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Thursday, June 24, 1999 Media Cynic | Forum | Advertising | Classifieds | Jobs Reader's Digest To Develop Health Website The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. has taken the first step in its health information and Internet strategy through an alliance with WebMD, a leading healthcare website. The alliance includes the development of a Reader's Digest health site and the exchange of health-related content. It also includes the promotion of both parties' sites and health-related products across the Reader's Digest family of magazines, WebMD's site and the co-branded online and on-air properties of WebMD partners. WebMD recently announced its plan to merge with Healtheon Corporation to create one of the largest Internet companies in the healthcare arena. Together, Reader's Digest and WebMD plan to provide and promote to Web users an interactive area of health-related information, products and services. Under the terms of the alliance: WebMD will help develop a new Reader's Digest health site for consumers in the U.S., expected to be launched by Fall 1999, bringing online users a wide range of healthcare content and services to be provided by both companies. Site content will be drawn from Reader's Digest's flagship magazine, its three health-oriented special interest magazines and its health-related books, and will be augmented by content from the WebMD site. Hearst Magazines Introduces CosmoGIRL Hearst Magazines, publisher of Cosmopolitan, has announced the company will introduce a new teen title under the Cosmopolitan name. The magazine, titled CosmoGIRL!, and its related website, are geared for girls ages 12-17 and will debut on June 29, 1999. CosmoGIRL! will be a teenage girl's guide to relationships, fashion and beauty, fitness and health, with a strong editorial focus on the "inner girl." Hearst Magazines will test three issues during 1999. CosmoGIRL! will have a newsstand distribution of 850,000 and a cover price of $2.99. "Teenagers in the United States either spent or encouraged their parents to spend nearly $125 billion last year," said Cathleen P. Black, president of Hearst Magazines. "This is a growing market, and the time is right for us to introduce this title. Hearst Magazines has a unique franchise under the Cosmopolitan brand, and CosmoGIRL! will extend this reach to the younger female reader. We are taking the original Cosmo formula created by Helen Gurley Brown and adapting it for the teenage girl. " TheStreet.com Television Show to Debut on FOX FOX News Channel and TheStreet.com have announced that TheStreet.com, a weekly television investing show co-produced by both companies, will debut on the FOX News Channel (FNC) on Saturday, July 17, 1999. The show will provide opinions and insights about today's market. The show will utilize the financial news and research offerings of TheStreet.com and the FOX News websites. Former CNBC anchor Brenda Buttner will host the half-hour program, which will feature many of TheStreet.com's editors, reporters and outside contributors. Analysts, money managers, and CEOs will also be interviewed during the program. The program will air at 10 a.m. ET on Saturdays and at 1 p.m. ET Sundays on FNC. In making the announcement, Roger Ailes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FOX News said, "TheStreet.com is an important new brand in financial news and will fit beautifully with our successful development of business programming on the FOX News Channel. We are delighted to be involved in this joint venture." BPI Acquires Whitaker in United Kingdom BPI Communications Inc. has announced that, through its U.K. affiliate, it has acquired J. Whitaker & Sons Ltd., the U.K. based information and publishing company serving the worldwide book publishing industry for an undisclosed sum. John Babcock, Jr., president and CEO of BPI, a subsidiary of VNU USA, made the announcement. "This is a great fit for BPI and VNU. It increases our foot print in the U.K. and strengthens our management there; it complements VNU's point-of-sale data and chart businesses; Whitaker's database systems and Bookseller magazine's news coverage will enhance our Internet offerings. I could not be more delighted," said Mr. Babcock. Founded in 1858 with the creation of the Bookseller magazine, Whitaker will continue to operate its two major divisions, Whitaker Business Publications and Whitaker Information Services through its existing management structure led by Group Managing Director Martin Whitaker with Howard Lander, BPI 's executive vice president and president of its Billboard Group operations assuming overall responsibility. Whitaker has expanded its business through the development of its Bibliographic database systems, TeleOrdering E-commerce and most recently BookTrack, which electronically captures data on retail book sales in the U.K. "We are excited about the new opportunities Whitaker's position in the book publishing industry adds to our portfolio and the global strength of its brands," said Mr. Lander. "Additionally, Whitaker mirrors our strategy of commercially merging data with traditional publishing properties and the exploding world of the Internet and E-commerce. I'm looking forward to utilizing both their talent and information resources to broaden the business domestically and overseas." PhotoPoint.com And Digital Camera Magazine Form Strategic Partnership PhotoPoint.com, an Internet resources for digital photography, has announced a strategic partnership with Digital Camera, a publication for professional and amateur photographers. The partnership was announced at PC Expo. Under the terms of the agreement, Pantellic Software, the owner and operator of the PhotoPoint.com site, will purchase an equity stake in Digital Camera. In turn, PhotoPoint.com will have exclusive on-line rights to Digital Camera's editorial content, including product reviews, columns, features, etc. PhotoPoint.com will also sponsor sections of the magazine focused on photo sharing, processing and imaging on the Internet, which will debut in July 1999. Chris Lombardi Returns as Managing Editor of Computer Gaming World Computer Gaming World, a print and web resource for computer gamers, has announced that Chris Lombardi has rejoined the magazine as managing editor. Lombardi returns following a four-year hiatus, during which he served for two years as editorial director at the Total Entertainment Network (TEN) and spent two years working on his master's degree in philosophy and religion. His previous six-year position at Computer Gaming World saw him move through the ranks from editorial assistant to editor. "Chris is one of the most talented, hardest-working people I have had the privilege to work with. He played a huge role in Computer Gaming World's early circulation growth and success," said Computer Gaming World Publisher Lee Uniacke. "Having Chris rejoin the team gives us an even stronger editorial lineup. It's great to have him here again." "When I started at Computer Gaming World in 1989, we had a staff of four and a circulation of about 40,000. As the electronic gaming industry took off, we took off along with it. It was great to be part of that success," said Lombardi. "I'm excited to be part of the industry again and especially to be back at Computer Gaming World, which has grown to more than 330,000 in circulation. They've put together an outstanding editorial team, and I'm looking forward to working with editor-in-chief George Jones and the rest of his staff." PhotoHighway.com Launches Digital Photography Portal PhotoHighway.com, Inc. announced at PC Expo the launch of an Internet community for digital photography enthusiasts. The site creates a free online community for photography enthusiasts with information on digital photography software and hardware solutions; product reviews from leading industry authors; access to a repository to upload and store personal digital images; links to relevant websites; and member chat sessions, email, albums and discussion groups. “We wanted to design an informative site to support the increasing interest in digital photography and provide enthusiasts with a way to easily transition from film to digital photography,” said Joe Byrd, COO of PhotoHighway.com, Inc. “Through our focused portal community, we aim to provide an unbiased yet, intuitive resource for newcomers and enthusiasts alike with information and services catered to their personalized digital photography needs. We feel that people want and need a rich support organization to make the transition to the future of photography a safe and rewarding experience.” Dr. Drew Outlines Plans for New Health Website Dr. Drew Pinsky, better known simply as "Dr. Drew", the co-host and creator of the nationally syndicated Loveline radio and television shows, has announced plans to launch an extension of his life's work with the debut of a comprehensive and interactive health and lifestyle website, drdrew.com. The new website is specifically designed for young people ages 14-34. Drdrew.com, launching in September, 1999, will allow users to explore a wide range of physical, mental and emotional health topics as well as interact with other site members. The site aims to provide it's audience with hard to find information in a safe, compassionate and entertaining environment. "Health issues for young people set the stage for a lifetime. I am grateful to have developed a relationship with this audience and I feel I have a responsibility to them," said Dr. Drew. "They have embraced the web, which provides me with a whole new way to communicate and provide information." Dr. Drew will serve as the President and Editor-in-Chief of the site. The site will feature regular health content, including daily question and answer sessions with Dr. Drew, content from health organizations, searchable databases, access to a network of contributing doctors, support groups and contact information for local health services and professionals. Site members will be encouraged to participate in discussion of topics, polls and research, and real-life user stories will be featured daily. Drdrew.com will also offer profiles, interviews and chats with celebrities. Transcontinental Publications Acquires Investment Executive and IE Money Transcontinental Publications Inc. has announced the acquisition of Investment Executive, IE Money and investmentexecutive.com, three publications providing specialized financial and investment information to a broad spectrum of highly interested readers across Canada. With a circulation of nearly 45 000 copies, Investment Executive is distributed sixteen times a year to a targeted readership of financial advisers and other financial industry managers. Transcontinental Publications, with this acquisition, becomes one of the largest financial publishers in Canada. Its other business and personal finance titles include the newspaper Les Affaires, Affaires Plus, Revue Commerce, PME and Le Journal Economique de Quebec, a number of annual guides and directories as well as a website. "This acquisition allows us to greatly strengthen and expand our presence in the key financial and business publications segment", said Andre Prefontaine, President of Transcontinental Publications. "The numerous synergies between Investment Executive, IE Money and our existing publications are quite evident. This unique vantage point strategically positions Transcontinental Publications for further expansion in the rapidly growing market for business and financial information." 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. |
