In a message dated 00-09-17 12:10:17 EDT, mga@napanet.net writes:
<<
I know it was bought and sold several times. Did it get burdened with a
debt service that requires that the thing be full of ads? Is there a
conspiracy to destroy everything that I like or love (family-owned
businesses, old-growth forests, cars with personality, politicians with a
heart, beautiful music, etc.)? Or am I just getting old?
Anyone have any comments on this?
>>
I'm in the magazine business, although not consumer publications. I can tell
you that the current business "paradigm" is to squeeze every drop of profit
possible out of a publication in the name of enhancing "shareholder value."
Therefore, reduce the product costs and quality, boost the ad count. This
will continue for some time until people stop buying the publications at the
forefront of this movement. Of course, at first the managers in charge of
this ethic will blame the middle management for the dropoff in revenue and
fire several rotations of editors and publishers. But eventually the message
will get through that readers--and advertisers--value editorial product and
insist on having a quality product. Advertisers aren't crazy about an all-ad
publication either. They want to see their ads along side some attractive
editorial.
Jay Donoghue
72MGB
72MGB-GT
66Mustang
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