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Monday, November 9, 1998 Media Cynic | Forum | Advertising | Classifieds | Jobs Barnes & Noble, Inc. to Purchase Ingram Book Group; Amazon.com Releases Statement Barnes & Noble, Inc., has announced an agreement to purchase the Ingram Book Group, a privately held subsidiary of Ingram Industries Inc., for $600 million: $200 million in cash and $400 million in stock. The Group includes Ingram Book Company, a leading wholesaler of general trade books; Retailer Services, Inc.; Ingram Periodicals, Inc.; Spring Arbor Distributors, Inc.; Publisher Resources, Inc.; Ingram International, Inc.; Tennessee Book Company; Lightning Print, Inc.; and Ingram Library Services, Inc. As a result of this transaction, Ingram will become a major component of the Barnes & Noble distribution network. The Ingram Book Group will continue to supply books to current customers including independent bookstores, specialty retailers, and libraries, in the U.S. and abroad. The agreement was announced jointly by Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes & Noble, Inc., and John R. Ingram, chairman of Ingram Book Group. Mr. Ingram will continue to serve as chairman of Ingram and will also become a member of the Board of Directors of Barnes & Noble and serve as a vice chairman. "I couldn't possibly spell out all of the many benefits and synergies we will realize as a result of this transaction," Mr. Riggio said today. "For starters, let me say that it will enable us to create a strategic business unit which will revolutionize book distribution in the next century. Not only will we be capable of quickly delivering every book in print, but through Lightning Print, Inc., and through our network of affiliates, we intend to facilitate rapid deliveries of millions of titles which are now out of print. This sets up to be a virtual bonanza for every book lover in the world." Amazon.com released the following statement regarding the Barnes and Noble acquisition. "Amazon.com currently purchases books from a variety of sources, including Ingram. Our long-term strategy has been to diversify our supplier base and to increase our direct purchasing from publishers. We anticipate that this trend will continue for some time to come." "That said, Ingram is the largest book distributor in the United States, and many independent book stores rely on it as their sole source of supply. The combination of the country's biggest book retailer with its biggest distributor, and, given the recently announced Bertelsmann transaction, its biggest publisher group, undoubtedly will raise industry-wide concerns. Like other independent booksellers, we hope that Ingram resolves those concerns with a strong commitment to treating all bookstores fairly." "To our customers: Worry not," said Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. "Those who make choices that are genuinely good for customers, authors, and publishers will prevail. Goliath is always in range of a good slingshot." American Lawyer Media Launches Delaware Law Weekly American Lawyer Media, Inc. (ALM), announced that it will establish a news bureau in Delaware and expand its roster of national, regional and local legal publications, beginning with the launch of Delaware Law Weekly, a newspaper covering the state's influential court system and legal market. Home to more than 280,000 corporations, Delaware's courts play a unique role in establishing and interpreting U.S. corporate law in matters ranging from mergers and acquisitions to shareholder lawsuits. The launch of Delaware Law Weekly follows ALM's acquisition of Delaware Law Monthly, Delaware's leading legal newsletter. "From mergers to newly developing issues of partnership law, the Delaware courts have been the source of the body of corporate case law that governs most major U.S. companies," said William Pollak, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Lawyer Media. "Our entry into this key venue underscores ALM's strategy to increase our presence in the nation's leading legal markets and leverage our investments to provide enhanced coverage for our growing national audience." Delaware Law Weekly will replace the acquired monthly newsletter and will continue to provide case digests for all significant state court decisions, as well as new content. ALM has named John F. Manser as Editor of the new bureau. Manser, a graduate of Widener University of Law, formerly served as a law columnist for the Wilmington News Journal and as a legal correspondent for Bloomberg News Service. ALM also plans to launch a website that will feature legal news, full-text cases from Delaware's state and federal courts and a searchable archive of Delaware cases dating back twenty years; a fax-on-demand; and a biweekly national newsletter centered on Delaware court decisions. Michael Perlis Named President of ZD Publishing Ziff-Davis Inc. has announced key executive appointments that it believes position the company for future growth. Claude Sheer, a Ziff-Davis Board member and 18-year veteran of the company, has been named Ziff-Davis' Chief Internet Strategist. Michael Perlis has been named President of ZD Publishing, filling Sheer's previous post. Both executives report directly to the Chairman and CEO, Eric Hippeau. "The Internet's profound impact is transforming business in every sector. What is scoped as a $200 billion sector today will grow to a trillion dollars over the next three years. Today's announcements reflect my strong belief that every aspect of Ziff-Davis' business will be strengthened by the dynamics of the Internet Economy," said Eric Hippeau, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ziff-Davis. Most recently, Perlis was President and Chief Operating Officer of TVSM, a publisher of cable television listing and guidance publications. In this position, he led the development of Total TV On-Line, a Web-based directory of television listings, forged a strategic partnership with DIRECTV and branded electronic services for cable systems. In previous posts, he has served as Publisher of Gentleman's Quarterly, Publisher and President of the Playboy Publishing Group, President and Chief Executive, International Data Group-Peterborough and Group Publisher, Rodale Press. Joy Of Cooking Book Goes Interactive The New York Times No. 1 Bestseller Joy of Cooking is now available on CD-ROM for PC. Simon & Schuster Interactive and CompuWorks, a division of GT Interactive Software Corp., are currently shipping Joy of Cooking for PC, which is based on the fully-revised 1997 edition of the Joy of Cooking cookbook. Joy of Cooking furthers GT Interactive's strategy to address the growing "casual user" market -- one that has become more significant with the growth of the sub-$1,000 PC. The CD-ROM features 2,500 favorite recipes which have been tested in the Joy of Cooking's test kitchen. In addition, 2,000 hyperlinks connect the user to related information and recipes, including a glossary of more than 400 culinary terms and 100 illustrated, step-by-step techniques. Users can also turn recipes into a shopping list that contains all the items from the combination of recipes chosen. "Joy of Cooking for CD-ROM is loaded with features to make cooking easier, quicker and more enjoyable for everyone," said Paul Rinde, senior vice president of Product Acquisition and Development for CompuWorks. "The release of the title is very timely with the upcoming holiday season and will be a very popular gift for everyone, not just the chef in the family." Newshound.com Offers News Retrieval by Telephone Knight Ridder New Media, announced an agreement with Mail Call, Inc., a telephone/email management provider, to offer NewsHound subscribers the ability to retrieve news from a touch-tone telephone. NewsHound.com is a customizable, online news search service that delivers personalized information to users' webpages or email addresses by continuously scanning Knight Ridder newspapers and wire services. Users 'train' their hounds to fetch and deliver articles of interest to their desktops or email boxes. "Knight Ridder New Media recognizes the important need for mobile professionals to access their personalized news and information when and where it is most convenient for them," said Chris Jennewein, vice president of technology and operations. "Whether our customers are driving in their cars to a meeting or staying in a hotel for a business trip, Mail Call enhances NewsHound.com's ability to keep users informed at all times." The Mail Call service reads subscribers the headers of email messages and then offers the option to hear, reply, fax, or delete the messages. Mail Call also gives users the opportunity to personalize their accounts with preferences such as a choice of several different reader voices and a list of names of individuals and companies to prioritize. Preferences and address book entries can be changed and updated by visiting Mail Call's website. Click here to return to the homepage of The Write NewsTM Click here to subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter.  www.writenews.com Copyright © 1997-2007 by Writers Write, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
