Magazine News Roundup

Barnes & Noble has put Sterling Publishing, which it bought in 2002, up for sale.  The unit is focused on non-fiction, craft, cooking, self-help and children’s books.  Barnes & Noble Inc. also announced they may separate their Nook electronic book business. http://global.nytimes.com/ and http://online.wsj.com/home-page

National Geographic Traveler has launched an app on Apple Newsstand.

http://www.audiencedevelopment.com/2012/after+holding+back+national+geographic+releases+traveler+ipad

AOL and Bonnier’s Parenting Group have formed a novel ad-sales alliance.  AOL will help sell the reserved ad inventory of Parenting.com and, in return, will drive web traffic to the site and the magazine by featuring links on some of its own venues.

http://www.audiencedevelopment.com/2012/bonnier+and+aol+strike+digital+content+and+sales+partnership

Advantage Business Media, publisher of R&D, bought Vicon Publishing, which targets the laboratory and forensic sciences market with titles ALN Magazine, ALN World, Forensic Magazine, Controlled Environments and DFI News.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

http://www.foliomag.com/2012/advantage-business-media-buys-vicon-publishing

In another story of publishers seeking new ways to market their products, Rodale’s Women’s Health is partnering with Gilt Group to launch an on-line sale featuring items chosen by the magazine’s editors.  The publication will not receive a share of revenue from sales, but Gilt’s Clean Start campaign will feature links to purchase magazine subscriptions and promote the brand through its own social media.

Bangor Metro magazine, a regional serving the Bangor, Maine area, has been sold to a group of investors that includes Jack Cashman of Cashman Assets.  Terms of the deal were no disclosed.

http://www.foliomag.com/2012/bangor-metro-regional-magazine-be-sold-private-investors

Kodak Reported to be Readying for Bankruptcy

Kodak reported to be readying bankruptcy filing: Rochester, N.Y.—Eastman Kodak Co., which has struggled to shift from consumer photography to b-to-b digital printing and marketing, is preparing for a possible bankruptcy filing, according to reports.

Resolute Forest Products Sells 25,000 Acres

Resolute Forest Products sells 25,000 acres of land to Nova Scotia:
Nova Scotia has reached a deal with Resolute Forest Products (formerly AbitibiBowater), to purchase 25,000 acres of land for $23.7 million.

Top 50 GPO Print Suppliers

Top 50 GPO Print Suppliers for 2011 Announced: CHAMBERSBURG, PA—Jan. 5, 2012—The top 50 private sector print suppliers that did the most work for the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) during Federal Fiscal Year 2011 (October 2010 through September 2011) has been released.

Pacific West Commercial Wins Bid for NewPage Post Hawkesbury

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/48700-pacific-west-wins-bid-buy-idled-newpage-paper-mill

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/48967-no-guarantees-paper-mill

 Ernst & Young, the Monitor of the CCAA proceedings, announced that Stern Partners’ Pacific West Commercial has won the bid to potentially buy the NewPage Port Hawkesbury mill, which went into bankruptcy in September.  Four bidders, two of whom were anonymous but purportedly were going to close the mill, were among the finalists.  Both Pacific West Coast and Paper Excellence (and APP company) were understood to be planning to keep the mill, or at least parts of it, operating.  West Coast Commercial, now the sole bidder, has said it will not restart the newsprint paper machine, but plans, pending negotiations with Nova Scotia Power (electricity prices) and unions (labor costs), to run the 400,000 short tons per year Supercalendered PM.  NewPage Port Hawkesbury is asking the governing court, on January 18, to extend the proceedings deadline until March 30 to give the company time to meet the conditions of the sale.  The Natural Resources Minister, Charlie Parker, announced that the province intends to keep the mill ready to restart, which is expected to cost up to $5 million, through March.  It plans to recover the cost through the sale of harvested wood. 

Ronald Stern, the president and founder of Stern Partners, a private BC investment firm, is also the president and CEO of Alberta Newsprint Co. and co-owner of The Winnipeg Free Press and The Brandon Sun.  His Belgravia Paper Company owns the former Simpson Paper mill, a coated woodfree producer, in West Linn, Oregon.  Stern Partners, through Belgravia, has been involved in other paper operations in the past, including Pasadena Paper (now closed) and St. Mary’s (now owned by a different investment group and just recently in receivership).  Alberta Newsprint is a running newsprint mill.

Business-to-Business Print Sector Up 4.6%

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20120105/MEDIABUSINESS10/301059992/b-to-b-media-sectors-show-revenue-gains-in-q3

As reported by the Business Information Network and released by the American Business Media, B-to-B media grew in the third quarter as compared to the same period last year.  Print increased 4.6% to $5.7 billion, digital jumped 22% to $1.6 billion and trade shows rose 1.1% to $7.7 billion.

Athleta Begins First National Ad Campaign

http://adage.com/article/news/athleta-launches-tagline-national-campaign/231873/

The Gap Inc.’s Athleta, with partner Peterson Milla Hooks, is launching its first national campaign, which will include print, digital, in-store marketing, sponsorships and partnerships.  Kantar Media reported that Athleta spent $400,000 on advertising in 2010 and $7.3 million in the first 10 months of 2011.  The VP of marketing, Tess Roering, said that the 2012 ad budget was larger than last year’s.  The campaign is centered on the tagline “Power to the She.”

manroland Auditor Reports Progress

manroland AG Insolvency Administrator Reports Promising Negotiations: The prospects of a successful investors’ agreement for the insolvent manroland AG have improved further. Auditor Werner Schneider of the law firm of Schneider, Geiwitz & Partner reported conducting numerous negotiations with interested parties in the past few days. “We now have parties seriously interested in all three production sites in Augsburg, Offenbach and Plauen (Germany), with whom we are involved in ongoing negotiations,” Schneider said, elaborating on the current status. The ultimate aim continues to be the selling of key company segments by the end of the current insolvency proceedings on Jan. 31, 2012, in order to ensure continued operations and to save as many jobs as possible. Given the promising interest of potential buyers, this remains a feasible aim.

Pacific West Corp. Winning Bidder for NewPage Port Hawkesbury

Pacific West Corp. is the winning bidder for NewPage Port Hawkesbury:
Pacific West Corp. is the successful bidder for the idled NewPage Port Hawkesbury operation.
The bid is now subject to meet several conditions, as well as a court approval. The value of the bid has not been disclosed, and it is not known when the sale will be complete.

Meredith Acquires FamilyFun Magazine

Meredith Acquires FamilyFun Magazine from Disney Publishing Worldwide: Meredith Corporation is acquiring the assets of Disney Publishing Worldwide’s FamilyFun. Beginning in March 2012, FamilyFun and its associated special interest publications, as well as Toyhopper and other magazine apps, will be published by Meredith.

Classic Graphics Buys Harperprints

http://www.piworld.com/article/classic-graphics-acquires-certain-assets-fellow-printer-harperprints/1

Classic Graphics, the largest privately owned graphic communications company in the Carolinas, has acquired certain assets of Harperprints.  Classic Graphics, number 126 on Printing Impressions top 400 printer list, had sales of  ~$50 million in 2011.  Many mid-size printers are merging or consolidating, and co-owner David Pitts said this is a logical move for the company in that context.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Business-to-Business Publisher PennWell Reports Acquisition

http://www.foliomag.com/2012/pennwell-acquires-broadband-technology-report

PennWell announced its purchase of Broadband Technology Report (BTR) from Hermes Media & Research LLC.   The deal includes the weekly BTR, which targets engineers and the technology industry, tech alerts, video products and the Diamond Technology Reviews.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sears Holdings Names EVP

Brookstone CEO leaves to become Sears Holdings' EVP: Sears Holdings Corp. named Ron Boire EVP, chief merchandising officer and president of the Sears and Kmart business units on Jan. 3.

Online Holiday Sales Record $37.2 Billion

US Online Holiday Shopping Season Reaches Record $37.2 Billion for November-December Period, comScore Reports: comScore has reported that retail e-commerce spending for the entire November - December 2011 holiday season reached $37.2 billion, marking a 15% increase versus last year and an all-time record for the season.

manroland Reports Promising Negotiations

manroland AG Insolvency Administrator Reports Promising Negotiations: The prospects of a successful investors’ agreement for the insolvent manroland AG have improved further. Auditor Werner Schneider of the law firm of Schneider, Geiwitz & Partner reported conducting numerous negotiations with interested parties in the past few days. “We now have parties seriously interested in all three production sites in Augsburg, Offenbach and Plauen (Germany), with whom we are involved in ongoing negotiations,” Schneider said, elaborating on the current status.

29 Consecutive Months of Manufacturing Growth in U.S.

The ISM Report on Business reported that economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in December for the 29th consecutive month.  Two of the 18 sectors reporting growth for the month were Printing & Allied Activities and Paper.  The overall economy grew for the 31st consecutive month.

Survey: U.S. Will Never Go Paperless

America Will Never Go Paperless According to Majority of Survey Respondents: Since electronic devices play such a big part in our daily lives, Poll Position wanted to know if Americans think the United States could ever be a paperless society.
In a national scientific telephone survey, Poll Position found that 56 percent of Americans said they don’t think the country would ever be a paperless society.
The 18-29 age group voiced the strongest opinion, with 63 percent saying the United States would never be a paperless society vs. 23 percent who said it could become a paperless society.

Media M&A Up 9 % in 2011

Overall Media M&A Up 9 Percent in 2011: The media M&A market saw its third year in a row of growth, closing out 2011 with a 9 percent increase in total value over 2010, according to a year-end report by The Jordan, Edmiston Group.
There were 896 deals done, says the investment bank, 15 more than 2010 and more even than in the blockbuster year of 2007.  Consumer magazines also had a busy year with 32 transactions valued at $3.2 billion, a huge jump over 2010's $214 million deal value.
B-to-b media was comparatively quiet, recording only 14 deals and $50 million in value.

Hearst; Aggressive Digital, Print Growth in 2012

Hearst’s David Carey Calls for Aggressive Digital, Print Growth in 2012:
Hearst Magazines predicts successful ‘12 despite still-shaky economy. President David Carey addressed the past year and what’s next for the publisher in a letter to employees sent out this morning. According to Carey, Hearst’s aggressive growth in 2011 (including the acquisition of Lagardere and Hachette Fillappacci; the launch of HGTV Magazine; the debut of brand supplement Marie Claire @Work; and purchases of Red Aril and PayDQ) will continue in 2012.
Though digital may be considered the sexier playing field in the publishing industry, Hearst’s print portfolio will not be neglected in 2012. Aside from the forthcoming semiannual Cosmopolitan Latina, Harper’s Bazaar print presence will launch a revamped look; an increased trim size will debut in February.

Ziff Davis Buys Toolbox.com

Ziff Davis Buys Toolbox.com: Ziff Davis has acquired Scottsdale, AZ-based Toolbox.com, a knowledge-sharing network of online communities in the IT, HR and finance verticals. The deal is ZD's fourth in the last year.
Terms were not released, but former owners Corporate Executive Board bought the network, which launched in 1998, in July 2007 for $58.9 million.