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Friday, August 13th, 1999 Media Cynic | Forum | Advertising | Classifieds | Jobs JCPenney Magazine Aimed at the Teenage Market Makes Its Debut JCPenney has announced an agreement with NBC to cross-promote the premier issue of Noise, its quarterly teen magazine. The 84 page interactive publication, published by Redwood Custom Communications, Inc., includes articles on fashion, beauty, sports, teen stars and music. 3.25 million copies of Noise are available in JCPenney department stores across the country. 250,000 copies of the magazines have been mailed to teens. Stars of the NBC Saturday morning line-up shows (TNBC) modeling JCPenney fashions will be on hand in JCPenney stores across the country, in the form of life-sized cut-outs and a music video in the Juniors' and Young Men's departments, to promote the magazine. Scott Whyte who plays Chris Anderson on City Guys appears in a television commercial, which began airing last week during TNBC shows and on Passions, NBC's newest daytime drama. The spot promotes the availability of Noise magazine in JCPenney department stores. In addition to fashion spreads, the first issue includes an interview with Katie Brown, a champion rock climber, a feature on stars including Lauryn Hill and Alicia Silverstone and their charitable work, and cartoons by teen contributors. Readers also have the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes -- Steal-A-Scene. The winner of the sweepstakes will receive merchandise from JCPenney and NBC and an all-expense trip to Los Angeles to appear in a walk-on role on Hang Time, One World or City Guys. The magazine also has its own preview website. Noiseonline debuted this week and visitors will have the opportunity to see previews of select articles, send e-mails with their views and suggestions for the magazine and the website, and register for the Steal-A-Scene sweepstakes. BET Announces Partners for BET.com BET Holdings Chairman and CEO Robert Johnson announced that BET will partner with four media and technology conglomerates to create BET.com, a new online destination for African Americans. BET Holdings, along with Microsoft Corporation, Liberty Digital, LLC, News America Inc., and USA Networks, Inc., will fund the joint venture with an initial cash investment of $35 million. BET will have majority ownership and control of the venture. "The Internet is the platform for the powerful new digital economy and connected society," Johnson said. "The failure of any community to avail itself of the resources of the Internet will limit its ability to succeed in the new millennium. BET is bringing its media channels, content and brand resources together with those of our partners to create an online destination that will educate, enrich, empower and entertain African Americans." Barnes & Noble Acquires Publisher J. B. Fairfax International Barnes & Noble, Inc. has announced that it has acquired J. B. Fairfax International USA, Inc., which includes the Michael Friedman Publishing Group. The Friedman Group, with its imprints Friedman Fairfax and Metro, is a niche publisher and packager of high quality illustrated books for the trade, promotional and general reference markets. The group has published books in such categories as gardening, interior design and history, among others. "This acquisition will strengthen Barnes & Noble's presence in the niche publishing marketplace, and provide our customers access to many more high quality books at affordable prices," said Alan Kahn, chief operating officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. "By combining the resources of the Friedman Group with the expertise of the Barnes & Noble buying organization, we expect to bring to the market an exciting array of new titles which will appeal to the broad demographic customer base we have established." Journal Register Company Acquires Hometown Newspapers, Inc. Journal Register Company Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Jelenic has announced the company's agreement to acquire Hometown Newspapers, Inc. in West Warwick, Rhode Island, including the Kent County Daily Times and the weekly Spectator. Michael F. O'Sullivan, publisher of the Journal Register Company-owned Southern Rhode Island Newspapers, will assume the additional responsibility of publisher of Hometown Newspapers, Inc. Located in West Warwick, the six-day Kent County Daily Times with its 5,000 paid daily circulation has served Kent County since 1892. The Spectator, based in Wakefield, is a 25,000 free weekly distribution shopper. Also included in the acquisition are two monthly publications, the Narragansett Indian News and the Cranston Monthly, with total non-daily distribution of approximately 13,000; and Great Outdoors, a summer guide to Rhode Island activities, which is published in July and August and has a monthly distribution of approximately 10,000. "I am extremely happy to welcome Hometown Newspapers and its talented staff to the Journal Register Company family," said Jelenic. "Journal Register Company has long been committed to better serving our Rhode Island readers and advertisers, as evidenced by the launch of several new publications over the past few years and again today with the acquisition of Hometown Newspapers." Adobe Press Joins Peachpit Press Adobe Press has recently joined Peachpit Press as its new publishing partner. Adobe Press will continue to develop its own books, with Peachpit as its marketing, sales, and distribution partner for all channels, effective immediately. The complete list of current and backlist titles is available from Peachpit Press. "Peachpit and Adobe have so much in common," says Nancy Aldrich-Ruenzel, publisher of Peachpit Press. "Since the beginning of the desktop publishing revolution, both companies have created well-designed products aimed at designers and non-designers. Both have focused on the new generation of tools used by graphic designers, illustrators, type professionals, graphics producers, and desktop and Web publishers." Jon Phillips Advances to Editor-in-Chief of Maximum PC Magazine Maximum PC magazine has promoted Executive Editor, Jon Phillips to the position of Editor-in-Chief. "Jon has been with Imagine Media for over three years, working first at The Net magazine and then moving to boot. He's an incredibly talented editor, he writes a killer humor column, and he genuinely loves technology," states Cheryl England, president of Imagine Media's Computing Division. "It's fantastic that we have someone like Jon to head up Maximum PC as we move into the year 2000!" "Taking the helm of Maximum PC is the most exciting event in my entire publishing career," states Jon Phillips. "My goal is to continue with our strengths and ramp up the amount of practical how-to information that we publish every month. Readers will also see more Internet coverage, and a lot more humor and edgy attitude in every part of the magazine." Jon's promotion comes on the heels of Brad Dosland's promotion from Editor-in-Chief of Maximum PC's to Network Publisher for FutureNet's Global Computing initiative. FutureNet is the global new media effort of Future Network (Imagine Media's parent company) and is lead by FutureNet President Mark Gross and V.P. of Operations Rob Rosenstein. Travelzoo.com Launches 'Travel Interactively With Alicia' Travelzoo.com has announced a unique type of travel experience in Travel Interactively With Alicia, which enables Net surfers to travel the world from their computer terminals. Travel Interactively With Alicia began on August 5, when journalist and photographer Alicia Dunams began the first leg of her six month, around-the-world trip, guiding Net surfers on a journey through ten Asian and European countries. "Interactive travel not only transports users from their computers to destinations they might not otherwise ever see, it also invites users to create their own journeys," said Ralph Bartel, Chairman and CEO of Travelzoo.com. "We expect more than 2 million people to travel interactively with Alicia." Mishra Group Launches IndiaNewEngland.com The Mishra Group Inc., a Waltham, MA-based media relations and marketing communications firm, has announced that it has launched IndiaNewEngland.com, a website broadcasting cultural news, events and information dedicated to the Asian Indian community throughout New England. "This website showcases all that is of interest to our region's Asian Indian community, including breaking news stories, business news, educational programs, cultural activities, arts & entertainment, and an active chat forum for dialogue on area events and cultural issues," commented Upendra Mishra, President of The Mishra Group and creator of the website. "This is the first website of its kind dedicated to the Asian Indian community in New England. In addition, we anticipate that a print edition of this news resource will be launched in conjunction with this website this fall." Sun-Sentinel Community News Group Launches Six Miami-Dade Weeklies The Sun-Sentinel Community News Group this week launched six community weekly publications in several Miami-Dade communities. The six new editions of the Community News will complement four other English-language publications and six Spanish publications produced by the group in Miami-Dade County. "With these new publications, we can now provide the majority of homes in Miami-Dade County with top-quality community news coverage and at the same time connect advertisers with readers," said Sun-Sentinel Community News Group's Miami-Dade Publisher Justo Rey. "We're filling a need that exists in one of the most dynamic areas in South Florida." The new weeklies will focus on providing coverage of community sports, school news and community events. The newspapers will also feature special sections including Celebrations, classifieds and more. The new Community News publications will be delivered free each week in the following areas: Kendall, Sunset, Westchester, East Kendall/Falls, Country Walk and Miller North/Village Green. Around the Web AOL makes MaMaMedia top kids' content supplier Media Central Clinton Names New Head Speechwriter CNN Cookbook Author Richard Olney Dies PioneerPlanet Disney Will Sell Fairchild Unit Media Central Hearst Puts Two Titles Up For Sale Media Central The State of the American Newspaper AJR Newslink Time Inc. Plans New Magazine MediaWeek Time Warner Pulls Plug on Women's Network Reuters Wall St. Journal Launches Spanish Website Editor&Publisher Wired News Names Content Editor Editor&Publisher 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 © 1997-2010 by Writers Write, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
