• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 23, 2008

Consumer magazines attracted an average 70.7 million unique visitors per month in the first three months of 2008, according to the Magazine Publishers of America, which cited data from Nielsen Online covering 337 consumer magazines with an online presence. That represents an 11.9% increase over the total number of unique visitors (63.2 million) in the first quarter of 2007.

Overall, magazine Web sites now reach roughly 43.4% of the total American online population, which is pegged at about 163 million--up from 40.2% in 2007. Their reach represents about 23.5% of the total U.S. population of 300 million. The increase for magazine Web sites is more than triple the growth rate of the overall U.S. Internet population, which grew 3.7% over the same period.

Magazine Web site visitors accumulated an average of 497.3 million sessions per month in the first three months of 2008, up 16.3% from the figure for the same period last year. Time spent averaged 2.3 billion minutes per month, up 16.7% from last year.

The audience reach figures put magazine Web sites slightly ahead of newspaper counterparts. According to a similar analysis of Nielsen Online data, newspaper Web sites drew an average of 66.4 million unique visitors in the first quarter of 2008, representing about 40.7% of the U.S. Internet population.

Reader's Digest Launches Redesigned Web Site

Reader's Digest has relaunched its Web site, RD.com, after an extensive makeover intended to increase visitor engagement and offer more ad options. The new Web site includes seven content channels and new community features that allow readers to interact, engage in community activism and enjoy content from the print magazine.

Among the new features are two blogs, "Loose Cannon" and "Healthy Dose," covering Beltway politics and health issues. The introduction of a health-focused blog comes after a spate of magazine acquisitions of health-related Web properties over the last year, as well as announcements that two new newspaper-distributed magazines covering health, Spry and HealthyStyle, will debut in September.

Forbes.com Launches Executive Women's Network

Forbes.com is poised to roll out another targeted online social network with this week's announcement that it will introduce an Executive Women's Network in the next few months. Resembling the company's existing CEO Network, the Executive Women's Network will be an online community that requires invitation by an existing member; the first invitation will be from Forbes.com to all its female readers. In keeping with Forbes.com's online strategy, the new network will be surrounded with content from the Web site, as well as ForbesLife Executive Woman, a new mixed lifestyle and business title from the publisher.

Rolling Stone Gets Interactive Print Ads

Rolling Stone is introducing interactive print ads in partnership with Snaptell, a company whose technology allows readers to take a picture of a print ad in a magazine with their mobile phone, then receive more information about the product or service. The ads in the May issue--for advertisers like Allstate, Edge Shaving Gel, and the Discovery Channel--come just as Rodale announced that the June issue of Men's Health will include mobile interactive ads, also enabled by Snaptell.

BBC to Launch BBC Knowledge magazine

The BBC's international arm, BBC Worldwide, is launching a new magazine titled BBC Knowledge in the United States. The magazine, which will debut with a print circulation of 85,000, will publish six issues a year and will cover subjects like science and history in the style of the BBC's TV programs, which attract a certain segment of the American population with their highbrow approach.

Maxim Names Steve Garbarino Editor at Large

Maxim has named Steve Garbarino an editor at large, based in its New York office, where he will contribute to the editorial management and direction of the magazine. His responsibilities will include assigning and editing features, columns, special packages and magazine sections. Over the last two years, Garbarino was editor in chief and editorial director of BlackBook, overseeing that title's transformation into a successful pop culture and style glossy.