Hearst Corp. had record revenue and profits in 2013, when it marked the fourth year in a row of growth on both fronts since the 2008 recession, Steven Swartz said in a New Year’s letter to employees recapping the year he took over as chief executive. Swartz, formerly the head of Hearst’s newspaper division and the company’s chief operating officer, succeeded Frank Bennack Jr. last June, and his letter (full text here) going out today makes clear he plans to continue on the path set by his predecessor. Bennack led a dramatic diversification effort during his 30-year tenure, expanding the company beyond its newspaper roots into broadcasting and syndication and the less-glamorous but highly profitable business media. He didn’t ignore print, either; Hearst’s $900 million acquisition of Lagardère’s non-French titles in 2011 broadened its magazine footprint in the U.S. and abroad. Nevertheless, Hearst has made a deliberate effort to diversify away from ad-based traditional media, with its recessionary swings, a shift that is likely to continue under Swartz. Today, about 60 percent of Hearst's revenue comes from non-advertising sources, including carriage fees for cable and TV stations; subscription revenues; and marketing services fees. The company is diversifying geographically, too; fully one-fifth of its revenue now comes from outside the U.S. "A hallmark of Frank’s tenure has been the continued allocation of capital to the sectors of the media and information landscape... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'
[ AdWeek | 2014-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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W H Smith is interested in buying up some of the failed Clinton Cards stores following the chain... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The educational and trade publisher, financially troubled for several years, has agreed with most of its senior lenders and bondholders to a restructuring that would convert existing long-term debt to equity. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Campaigning body the Children's Media Foundation has launched an initiative to attract a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Members of the Amazon Prime subscription program will be able to read "Harry Potter'' ebooks for free through the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, a move intended to encourage consumers to buy Kindle devices. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Although print accounts for 80% of Hearst's revenues, the publisher is spending 80% of its time on the "huge potential" of digital, according to Ella Dolphin, publishing director of Hearst Magazines UK's young women's group. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Byliner.com, a digital publishing company, withdrew the ebook “After Friday Night Lights” by Buzz Bissinger from Amazon because of a pricing dispute involving a promotional giveaway. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A rare week gives us three celeb memoirs by boldface names: Sissy Spacek, Gregg Allman, and Dan Rather are telling all. Turns out, fame is great and all, but what stars really want is a book deal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Huffington Post—and digital media—has won its first Pulitzer Prize. The award went to David Wood, in the category of national reporting, it was announced Monday by Columbia University, which administers the prizes.A longtime print journalist who did stints at Time magazine and the Los... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An unconventional collection of novels failed to generate a consensus among the Pulitzer board members. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An antitrust suit may provide short-term price reductions on ebooks, but once the competition is flattened, Amazon is likely to resume its monopolistic ways. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers hoping that digital sales would make up for the decline in physical books are worried. Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2012-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst Magazines UK has launched a quarterly magazine called Good Ideas, aimed at 35- to 50-year-old women. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Recognizing that collaboration in the industry has never been more important, the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) has joined forces with the Local Media Association (formerly Suburban Newspapers of America) to offer certain product ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fairfax Media is in exclusive talks to acquire the publisher of independent news and opinion website Business Spectator, Reuters says. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald
[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google said the program, which allowed independent bookstores to sell ebooks through their Web sites, was not a success. Bookstores said it was a valuable platform that allowed them to give customers something they wanted. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's tax arrangements are in the spotlight this morning after national newspapers... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Greg Smith, the former Goldman executive who wrote a widely read Op-Ed in The New York Times about the changing culture at the Wall Street firm, has reported made a deal with Grand Central Publishing, part of Hachette. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst Magazines UK has appointed Richard Swan to be its head of advertising operations for its digital business. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2012-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The overall value of consumer book purchases has dropped 9% since 2008, according to the annual... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"Fifty Shades of Grey'' and its two sequels, which became underground sensations and attracted interest from major publishing houses, is headed for Hollywood. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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