Abstract
By the end of the 1980s, several changes had occurred in the women’s magazine industry, but the structural continuity of these publications, with one exception, persisted. Transfers of ownership, new launches, demises, and changes in advertising practices occurred; video magazines appeared on cable television. But all except one of the modifications were rooted in the same cycle of publishing profit, advertising, and women’s role as primary purchasers that structures the women’s magazines studied here from the early 1980s.
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Notes
See James B. Kobak, “1984: A Billion Dollar Year for Acquisitions,” Folio, April 1985, pp. 82–95;
James B. Kobak, “On Deadline,” Folio, January 1985, p. 7;
N. R. Kleinfield, “CBS to Buy 12 of Ziff’s Magazines,” New York Times, 21 November 1984, pp. D-1 and D-5;
N. R. Kleinfield, “Briefings,” Folio, June 1985, pp. 11–12;
N. R. Kleinfield, “CBS Set to Sell Magazine Division,” Santa Barbara News Press, 14 July 1987, p. B-4.
“Ten Newsmakers of 1987,” Advertising Age, 28 December 1987, p. 15 and Patrick Reilly, “Diamandis Hits Goal,” Advertising Age, 19 October 1987, P. 1.
See Karlene Lukovitz, “Peter Diamandis: The Making of the $25 Million Man,” Publishing News, Pilot Issue (1988), pp. 67–72;
Patrick Reilly, “A Gold Rush for U.S. Titles,” Advertising Age, 18 April 1988, pp. 1 and 90;
Patrick Reilly, “Second Time’s the Charm in Hachette Pursuit of DCI,” Advertising Age, 18 April 1988, p. 90 and “Hachette’s Blueprints for Growth,” Folio, June 1988, p. 34.
See Kurt Eichenwald, “Murdoch Agrees to Buy TV Guide in a $3 Billion Sale by Annenberg,” and James Hirsch, “Murdoch’s Odd Trio: TV, Teens, and Track,” New York Times, 8 August 1988, pp. 1 and C-6.
Geraldine Fabrikant, “Time Takes a New Approach,” New York Times, 21 November 1986, pp. D-1 and D-5;
Stuart J. Elliot, “Time Inc. Shows Ardor for Women,” Advertising Age, 24 November 1986, pp. 2 and 81;
Stuart J. Elliot, “1989: The Year in Review,” Publishing News, January 1990, p. 38.
See Leslie Wayne, “Australia Concern to Buy Ms.,” New York Times, 24 September 1987, pp. D-1 and D-4
Bruce Horovitz, “Media Group Buys Struggling Ms. Magazine, Promises Funds,” Los Angeles Times, 24 September 1987, IV, pp. 1 and 4.
See “Briefings,” Folio, June 1988, pp. 7–8 and Garry Abrams, “A New Duo Seizes the Reins at Ms.,” Los Angeles Times, 4 August 1988, V, pp. 1 and 7.
See Diedre Carmody, “Ms. Magazine Prepares for a Life Without Ads,” New York Times, 5 March 1990, p. D-9;
Paul Farhi, “Ms. Magazine: The Sequel,” Washington Post, 5 March 1990, pp. D-1ff;
Pat Guy, “Ms. Divorces Ads,” USA Today, 5 March 1990, p. 2B;
Susan Hovey, “A Radical Vows to Take Ms. Back to Its Roots,” Folio, March 1990, pp. 41–2;
Jan Jaben, “Can Ms. Survive?” Publishing News, December 1989, pp. 1 and 61.
Richard W. Stevenson, “Fitness Magazine Explosion,” New York Times, natl. ed., 15 June 1985, p. 19. Bob Anderson, Publisher of Fit, after selling his Runner’s World to Rodale Press in 1985, launched Swimwear Illustrated, a catalogue in magazine form to market his mail-order swimsuits, Ujena of California. By 1987 it had attained a news-stand circulation of 225,000, and Anderson followed up with a large-size publication, Bikini.
See John Gabree, “A Monthly That Speaks Teentalk,” Los Angeles Times, 18 February 1988, V, p. 8.
See Patrick Reilly, “Details-Oriented: Newhouse Clout Helps Hip Book,” Advertising Age, 14 March 1988, p. 55
John Gabree, “Details, a Trendy Corner Among Fashion-Conscious Periodicals,” Los Angeles Times, 24 March 1988, IV, pp. 1 and 7.
See Gabree, “A Monthly That Speaks Teentalk,” pp. 1 and 8 and Jan Jaben, “Sassy Doubles Ad Projections Yet Competitors Feel ‘No Effect,’” Publishing News, Pilot Issue (1988), p. 25.
See Skip Wollenberg, “Sassy Too Sexy for Teen Market?” Santa Barbara News Press, 6 March 1988, p. D-1. For a serious critique of the style and content of the premiere issue of Sassy, see Gabree, “A Monthly That Speaks Teentalk.”
For further information on the founding of Lear’s, see Elizabeth Mehren, “In Her Own Image,” Los Angeles Times, 21 February 1988, IV, pp. 1 and 12.
Patrick Reilly, “Lear’s Second Issue Off and Running,” Advertising Age, 18 April 1988, p. S-28 and “In Her Own Image,” p. 12.
Cited in Bruce Horovitz, “Family’s the ‘In’ Thing — And Publishers Know It,” Los Angeles Times, 26 May 1987, IV, p. 9; see also “Briefings,” Folio, July 1985, p. 11.
See Horovitz, “Family’s the ‘In’ Thing”; John Peter, “Those Baby Magazines,” Folio, October 1987, pp. 205–7
J. Scot Finnie, “American Baby: Hungry for Growth,” Folio, July 1988, pp. 63–4.
See Sue Hoover Epstein, “Triangle’s Recipe for Good Food’s Relaunch,” Folio, July 1985, pp. 41–2; “1987: Turnaround Year for Consumer Titles,” p. 44; and “1989: The Year in Review,” pp. 37–8.
See Sandra Salmans, “Video Is Drawing Publishers,” New York Times, 18 April 1983, pp. D-1 and D-5
Sandra Salmans, “Magazines Find Video an Attractive Medium,” New York Times, natl. ed., 11 July 1988, p. 30.
Steve Knoll, “Translating Magazines into Programs,” New York Times, 29 July 1984, p. H-22;
Steve Knoll, “P & G Backs Two Series for Daytime,” Advertising Age, 28 March 1983, p. 12; Salmans, “Video Is Drawing Publishers”; and “Magazines Find Video an Attractive Medium.”
See “New Approach In Advertising,” New York Times, natl. ed., 13 July 1988, p. 46; Patrick Reilly, “Rolling Out Posters,” Advertising Age, 14 March 1988, p. 78
Philip H. Dougherty, “Outside’s Publishers in New Venture,” New York Times, natl. ed., 22 July 1988, p. 41.
“Sassy Merchandising Opportunities,” Sassy Media Kit. For more information on new merchandising practices see Julie A. Laitin, “Merchandising ’88: The Competitive Edge,” Folio, June 1988, pp. 104–10.
“Ten Newsmakers of 1987,” Advertising Age, 28 December 1987, p. 15; “Negotiating Teams Step Up Rate Pressure,” Folio, April 1988, pp. 22–3; “1987: Turnaround Year for Consumer Titles,” p. 44; and Warren Berger, “Trashing the Rate Card: Did It Work?” Publishing News, October 1989, pp. 35–7.
See advertisement for Seventeen, Advertising Age, 1 February 1988, p. 5; “Magazine Watch: Publishers of Adult Titles Diversify,” Folio, October 1987, pp. 93–4 and Patrick Reilly, “HG Puts on New Face — Again,” Advertising Age, 1 February 1988, p. 4.
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© 1993 Ellen McCracken
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McCracken, E. (1993). Acquisitions, New Launches, and Adaptations: Women’s Magazines Enter the 1990s. In: Decoding Women’s Magazines. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-22381-7_11
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