For Sale: Primedia's Enthusiast Magazines

[CraigMorrison]

http://jalopnik.com/cars/news/questi...cut-235417.php

Here's to hoping that a bunch of titles won't be axed!

[LowBuckX]

I just paid for 1 more year of PHR I better get a refund if they are axed

[68Formula]

I have two years out on 3 of there mags! If one is axed I want a refund or the other two extended.

[MuscleRodz]

We need the inside scoop from Steve on this one. Especially since I am getting ready to advertise in national mags.

Mike

[CraigMorrison]

I am sure things will be just fine...We made the transition from Petersen Pub to EMAP to Primedia and McMullen to McMullen Argus to Primedia. There wasn't even much notice at this level with virtually everybody keeping their positions.

Goldman Sachs is brokering the deal and looking for buyers.....they've got to find somebody to buy it first!

[BonzoHansen]

Does this mean Frieburger might go? I think the duct tape manufactuers will have something to say about that!

I elect Steve Rupp for supreme ruler of all car mags....

[dropit69]

wow they own alot of magazines..maybe Larry Flint will buy them..ladies and cars..lol..

[Nine Ball]

Hmmm, I wonder if I should finish up the two features I'm writing for GM High Tech at the moment. Hope so!

Tony

[StRacerDuke]

[quote=BonzoHansen] I think the duct tape manufactuers will have something to say about that! [quote] - LOL

If they fire the moron who approves sending out 20 re-subscribe offers each year for each magazine they can double their net profits!

($.37 + printing/paper/BRC = $.65 each unit. Add labor & management and you get about $.95 each) $.95 per mailing x 20 outbound drops per year per mag = about $19.00. I think the subscription is for a year is less that that! (Yes, I work in Database Marketing/CRM/Marketing Analytics)

They must be making a mint in advertizing!

[Steven]

Sounds like they are selling the mags off, not closing them down. New people will be in charge and will change things in about a year after the buy.

[Steve1968LS2]

Does this mean Frieburger might go? I think the duct tape manufactuers will have something to say about that!

I elect Steve Rupp for supreme ruler of all car mags....

I hearby accept this honor and will do my best to include more bikini clad women in every issue..


Seriously though, I doubt there will be much change. Although, you never know.

It's part of the Corporate money shell game.. buy stuff.. sell stuff. It's all about $$$ for the shareholders.

[Mean 69]

It's part of the Corporate money shell game.. buy stuff.. sell stuff. It's all about $$$ for the shareholders.

MBA 101 quote, which everyone should remember at all times: THE purpose of business is to maximize shareholder's wealth. Everything done IN business is a means to this end.

M

[andrewb70]

MBA 101 quote, which everyone should remember at all times: THE purpose of business is to maximize shareholder's wealth. Everything done IN business is a means to this end.

M

Sad but true. It's a shame that most corporations neglect all the other stakesholders by focusing just on the shareholders. That is the downfall of short term profit driven, American way of doing business.

Andrew

[EFI69Cam]

Sad but true. It's a shame that most corporations neglect all the other stakesholders by focusing just on the shareholders. That is the downfall of short term profit driven, American way of doing business.

Andrew

Well said.

[Ricoch3T]

I hearby accept this honor and will do my best to include more bikini clad women in every issue..

hmmm and which mags should I subscribe to to see these bikini clad things?

[68LSS1]

It's amazing what they have their hands into. They, meaning a joint venture between Goldman Sachs and Onex, is buying Raytheon Aircraft company from Raytheon and will call it Hawker Beechcraft Corporation. Onex just recently bought most of the Boeing Division in Wichita (except for the military side). They couldn't get that as they are based "overseas" and the Raytheon deal is also waiting regulatory approval and the Pentagon has to buy off as RAC builds a military trainer.

[ProTouring442]

Sad but true. It's a shame that most corporations neglect all the other stakesholders by focusing just on the shareholders. That is the downfall of short term profit driven, American way of doing business.

Andrew

Have you really thought about this statement? The reason they focus on the shareholders is because a little slip in profits and the stock market goes nuts and they loose 20% of their value in an afternoon. The shares that typically change hands in a situation like this are not the wealthy investors, who usually invest for the long haul, but the short term investors. Those investors are the “you and me” of the market. Please understand that I am not accusing you of being the problem, only that investors like us are the problem. The more "regular" people dabble in the market, the less stable it seems to become precisely because it is the "get rich quick" crowd that causes the problem when we freak and unload for a quick profit.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again, I have seen the problem, and it is we. I'll go a little off course here, but I think it will explain my outlook.

Do you remember back in the early '90s when there was the House check writing scandal? It seems that a bunch of Senators and Congressmen, from both parties, were bouncing checks on their House Checking Accounts, and not bothering to do anything to rectify the situation.

I was sitting with my at-the-time girlfriend and her mom watching yet another news story on this when her mom said " why don't we have more honest politicians!" Yeah, I did the same thing you just did, I laughed and said something about it being an oxymoron. Then I thought about it.

After a few moments, I spoke up with the comment that "you know, those people are supposed to represent us." To which the GF's mom replied "yeah, they are." I waited a moment more, then continued "let's take a quick look at the collective 'us'."

Without all of the quotes and such, I continued with something like this:

I haven't been on this earth for a hugely long time, but I have seen a few things about "us" that make me wonder who the problem might really be.

At our jobs we stab just about anybody in the back so we can get ahead, while absolving ourselves of guilt with the comment "it's the American way."

Nearly every one of us has either driven through or "paused" at a stop sign, justifying it with the "no cop; no stop" rhyme.

How many of us ever do the speed limit? I once watched a couple of cops run radar on a local stretch of road that had a 35mph posted limit. In the 1/2 hour I was there they pulled six or eight people over for speeding, most doing more than 65mph, nearly double the posted limit.

We get mad at the cop who pulls us over, and we tailgate the guy who has the audacity to only go 10 or 15 mph over the limit.

I once saw a woman stealing toys from a Toys-for-Tots donation box. When my father stopped her, explaining that those were for needy children, she cussed him out.

Several years ago I watched a young mother helping her son learn about the basics of money. The boy was probably around 5, and she went around and helped him determine what candy he would buy based on the money he had to spend. Proud as punch, the little boy went to stand in line to pay for his candy. While standing there with his 3 dollars in hand, one of the dollars slipped unnoticed from his grasp and floated behind him. The grown man in the nice suit behind him then did something I couldn't believe; he stepped on the DOLLAR bill to hide it from view.

As the little boy presented his purchase to the cashier, she added it up and informed him that he didn't have enough money. A bit confused, because he had just gone over this with his mom, the little boy looked around thinking he might have dropped a dollar.

The man stood there.

I spoke up and said that the dollar might have fallen under the man's foot, and in response he lifted the OTHER foot!

I eventually persuaded the man to lift the foot hiding the dollar, and the boy made his purchase and went on his way, while the man glared at me.

At the grocery, or the department store, we get excited if the cashier forgets to charge us for something, or if it rings up for the incorrect amount (in our favor), and pay quickly before the error is caught. I once overheard several coworkers bragging about how they walked out without paying for several video games from an EB Games like they had won some sort of lottery. When questioned, they justified it with "well, it's their fault for not properly charging us." How many of us have used this?

There are many more stories like this, but my point is simply this; we are the problem. Like it or not, it is we. Not "big business." Not "the government." Nope, it's we, and if we want to fix it? Well, I'll leave it up to you.

Dismounting my soapbox,
Bill

[MickMc]

I might subscribe to the mag if I didn't have see Frieburger's "man sandals". Please cover your feet, so I can stop puking and being embarassed that a fellow car guy is wearing sandals (we are not at the beach, we are not at the beach, we are not at the beach).
I know we expect alot from people who are in the public eye. Yes you need to be friendly (to everyone) outgoing and well put together, thats the deal. If you don't want to these things, thats OK there are plenty of behind the scenes jobs.

((me jumping off my soap box, and avoiding extra comment to ProTouring442's remarks, he is right ))

Mick

[Scott Parkhurst]

I'm kinda glad I got out when I did. I tired of the ownership games and the instability and job harvesting that inevitably followed.

When your future is in the hands of the greedy, it's high time to do one's best to get it back on your own hands.

No one can say what will happen...or what will happen after that. The mags might be sold off as one big group, or one-by-one, or some combination of both. Who knows what'll happen to the titles and the people behind them?

Sorry - that's just too unstable of a working environment for me. No one knows where they'll be in five years.

Creepy.

Best of luck to all of 'em.

~SP~

[Steve1968LS2]

I'm kinda glad I got out when I did. I tired of the ownership games and the instability and job harvesting that inevitably followed.

When your future is in the hands of the greedy, it's high time to do one's best to get it back on your own hands.

No one can say what will happen...or what will happen after that. The mags might be sold off as one big group, or one-by-one, or some combination of both. Who knows what'll happen to the titles and the people behind them?

Sorry - that's just too unstable of a working environment for me. No one knows where they'll be in five years.

Creepy.

Best of luck to all of 'em.

~SP~

Good thing I'm independantly "wealthy" and easily employable .. lol