• Mediaweek, Monday, April 20, 2009 9:31 AM

Mirroring greater flexibility in broadcast media, magazines are starting to take ads closer to the on-sale date and are narrowing the gap between ad close and sale date. Print media is feeling scheduling pressure because local TV and radio are now placing campaigns closer to air date and digital out-of-home media have been able to respond to last-minute ad calls.

Hearst's Cosmopolitan has shaved two weeks off its seven-week window and intends to shrink the lead time to three weeks by January 2010. Plans call for eventually adopting the same schedule for all of Hearst's 15 titles, says Jeff Hamill, Hearst executive. The company's goal is to get to a weekly magazine production model for its monthlies.

Meredith is looking at shrinking the 60 days between ad close and on-sale date for its 20-plus subscription titles. By September. American Express's Food & Wine is looking to shave a week off the six to seven weeks between close and on-sale date. Wenner Media's Men's Journal has already taken the leap, shrinking the time to 26 days from 47 starting with its May issue.

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