• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, August 3, 2007

Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? That question has haunted newspapers, which make their content available for free online--and now, increasingly, magazine publishers may be asking themselves the same thing.

A new joint study released by Nielsen//NetRatings and Mediamark Research Inc. found that most visitors to magazine Web sites are only accessing the brand's content online. An average 83% of all visitors to 23 large-circulation monthly magazines were consuming the magazine content just online, according to Nielsen and MRI--with figures ranging from 65% to 96% for specific titles.

The survey also found that male visitors were more likely than female visitors to consume content just online (90% versus 83%). Somewhat surprisingly, however, there wasn't much difference between age cohorts in terms of online-only readership: Younger and older readers were as likely to also read the print edition of a magazine.

Nielsen and MRI are making the data available in a single-source database called Net/MRI that will, among other things, provide net figures for print and online readership.

Kathi Love, president and CEO of MRI, remarked: "This new venture provides the advertising and media marketplace with unduplicated audience numbers for print media and their Web sites. It brings the research industry one step closer to measuring the reach of cross-platform advertising, which has increased dramatically with the rise of the Internet as a publishing venue."

Time Inc. Plans Social Networks

Time Inc.'s weekly consumer magazines are set to begin building out social networking functions in 2007-2008, said executives speaking at the Time Inc. Digital Showcase this week. Although they didn't say which titles will get the new social networks, they did hint at the format, saying they will be loosely modeled on Sports Illustrated's successful FanNation.com network, acquired in April of this year.

Logical candidates include Time Inc.'s flagship titles, Time and People, as well as a host of celebrity, enthusiast and lifestyle publications, including Entertainment Weekly, All You, Coastal Living, Elle, Essence and Southern Living. Sites like Cooking Light hold potential for recipe-sharing.

Discussing the success of FanNation.com, Paul Fichtenbaum, the managing editor for SI.com, said, "it's really a very engaging community," characterizing it as being "like talk radio online without the commercials." According to Fichtenbaum, the site now has 4 million unique visitors, attracted by structured debates initiated and shaped by Sports Illustrated editors.

JetBlue To Carry NYT Magazine Program

The New York Times is rolling out a new video magazine program "Times on Air," for JetBlue airways. The program is sponsored by the JetBlue American Express card. Content will include features on travel, style, technology, news, dining and arts and leisure drawn from the magazine's TimesTalks events, where NYT journalists discuss current events and trends with industry leaders and other significant figures. The first programs to air include interviews with comedian Larry David, professional skateboarder Bob Burnquist and actor Forest Whitaker.

Source Interlink Completes Enthusiast Acquisition

Source Interlink Companies, owned by supermarket marketing mogul Ron Burkle, has completed the acquisition of Primedia's Enthusiast division, which includes 76 magazine titles, 90 Web sites, 65 events, two TV programs, and a radio program. The acquisition should create about $22 million in cost savings for the two companies. Source Interlink specializes in in-store marketing for supermarkets, including checkout magazine sales and promotional displays.

Mike Duckworth, chairman of Source Interlink, said: "Enthusiast Media is a great strategic fit for Source. It allows us to build on our core strengths in merchandising and media distribution, and it is the next logical step in our growth and diversification strategy." Enthusiast Media is joining the company's Magazine Fulfillment, DVD/CD Fulfillment, and In-store Services divisions.

Elizabeth Guider Leaves Variety for The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter got a new editor this week, poaching Elizabeth Guider from Variety, its main competition in the entertainment news publishing space. She will report to Eric Mika, a senior vice president and publishing director for The Hollywood Reporter. With the hire, the two publications have essentially switched editors: Guider was hired to replace Cynthia Littleton, who jumped to Variety in March of this year, along with Anne Thompson.

Jason Young Named CEO of Ziff Davis Media

Jason Young will assume the role of CEO for Ziff Davis Media, stepping up from his previous role as president of its Consumer and Small Business Group. Current CEO Robert F. Callahan will resign that role, but continue as chairman of Ziff Davis Media.