Friday news round-up

As we get into the dog days of summer, here is a news summary from the final week of July:

AMERICAN COWBOY and BACKPACKER publisher Active Interest Media (AIM) is acquiring several properties from Dominion Enterprises, a marketing services company, allowing AIM to expand its b2b portfolio.  Included in the purchase are marine titles PASSAGEMAKER, SOUNDINGS and SOUNDINGS TRADE ONLY, along with WOODSHOP NEWS. The terms of the deal were undisclosed…

MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA is reported to be involved in a “strategic exploration” process, tentatively looking at potential buyers. Advertising in the August issue of MARTHA STEWART LIVING declined by 14%…

GAME PRO MAGAZINE will go from a monthly publication to a quarterly, beginning with the winter 2011 issue.  It’s scheduled to hit newsstands on November 8. Look for subsequent issues in March, June and September…

ESPN THE MAGAZINE said goodbye to general editor Neil Janowitz on July 29.  He had served in that role since 2008, and began there as an associate editor.  In another move, Keith Reed, keith.reed@espn3.com, is joining the magazine in late August as a senior editor…

THEGRIO.COM, an online magazine focused on the African American community, promoted David Wilson, no email available, from managing editor to executive editor.  Replacing Wilson in his former post will be Joy-Ann Reid, no email available.  For additional information email info@thegrio.com.  Submissions may be sent to contributor@thegrio.com…

ROLLING STONE web editor Nick Cartucci departed his post, shortly after the arrival of Bill Crandall, bill.crandall@rollingstone.com, the new digital content chief. This marks a return for Crandall, who worked for Rolling Stone prior to his recent five-year stint as editor-in-chief of AOL Music…

LIFE & STYLE WEEKLY lost West Coast news editor Rachel Teitelbaum, who had been there since 2009.  She also had served as a reporter and editorial assistant for the magazine…

INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR bid farewell to news editor for special projects, Jan Alexander, jalexander@absolutereturn.net, as he left to join AR MAGAZINE as a senior writer…

PEOPLE STYLE WATCH no longer has Kara Murphy as a staff writer and features assistant editor…

AMERICAN BANKER snapped up Maria Aspan, no email yet, who will return to the publication as the consumer finance editor on August 8.  Aspan first worked there as a credit reporter, and most recently was a reporter with Reuters…

FAST COMPANY brought on board Teressa Iezzi, tiezzi@fastcompany.com, as a staff editor.  Previously she served as editor for Creativity Online, and has been a contributor to Advertising Age…

LAPTOP magazine is without news editor K.T. Bradford, and no replacement has been named…

ADWEEK: THE VOICE OF MEDIA said goodbye to Mike Chapman, who served as editor of special projects for print and online…

EYENET, the official publication of the American Academy of Opthamology, named Peggy Denny, pdenny@aao.org, as the new senior editor.  She replaces Denny Smith, who left EyeNet…

Youth sport shooting magazine launches a new website

JUNIOR SHOOTERS MAGAZINE has launched a new companion website, www.juniorshooter.net.

The new online resource offers feature articles and covers a wide variety of youth shooting activities, both competitive and recreational.  Visitors will find match reports, club listings, safety information, training tips, youth camps, gear reviews, events and college scholarship opportunities.  Video archives and photo galleries also are included.

Visitors and enthusiasts are invited to contribute.  For general inquiries email info@juniorshooter.net.  Send submissions to articles@juniorshooter.net.

Mile high femininity: A new digital magazine for Denver’s “chic, cosmopolitan woman”

DENVER REIGN, a new online lifestyle magazine exclusively for women in the Denver, Colorado area, launched in May.

The digital publication and local resource features sections for beauty, fashion, culture, travel, giving, home, design, kids and weddings.  Targeting affluent residents, the magazine says it “caters to the chic, cosmopolitan woman.”

Delivered to subscribers via email every Tuesday and Thursday, Denver Reign is the brainchild of former public relations pro Betsy Martin, who serves as both publisher and editor-in-chief.  Martin says the digital model made more sense than producing a print magazine at this time.  Plans are in the works to expand the franchise into other cities, including Phoenix, Kansas City, Orange County, California.

Reach Martin at betsy@denverreign.com.  View the magazine at www.denverreign.com.

A Canadian magazine catering to the condo market launches in Toronto

CONDOMINIA MAGAZINE, covering the condominium market in the Toronto area, launched in the spring.

The publication contains articles on the condo lifestyle, buying condominiums, reviews of specific local and international locations, design tips and builder reviews.  Publisher Communiqis, Inc also will offer a customization program to condominium brokers in the coming weeks, allowing brokers, for a fee, to add their own listings in the back-of-book along with a cover mention.

“We’re positioning the magazine as a free marketing tool for brokers and agents,” said Brian Rushton Phillips, design and editorial director for Condominia.  “They can incorporate it into their client retention and acquisition programs.”

Published seven times a year, Condominia claims to have a current reach of 50,000.  Reach Rushton Phillips at brian@condominia.ca.  Find the magazine online at www.condominia-magazine.com.

It’s not about the pom-poms: Cheer athletics magazine will debut in the fall

RECREATIONAL CHEERLEADING MAGAZINE, aimed at athletes, coaches and parents involved with recreational cheer, will launch this fall.

Produced quarterly, the magazine will include informative articles on techniques, health, fitness, safety and rules, as well as features on successful programs throughout the country.  The purpose will be to educate, inform and entertain young athletes and those who work with them.

Publisher Recreational Sports Media, based in Texas, expects Recreational Cheerleading to be a valuable resource for Pop Warner, scholastic and all-star cheerleading markets.  For additional information, email the staff at info@reccheermagazine.com or contact Valerie Ninemire, editor of sister publication CHEER COACH & ADVISOR, at Valerie@recsportsmedia.com.  The magazine’s website is www.reccheermagazine.com.

Taking kosher mainstream, a new cooking magazine has broad appeal for foodies

JOY OF KOSHER WITH JAMIE GELLER debuted earlier this year in April.

The print magazine and companion website cover kosher food and recipes, nutrition, entertaining, cooking tips and tricks, Jewish travel and more.  In addition, the website includes cooking videos, blogs and an online community.

Founded by cookbook author Jamie Geller, a former CNN and HBO producer, the magazine and website are part of Geller’s Kosher Media Network.  The bi-monthly publication has a print circulation of 70,000, and is available by subscription and at selected locations in New York, New Jersey, Toronto and Montreal.

Pitches, recipes and ideas may be sent to managing editor Victoria Dwek, Victoria@joyofkosher.com.  For more information visit the website at www.joyofkosher.com.

A new Florida magazine covers young black professionals on the Ryse

RYSE, a magazine for and about young black professionals in the Central Florida region, launched on July 21.  The name is an acronym for Recognizing Young Successful Executives, and telegraphs the publication’s focus.

Developed to recognize and showcase members of the growing black professional community in the area, readers will find articles on finance, entrepreneurship, business and relationships, as well as profiles of local pros who are rising to prominence.  Ryse is aimed at the 21 to 45-year-old demographic, and publisher J. Jackson, Sr. hopes it will create a greater awareness of the organizations, activities and resources available to young black professionals.

“There is nothing out there like this for the young professional,” says Jackson, who heads The Words of Action, Inc., the publication’s owner.  “I wanted a platform to recognize successful entrepreneurs and business executives.”  The idea for Ryse sprang from a networking event Jackson attended, where a few black medical and legal professionals told Jackson they were having trouble seeking out others like themselves.

Contact the magazine at editor@rysemag.com.  Send submissions, news or story ideas to submissions@rysemag.com.  The magazine’s website is www.rysemagazine.com.

Friday News Round-up

Here’s a recap of this week’s news from the magazine industry:

GUITAR WORLD, TOTAL FILM and T3 publisher Future US will accelerate its transition to digital-only publications in America, phasing out print over the next 12 to 15 months.  The news came in the wake of steeper than expected losses and falling stock prices for the UK-based company…

READERS DIGEST ASSOCIATION put itself on the block, seeking a buyer and hoping for a $1 billion purchase price.  RDA Inc publishes more than 90 magazines, including the flagship READERS DIGEST and EVERY DAY WITH RACHAEL RAY.  The company, which emerged from bankruptcy one year ago, may be sold as a whole or in parts…

AMERICAN EXECUTIVE and INSIDE HEALTHCARE b2b publisher Schofield Media abruptly shuttered all U.S. operations this week.  Employees were notified at work on Monday, and publications that currently were at the printer were not released.  Although no explanation was given, the UK-based company reportedly had lost bank funding for its American divisions.  Other affected titles included BEVERAGE WORLD, CONSTRUCTION TODAY and MANUFACTURING TODAY…

EBONY and JET founder John H. Johnson will be honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a 2012 Forever Stamp as part of its Black Heritage series.  Johnson began his publishing and media career in the 1940s, and was the first African American to be listed by FORBES as one of the 400 wealthiest people in America…

W MAGAZINE said goodbye to senior fashion market editor Carolyn Tate Angel…

HELLO! CANADA lost beauty and lifestyle editor Malena Harbers.  No word of a replacement…

THE NEW YORK OBSERVER named Andrew Russeth, arusseth@observer.com, as an editor and reporter covering visual arts…

BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK moved up Barrett Sheridan, bsheridan3@bloomberg.net, to technology editor.  Sheridan had been associate editor there since June of last year…

GLAMOUR hired new entertainment editorial assistant Caitlin Brody, caitlin_brody@condenast.com.  Previously she was an editorial assistant at THEBUMP…

OUT will welcome Jerry Portwood, jportwood@heremedia.com, on July 25 as the magazine’s new managing editor, replacing Jessanne Collins who left to take up the same post at MENTAL FLOSS…

MARLIN sports fishing magazine named Scott Shane, scott.hsne@bonniercorp.com, as the new editor-in-chief.  He moved over from Bonnier sister publication YACHTING.  In further shufflings at Bonnier…

BOATING magazine tapped Sue Whitney, sue.whitney@bonniercorp.com, as managing editor following a staff overhaul. Before coming to Boating, she was managing editor of PARENTING EARLY YEARS and PARENTING SCHOOL YEARS…

SPORT FISHING welcomed Mike Mazur, mike.mazur@bonniercorp.com, as a new senior editor, making a switch from his job at BOATING magazine…

TABLET MAGAZINE, covering contemporary Jewish life, named David Samuels, dsamuels@tabletmag.com, as literary editor.  Samuels had been an editorial consultant to Tablet since November of 2010.  Tablet also brought in Bari Weiss, bweiss@tabletmag.com, as the new senior editor overseeing news and politics.  Weiss was an assistant features editor at the WALL STREET JOURNAL since 2008…

DETAILS snagged Mike Guy, mike_guy@condenast.com, as articles editor.  Guy comes to Details from the inflight mag HEMISPHERES, where he served as editor-in-chief…

ESSENCE appointed Michael Bullerdick, mbulerdick@essence.com, as the new managing editor.  Previously he was corporate managing editor for American Media…

MEN’S HEALTH Editor-in-Chief Dave Zinczenko, david.zinczenko@rodale.com, was promoted by Rodale to executive vice president and editorial director for PREVENTION and ORGANIC GARDENING, overseeing both print and online editorial.  He will continue in his post as EIC for Men’s Health, which he has held since 2000…

COMPUTERWORLD senior managing editor Michele Lee DeFilippo, mdefilippo@computerworld.com, left on July 22 to pursue a freelance editorial career…

INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR and INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR INTERNATIONAL promoted Michael Peltz, mpeltz@institutionalinvestor.com, to editor, replacing William Inman…

COMPLEX magazine lost lifestyle editor Bradley Carbone.  No replacement has been named.

GO, AirTran’s inflight magazine, promoted Peter Koch, peter.koch@ink-global.com, to executive editor, replacing Brooke Porter who departed.  Koch had been an associate editor for the publication…

ESSENCE welcomed back Vanessa Bush, vbush@essence.com, as executive editor.  Bush originally held the same post there from 2005 to 2008.  Prior to that, she served at the magazine in a variety of other positions including lifestyle director, senior parenting and features editor, and fashion and beauty features editor…

NYMAG.COM brought in Stephanie Trong, Stephanie_trong@nymag.com, as fashion editor.  She had been deputy editor at LUCKY since October 2010…

DEPARTURES hired Heather Halberstadt, heather.e.halberstadt@aexp.com, as the luxe magazine’s new features editor.  Previously she was senior features editor a WSJ MAGAZINE.  Also new to the Departures staff, Jessica Flint, Jessica.m.flint@aexp.com, who was added as the new digital editor…

BETTTER HOMES & GARDENS named Amy Palanjian, amy.palanjian@meredith.com, as the senior food editor for special interest media…

THE DEAL said hello to Paula Schaap, pschaap@thedeal.com, the new associate editor overseeing market coverage…

What women want: The new Cosmo for Guys magazine aims to tell men

COSMO FOR GUYS, an iPad-only male version of COSMOPOLITAN magazine, is slated to launch August 1.

Dubbed CFG for short, the new digital monthly will cover contemporary fashion and style, relationships and dating, shopping, gift buying and, yes, sex.   Content is aimed at the 25-and-over demographic, and presented as advice from women to men about what women really think and want.  Downloads of the magazine also will include interactive features like 3D how-to-guides, polls and quizzes.

Kate White, Cosmopolitan’s editor-in-chief, is heading up the venture.  “The great part is that it’s not a huge investment,” says White.  “If it turns out that it isn’t a success, it’s something that was worth the risk and has been a heck of a lot of fun to work on.”  Reach White by email at kwhite@hearst.com.  The magazine currently does not have a separate website.  Visit www.cosmopolitan.com for more information.

Displaying fashion as art, a new magazine hopes to Astonish readers

ASTONISH, a new high-end fashion and art magazine, is set to launch in print this fall.  The digital version already has launched, reaching readers in 30 countries.

The quarterly will highlight emerging artists in photography, fashion design and style, as well as interviews with industry pros and social commentary.  The current digital publication also offers videos, behind-the-scenes featurettes, additional images and an online community.

Founder and publisher Ryan Chua hopes to reach 50,000 more readers with the print magazine.  The editor-in-chief is Forvana Etonne.  For queries and information email submission@astonishmagazine.com.  The website is www.astonishmagazine.com.