• Forbes, Monday, March 9, 2009 9:45 AM

The new White House has been good to the conservative media. Christopher Ruddy's flagship magazine, Newsmax, whose 90,000 circulation flatlined during the Bush years, has climbed to 130,000. It has taken a decade, but Newsmax is now a news powerhouse and a must-read on the conservative media circuit. It's readership eclipses political peers Weekly Standard (81,000) and New Republic (100,000). Unique visitors to Newsmax.com, has doubled in the past year, to 3.8 million a month, which is more the Drudge Report.

The Florida-based, privately-held company did $24 million in sales last year, up from $19 million in 2007, including subscriptions and advertising income. Two health newsletters aimed at aging boomers bring in about $4 million. Ruddy's Financial Intelligence Report, with 12,000 subscribers, brings in another $1.2 million.

Ruddy co-founded Newsmax in 1998 with a $25,000 investment and raised another $15 million from 200 private investors, who have since been bought out. Ruddy now owns a 60% stake. Former Clinton political strategist Dick Morris says, "Newsmax is the most influential Republican-leaning media outlet in the country [because] it taps what Republicans in the heartland are really thinking."

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