• Mediaweek, Tuesday, September 1, 2009 10:04 PM

Popular Science, which launched a digital magazine in response to the growing use of e-readers, has decided to offer the magazine for free instead of charging 99 cents per issue. The Bonnier title launched its "Pop Sci Genius Guide" last spring for PC or Kindle wireless readers, incorporating video, animation and hyperlinks.

The first issue, which was ad-free and sold for 99 cents, attracted just over 5,000 downloads. Pop Sci publisher Gregg Hano Hano blamed the low response on the buying experience. "To [ask people to] go in and put in your name, address, credit card number for a 99-cent product they haven't had before is really a challenge," he says.

The second issue was free, and groups like the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council promoted it on their Web sites. That issue got more than 14,000 downloads. The mag has made some progress on getting advertisers to try the new format. The second issue, which was called the Green Home Guide, carried ads from GE, Samsung and Craftsman. A third issue, centered around gadgets, is set to come out around the winter holidays.

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