve as a consultant during the transition. Continuing employment has been offered to all Fons & Porter employees, and there are no plans to move the business from its Winterset, Iowa location, according to the statement.

Dewitt Publishing Acquires Collision News
Regional collision repair magazine publisher, Dewitt Publishing, has acquired Collision News from OAS Inc. The title, which covers several states and areas in the Southeast, will be merged with Dewitt's existing regional publication, FenderBender. The latest edition of FenderBender will debut in the Southeast market in January 2007.

Niche Media, Greenspun Corporation Form Partnership
Niche Media and The Greenspun Corporation have formed a partnership to extend three Greenspun Media Group titles, VEGAS, Wynn and Venetian Style, into the luxury market now served by Niche Media's publications, according to a statement released by both companies Monday.

The three Greenspun publications will now fall under the Niche umbrella, which is comprised of Aspen Peak, Boston Common, Capitol File, Gotham, Hamptons, and Los Angeles Confidential. The new partnership will conduct business with Niche Media's Jason Binn as CEO and Greenspun's Brian Greenspun as chairman.

Interweave Press Launches Knits Holiday Gifts Interweave Press, an Aspire Media Unit, has launched a new special interest title, Knits Holiday Gifts, which will hit newsstands October 17 with a cover price of $7.99. The launch issue will feature a number of gift project ideas to make for family and friends during the upcoming holiday season.

World Publications Acquires Two South Florida Design Titles
World Publications acquired South Florida design magazines, Home Miami and Home Fort Lauderdale from founders John O'Connor and Jim Baxter. The magazines will become part of World's lifestyle group, which includes Saveur, Garden Design and South Florida Travel & Life, World Publications CEO Terry Snow said Tuesday in a statement.

The Home magazine acquisitions are the first since World announced its partnership with Sweden-based media group, Bonnier in May. Regional Media Advisors LLC of Connecticut brokered the deal, the terms of which were not disclosed. All editorial, sales and marketing staffs of Home Miami and Home Fort Lauderdale will remain with the magazines, including O'Connor, who serves as editor-in-chief, and Baxter, the real estate editor. The titles will continue to be headquartered in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Back office operations such as accounting and circulation will be integrated into World's corporate office in Winter Park, Florida. The titles have a combined circulation of 200,000.

Integrated Media Consortium Welcomes Grand View Media
Grand View Media Group, a publisher based out of Birmingham, Alabama, is the newest member of Integrated Media Cooperative. Grand View joins a number of small to mid-sized publishing companies who are also Integrated members, including Lebhar-Freidman, Farm Journal Media and Stamats Communications.

Custom Publisher to Produce Animated Trump Series
Premiere Publishing Group, publisher of Trump Magazine and Poker Life Magazine, has signed a letter of intent with Sobe Life LLC and Trump World Publications to produce an animated series featuring Donald Trump and executives from his company. The series is expected to be in production during the first quarter of 2007.

Pace Communications Launches Custom Title
Winterthur Magazine, a new quarterly publication created by Pace Communications, will launch in November and will feature lifestyle articles on upcoming exhibitions and events surrounding the Winterthur Museum and the historic du Pont family estate located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The magazine will be distributed to 50,000 households in 2007 and will feature 10-12 pages of advertising per 48-page issue.

PIB Ad Revenue and Pages Up in September
Total magazine rate-card-reported advertising revenue for the month of September is up 6.6 percent over the same month last year, closing at $2,588,723,818, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. Ad pages were also up 2.4 percent totaling 26,541. For the first nine month of 2006, PIB revenue is up 4.3 percent over the same period last year totaling more than $16.9 million, while ad pages for the same period closed at 173,501, up 0.7 percent over last year.

Double-digit gains in revenue and pages came from the Drugs & Remedies and Food & Food Products categories, while Drugs & Remedies has shown double-digit growth for all three quarters thus far this year. Other categories that showed growth in September include: Automotive; Home Furnishings & Supplies; Media & Advertising; Direct Response; and Finance, Insurance & Real Estate.

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