Mag Bag: 'NatGeo's Green Guide' Goes Quarterly

Riding a wave of increasing interest in "green" technology, practices, and policies, the National Geographic is turning its Green Guide into a quarterly publication. The first issue, set to debut March 4, has a newsstand price of $4.95. The publication will also be available for an annual subscription of $15. The new quarterly is an extension of National Geographic's initiative to provide more practical advice for real-world lifestyle issues, following last year's acquisition of Greenguide.com.

Included in the quarterly Green Guide will be recommendations for products and companies that allow consumers to make environmentally friendly lifestyle decisions, as well as do-it-yourself advice for home modifications and suggestions for the family. Seth Bauer, editorial director of National Geographic Green Guide, said it will be "written for general consumers, not for enviromaniacs," offering plenty of practical, easy tips for busy consumers.

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As might be expected, the pub itself is fairly "green," printed on recycled/renewable paper and also available paper-free on the Web via Texterity, a digital publishing company. Furthermore, NatGeo hopes the format and content of the magazine will encourage consumers to hold onto it for future reference.

In April of last year, NatGeo launched Green.nationalgeographic.com, which highlights the numerous environmental issues covered by its journalists, photographers and field researchers. Advice for consumers includes product recommendations and home-makeover ideas to lessen individual environmental impact or "footprint."

Mansueto Launches FastCompany.TV

Mansueto Ventures, which owns Fast Company and Inc., is creating a new online video news network covering business and technology under the direction of Robert Scoble, a leading technology blogger. Launching in March, the network will feature Scoble's daily video series, ScobleTV, which currently receives about 1 million views per month, according to Mansueto.

FastCompany.TV is also rolling out a series of new programs over 2008 hosted by Scoble and other well-known personalities. His blog, Scobleizer.com, is joining Mansueto Digital's network, which also includes FastCompany.com and Inc.com.

Mansueto Digital President Edward Sussman praised Scoble as a valuable addition, saying: "He has an unparalleled reputation not only for focusing attention on the most important trends and companies of the moment, but also for fairness and honesty among his large audience of senior technology leaders." Scoble gained fame and a reputation for honesty by openly criticizing Microsoft when he was employed by the company.

On the print front, while other business magazines are struggling with declining ad pages, Fast Company magazine stands out for bucking the trend. In 2007, ad pages grew 20.6%, compared to 2006 to 497, according to figures from the Publishers Information Bureau.

Todd Anderman to Hachette

Todd Anderman, previously president of Maxim Digital, is joining Hachette Filipacchi Media as senior vice president of digital media. In this role, he succeeds Marta Wohrle, who exited the company in late 2007 for other business opportunities. He will report to Philippe Guelton, executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Sauerberg Named CN Group President

Robert A. Sauerberg, Jr. has been elevated to the role of group president for consumer marketing at Conde Nast, stepping up from his previous position as executive vice president of the same group. In his new role, he will continue to oversee all sales and marketing for CN, as well as representing CN in its retail distribution partnership with CMG. Charles H. Townsend, president and CEO of CN, praised Sauerberg's management of the company's "consumer, retail and database marketing efforts through both traditional and new online channels." Sauerberg will now also serve on the board of the Magazine Publishers of America.

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