• by Melynda Fuller , February 26, 2019

Following its reported plan to expand its ecommerce offerings last year, Kalmbach Media, publisher of Astronomy and Discover, announced it will introduce new products during and around the lead up to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo XI moon landing on July 20, 2019.

That's in addition to publishing expanded features and special content. The specialized content and products will be available across both magazines' sites and on the company’s ecommerce portal.

Kalmbach’s Media Science Group has also gathered a team of in-house and independent space and science experts to discuss all aspects of the Apollo program, including  Astronomy editor-in-chief David J. Eicher, digital editor of Astronomy and Discover Eric Betz and spaceflight historian Amy Shira Teitel.

Over the next few months, the Science Group will share interviews and insights across its platforms.

Eicher stated: “Our goal is to provide audiences with a unique perspective on the people behind the mission and the technology they created to make it possible — as well as to inspire future generations of space and science enthusiasts.”

Kalmbach Media reports that its ecommerce division is its fastest-growing. This year, it introduced new products from its Model Railroader brand for its 85^thanniversary and an expanded subscription box service for its FacetJewelry.com and Bead & Button brands.

Model Railroader’s limited edition kit for building a replica of Al Kalmbach’s original print shop sold out quickly on the site.

Kalmbach Media reaches more than 35 million consumers across 18 sites.

Separately, content, revenue and engagement platform TownNews announced a new partnership with creative and marketing services groupAffinityX to outsource editorial page design and production for its more than 1,7000 local media organizations.

Through the partnership, AffinityX will work within TownNews’ BLOX Total CMS, allowing affiliated newspapers to access its roster of local and the white-label print production services.

TownNews manages more the web and mobile sites, video, social media, digital advertising, apps and print editions of its members. 

"TownNews and AffinityX are combining their extensive newspaper experience to significantly reduce production costs and time to market even further. Using TownNews' BLOX Total CMS functionality and AffinityX's page design skills, the two companies have developed a partnership to smoothly implement across both existing and future customers,” David Grant, founder-executive vice president, advertising services, AffinityX stated.

The company added the new partnership will “enable newspapers to pay back their investment for the BLOX Total CMS within a few weeks of implementation."