Martha Stewart Living Acquires Body & Soul Magazine

Posted on September 10, 2004

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. has acquired Body & Soul magazine from New Age Publishing, Inc. and Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing newsletter from Thorne Communications, Inc. for approximately $6 million in cash. The acquisition is part of MSO's strategy to expand into emerging markets.

In making the announcement, Sharon Patrick, MSO's President and CEO, said "This is another important step in evolving MSO as a 'how-to' brand building company offering multiple brands built on expert information, inspiration and products dedicated to educating and improving lifestyles. We are delighted with the potential creation of shareholder value that is offered by bringing the Body & Soul brand - and its strong and proven management - under the MSO umbrella. Body & Soul provides MSO with the opportunity to both enter a new, promising market and to launch 'natural living' as a new 'omni' lifestyle category and brand for the company. Akin to Martha Stewart Living, Body & Soul's editorial concept combines seven niches in an emerging natural living category."

The acquisition of Body & Soul and Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing newsletter follows MSO's announcement last week of the launch of Everyday Food, a new television program that will air on PBS stations nationwide beginning January 2005. Body & Soul joins Everyday Food, Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, Kids and Petkeeping with Marc Morrone as the sixth "how-to" brand under the MSO banner.

The acquisition of Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing newsletter complements the Body & Soul magazine and extends the brand into information areas new to MSO. It brings with it the expert authority of Andrew Weil, M.D., the Integrative Medicine expert who has been instrumental in transforming the way Americans think about health. The Body & Soul brand is also home to other experts in the natural living field, including organic farmer MaryJane Butters, life coach Cheryl Richardson, green consumer advocate Annie Berthold-Bond, and Body & Soul Editor-In-Chief and fitness expert Seth Bauer.

Janesse Bruce, CEO for both New Age and Thorne, will continue to manage the Body & Soul brand for MSO as the company's new Senior Vice President, Publisher and Managing Director. She will report to Ms. Patrick for overall brand strategy and management and to Lauren Stanich, MSO's President of Publishing, for day-today operations. Body & Soul will remain headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Body & Soul magazine was launched in 1974 as the New Age Journal. It was renamed Body & Soul in 2001, as the topics and themes it had always covered -- organic food, natural medicine, mind-body fitness, environmentally conscious consumerism, and spiritual and personal growth - began to enter the mainstream as interests of American women. The magazine, which is published eight times a year, has a circulation of 200,000. In 2003, Ms. Bruce repositioned the magazine, adopting a "how-to" focus and adding nationally recognized experts.

Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing newsletter, launched by Thorne Communications, Inc. in 1995, is the nation's leading Integrative Medicine newsletter. Dr. Weil, an authority on Integrative Medicine and holistic health, is a Harvard-trained physician who rose to international prominence as one of the country's first advocates of Integrative Medicine, which combines natural cures and practices with the best of Western medicine. His ideas and passion have led to nine books, including a number of bestsellers, television appearances and the creation of the Program for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.