• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, October 30, 2013

Bauer Publishing is launching a new celebrity weekly magazine targeting a somewhat unusual audience for this particular category: women ages 40 and up.
 
The new title, Closer Weekly, features a mix of celebrity and lifestyle content with a “feel-good” editorial philosophy that distinguishes it from the breathless, salacious, and often scandalous tone of other magazines in the category. It will also cover older celebrities rarely seen in the pages of youth-focused counterparts. The magazine will also give readers tips on home, fashion, beauty and diet in a concise, conversational style.
 
Regular features include "Picture Perfect," with the week’s best photos; "Closer to Home," featuring stars in the shows; "Heart to Heart," a long-form Q&A with a celebrity; and Love Notes, updating readers on their favorite celebrity couples. The first issue includes a cover story on Valerie Harper, an at-home photo shoot with Lynda Carter, a Q&A with Suzanne Somers, and photos of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy as newlyweds, as well as recipes from Giada De Laurentiis’ new cookbook.
 
The first issue of Closer Weekly hit newsstands in New York City on Wednesday, and debuts nationwide on Nov.1, with an introductory cover price of $0.25, rising to $3.99 for subsequent issues.
 
Closer launches as celebrity titles enjoy a rebound following several years of declining ad pages. According to the Publishers Information Bureau, in the first nine months of the year ad pages are up 5.8% at Entertainment Weekly, to 801 pages; In Touch Weekly is up 12.2% to 533 pages; In Style 3.6% to 1,976; Life & Style Weekly 7.9% to 386; OK Weekly 13.6% to 1,000; People 5.2% to 2,377; People Style Watch 5.9% to 971; and US Weekly 11.7% to 1,364 .