• Folio:, Friday, January 13, 2006 11:15 AM

The magazine industry has experienced barely a whiff of positive news the last few years, but a report by AdMedia Partners, a media-investment house, says the M&A market will be strong in 2006. The flip side of the report is that the market could cool significantly next year because of the scarcity of quality properties. According to AdMedia's survey, a vast majority of survey respondents said M&As driven by both strategic and financial buyers will increase in 2005. Only 5 percent saw a slowdown. Folio: magazine reports that "if consolidation continues, AdMedia managing director Mark Edmiston warns there could be a severe shortage of viable acquisition targets in 2007-2008.... 'Those that do come up on the market are either distressed or overextended as part of a financial rollup.'" Furthermore, according to AdMedia's report, the number of advisors telling buyers to "act now" has fallen to the lowest level since 2001.

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