Folio RSS: M and A and Finance

Stagnito Buys Nielsen’s Food Magazines

Jason Fell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:03:40 -0500

Stagnito Inc., the parent company of Stagnito Media, has acquired Nielsen Business Media’s four food group magazines as well as their related Web sites and tradeshows.

Sources: Nielsen Shopping Shuttered Training

Jason Fell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:16:43 -0500

Nielsen Business Media is looking for a buyer for its Training magazine brand, according to sources familiar with the process.

SEC Filing Reveals Performance Details at Quad/Graphics, World Color

Jason Fell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:01:16 -0500

SEE ALSO: Quad Offers Realistic, Promising Outlook on Magazine Trend

Court Confirms Penton’s Reorganization Plan

Jason Fell — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:12:54 -0500

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court has approved Penton Media’s pre-packaged debt restructuring plan. The trade publisher said the confirmation clears the way for it to emerge from bankruptcy protection “within the next few days.”

Penton Media Could Emerge from Bankruptcy Within Days

Jason Fell — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:24:52 -0500

UPDATE: Court Approves Penton's Reorg Plan

Dow Jones Buys Hearst’s Stake in SmartMoney

Jason Fell — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:43:11 -0500

News Corp. subsidiary Dow Jones & Company Tuesday officially acquired Hearst’s 50 percent stake in SmartMoney magazine, making Dow the brand’s sole owner. The SmartMoney franchise includes the print magazine, SmartMoney.com and a custom publishing division.

UPDATE: Northstar Travel Media Buys Nielsen’s Travel Group Brands

Jason Fell — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:41:34 -0500

Secaucus, New Jersey-based Northstar Travel Media is expected to announce today that it has acquired five media brands from Nielsen Business Media’s travel group.

RBI Sells Two More Magazines

Jason Fell — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:50:57 -0500

Reed Business Information has taken another step in the divestment of its U.S.-based magazines.

Nielsen’s Media Brand Sell-Off Netted $84 Million

Jason Fell — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:45:46 -0500

SEE ALSO: Nielsen Sells Travel Group Brands to Northstar Travel Media

Newsweek Publisher’s Magazine Division Losses Widen Last Year

Jason Fell — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:14:33 -0500

In its fiscal year-end financial report released this week, the Washington Post Co. said its magazine division—which includes Newsweek—reported an operating loss of $29.3 million. That’s down from a $16.1 million loss during 2008. Revenues declined 27 percent to $184.2 million.

UPDATE: Active Interest Media Buys Nine Equine Magazines, Seven Web Sites

Jason Fell — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:38:56 -0500

Enthusiast publisher Active Interest Media has acquired several equine-related magazines and Web sites from Source Interlink Media and from Louisville, Colorado-based Horse Media Group. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Dow Jones Looking to Buy Remaining Stake in SmartMoney from Hearst

Jason Fell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:50:55 -0500

Dow Jones & Co., a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., is in discussions to acquire the 50 percent stake in SmartMoney magazine that is owned by Hearst Corp. Dow Jones owns the other half stake.

Acquisition Talks Between ‘Magic’ Johnson and Johnson Publishing End

Jason Fell — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:44:27 -0500

A bid that would have had basketball hall of famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson buying Ebony and Jet publisher Johnson Publishing has fallen through.

Reader’s Digest Association Emerges from Chapter 11

Jason Fell — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:19:58 -0500

After six months of restructuring its debt through a pre-packaged bankruptcy, the Reader’s Digest Association Monday said it officially emerged from Chapter 11 protection.

Reed Elsevier Reaffirms That Variety Will Be ‘Retained’

Jason Fell — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:14:00 -0500

In its 2009 earnings report, Reed Business Information’s London-based parent Reed Elsevier said Thursday it in fact will hold onto Hollywood trade title Variety, as well as Reed Construction Data and its BuyerZone lead generation business.

Playboy Swings to Profit in Fourth Quarter

Jason Fell — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:01:22 -0500

While the financial situation at Playboy parent Playboy Enterprises isn’t great, it also isn’t as bad as it has been. The company today reported a $51.3 million year-end net loss for 2009, compared to a $160.4 million loss the prior year.

Reader’s Digest Association to Emerge from Bankruptcy Within a Week

Jason Fell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:33:46 -0500

Roughly six months after filing for a pre-arranged bankruptcy protection, the Reader’s Digest Association said it has completed its restructuring process and plans to emerge from Chapter 11 within a week.

Canon Buys Four RBI Magazine Brands

Jason Fell — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:55:54 -0500

Reed Business Information has sold off another group of magazines. Los Angeles-based Canon Communications is expected today to announce that it has acquired the global assets of RBI’s Electronic Design News (EDN), Design News, Test & Measurement World and Packaging Digest.

Transcontinental Sells U.S. Direct Mail Group

Jason Fell — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:22:30 -0500

Magazine publisher and printer Transcontinental Inc. announced that it has agreed to sell its U.S. direct mail division to IWCO Direct, a direct marketing firm based in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Unlikely Buyer Steps Forward for Kirkus Reviews

Jason Fell — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:52:52 -0500

An unusual suitor has stepped forward to revive shuttered book industry magazine Kirkus Reviews.

UPDATE: Printers, Banks Among Penton Media’s Largest Creditors

Jason Fell — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:52:16 -0500

Penton Media and its affiliates announced Wednesday that it had officially filed its pre-packaged plan of reorganization under Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York.

UPDATE: Penton Media to File for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Jason Fell — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:42:36 -0500

SEE ALSO: Printers, Banks Among Penton's Largest Creditors

Where We Go From Here: Content and Commerce

Jason Fell — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:04:39 -0500

NEW YORK—Investors want to see paid content models while publishers express their doubts, and some dotcoms say the advertising model isn’t done yet—provided publishers can tap into marketing and promotion budgets.

End to Tax Cuts Could Cut into M&A Profits

Jason Fell — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:40:23 -0500

Barring any action this year by Congress, tax cuts enacted under former President George W. Bush that put federal taxes on capital gains and dividends at 15 percent are set to expire on December 31, 2010. Next year, those taxes would revert back to 20 percent.

Ad Revs Fell 22 Percent at Time Inc. in 2009

Jason Fell — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:30:02 -0500

Time Warner reported Wednesday that its publishing unit, Time Inc., generated $3.7 billion in revenue in 2009, down 19 percent from 2008. Those losses were fueled largely by a 22 percent or $541 million decline in advertising revenue.

Media M&A Report 2010

Dan Trombetto — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:04:13 -0500

The Year of the Distressed Deal is how 2009 will be remembered by most media buyers and sellers.

RDA Delays Chapter 11 Emergence

Jason Fell — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:38:34 -0500

The Reader’s Digest Association has decided to delay the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in order to “address an issue” involving the pension program associated with its U.K.-based entity, The Reader’s Digest Association Ltd.

Advisory Firm: Trade Show M&A Bubble Could Not Be 'Sustained Indefinitely'

Jason Fell — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:48:05 -0500

The buying "frenzy" in the trade show industry over the last 10 years has come to a crashing halt, according to trade/consumer show and trade publishing M&A advisory firm Corporate Solutions. The firms said it tracked 21 mostly smaller trade-show related deals in 2009, down from 32 in 2008.

Getting a Deal Done

Dan Trombetto — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:15:17 -0500

In the wild and fast days of 2007 when a record number of media deals were closing at record valuations, the acquisition process was well-oiled by massive amounts of debt at very favorable terms. Now, however, that very factor has reversed itself, drastically changing not only how deals are getting done, how many are closed and their value, but who’s doing the buying and selling.

Evaluating and Valuing Online Properties

Dan Trombetto — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:08:57 -0500

While digital content properties were once a popular acquisition target for publishers, more recent trends indicate technology companies, especially those that can provide a non-ad dependant revenue stream, are the flavor for 2010. Accordingly, performing due diligence requires a hard look at technology integration issues and revenue projections.

Private Equity’s View of Magazine Publishing Not What it Used to Be

Dan Trombetto — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:05:14 -0500

The Magazine Industry saw private equity-fueled acquisitions grind to a virtual halt in 2009.

Media M&A in 2010

Dan Trombetto — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:57:48 -0500

2010 can’t be as bad as 2009, can it?If you’re talking about mergers and acquisitions within the publishing space, it certainly could be. According to the Jordan Edmiston Group, there were 615 transactions worth a combined $32 billion in 2009. The number of deals was down 24 percent compared to 2008 (while deal value fell 11 percent).

Top Deals of 2009

Dan Trombetto — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:25:38 -0500

Bonnier’s Buying SpreeBuyer: Bonnier Corp.Seller: Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S.Price: N/ADate: June 2009

Private Equity’s View of Magazine Publishing in 2010

Jason Fell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:45:28 -0500

The magazine publishing industry saw private equity-fueled acquisitions grind to a virtual halt in 2009. Beyond magazines and media, private equity as a whole contracted last year. According to recent figures from Dow Jones LP Source, U.S.

Buoyed by BusinessWeek Sale, McGraw-Hill Sees Q4 Profit Spikes

Jason Fell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:35:03 -0500

Former BusinessWeek publisher McGraw-Hill reported that net income during the fourth quarter of 2009 spiked 44.3 percent over the same period last year to $167.4 million, the company said in an earnings report released Tuesday. The results included a $10.5 million pre-tax gain ($6.7 million after tax) from its sale of BusinessWeek to Bloomberg LLP late last year.

Quad/Graphics Agrees to Buy Worldcolor

Jason Fell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:08:28 -0500

After rejecting a $1.83 billion offer from R.R.

Meredith’s National Media Group Profit Jumps Nearly 40 Percent in Q2

Jason Fell — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:48:39 -0500

Better Homes and Gardens, the 7.6 million circulation behemoth, generated a 7 percent gain in advertising revenue in the fiscal second quarter, which helped propel operating profit at Meredith Corp.’s national media division to $32 million, up almost 40 percent from $23 million during the same perio

Court Approves RDA’s Plan of Reorganization

Jason Fell — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:03:19 -0500

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Friday approved the Reader’s Digest Association’s pre-packaged restructuring plan, clearing the way for the publisher to emerge from bankruptcy protection by January 31.RDA officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August.

New Owner: Editor & Publisher 'More Vital Than Ever'

Jason Fell — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:28:38 -0500

Newspaper magazine finds new home among boating publications.

Editor & Publisher Sold, Will Live Again

Jason Fell — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:05:04 -0500

SEE ALSO: Editor & Publisher 'More Vital Than Ever'Editor & Publisher has received a lifeline—from a boating magazine publisher.

JEGI Elevates Geffs, Peters

Jason Fell — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:34:18 -0500

Media investment bankers the Jordan, Edmiston Group Thursday announced that managing directors Tolman Geffs and Scott Peters were named co-presidents. The announcement was made by chairman and CEO Wilma Jordan.

Off the Block: The Economist Group Sells CFO

Jason Fell — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:34:36 -0500

U.K.-based The Economist Group has sold CFO Publishing—including CFO magazine—to private equity firm Seguin Partners, which will form a new company to officially acquire the assets. The Economist Group said it will retain a minority stake in the new company.

New Life for Kirkus Reviews, E&P?

Jason Fell — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:16:01 -0500

Soon after it announced an agreement to sell eight of its trade media brands, including Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, Nielsen Business Media said it was ceasing operations for newspaper industry title Editor & Publisher and book industry magazine Kirkus Reviews. Now, it seems that Kirkus Reviews might be poised for a comeback.

Report: Media M&A Values Gain in Q4

Jason Fell — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:23:00 -0500

After a stunted first half, media M&A showed some positive signs in the second half of 2009.

Magazine Closures, Layoffs Loom at Reed Business Information

Jason Fell — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:28:32 -0500

UPDATE: Magazine Closures BeginReed Business Information employees are bracing for some bad news following a memo on New Years Eve from CEO John Poulin.

Need Magazine to Close

Jason Fell — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:30:04 -0500

Need, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based “humanitarian” quarterly is set to close at the end of January unless its founders manage to get a cash infusion—fast.

Men Still Earn Significantly More Than Women in Publishing

Dan Trombetto — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:48:53 -0500

While magazine publishing is an industry that tends to have an equal number of men and women employees, it seems as though men often make higher salaries than women across almost every publishing discipline.

UPDATE: Lebhar-Friedman Sells Dowden Professional Publications

Jason Fell — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:00:30 -0500

Trade publisher Lebhar-Friedman has sold Dowden Professional Publications to multimedia communications company Quadrant HealthCom Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed.Included in the deal are Dowden’s four medical journals: OBG Management, Current Psychiatry, The Journal of Family Practice and Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Also included is its events division.

Questex Officially Completes Financial Restructuring

Jason Fell — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:20:01 -0500

A little more than two months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, trade publisher Questex Media Group Holdings said late Thursday that it had officially completed its financial restructuring as well as the sale of the company to a group of its senior lenders.

Newsweek Selling Budget Travel

Jason Fell — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:24:19 -0500

After a difficult 2009, Washington Post Co. subsidiary Newsweek Inc. has entered into an agreement to sell its equity interests in Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.