USA Today announced it would publish a new quarterly lifestyle magazine,
Open Air, in the new year. At the same time, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia closed
Blueprint, which
targeted young women. The dual reports underscore the volatility of the magazine marketplace.
The first edition of USA Today's Open Air will appear March 7, 2008 as an insert in
the newspaper, followed by subsequent editions on May 2, Sept. 5 and Nov. 7. The magazine focuses on active lifestyles for affluent consumers, including outdoor sports, travel and tourism and
nutrition. The pub appears to compete with titles like Outside, Outdoor Life, Men's Journal, and Best Life.
According to Gannett, publisher of USA Today, the first edition
of the 8.5-inch x 10.5 inch glossy will be 68 pages, with 27 pages of ads. The magazine also launches with its own Web portal on the USA Today site: OpenAir.USATODAY.com. USA Today claims a
total readership of 3.9 million.
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Open Air is one of a series of new magazine launches by national newspapers trying to expand their interaction with readers. In early 2008, The Wall Street
Journal will launch Pursuits, a weekend magazine covering lifestyles and leisure, in its United States, Europe, and Asia editions. The New York Times has produced a flurry of launches,
including T, covering style, Play, covering sports, and Key, covering real estate.
Tabloids are also getting in on the act. The New York Post launched its new weekly
Page Six Magazine, inserted in the paper's Sunday edition, that includes an expanded version of the newspaper's popular "Page Six" gossip column.
These new launches provide an
interesting contrast to a series of magazine closures in 2007--most recently Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's Blueprint, launched in 2006 to target women just starting their families and
careers. Although the magazine will cease stand-alone publication with its January-February 2008 issue, it will continue to appear as a series of special-interest issues, packaged with Martha
Stewart Weddings. The magazine's blog, Bluelines, will remain intact.
Susan Lyne, president and CEO of MSLO, said: "Weddings and Blueprint appeal to women at a similar life
stage, and we believe this strategy will allow us to better leverage the synergistic relationship between the two publications."
Blueprint joins a list of magazines--many high-circ--that
closed in 2007, including Disney Adventure, Nick Jr. Family Magazine, Child, Life, Premiere, Jane, Stuff, Vibe Vixen, Business 2.0, House & Garden, Tango, and Travel + Leisure Family.