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QUICK & SIMPLY...FINISHED: Another magazine has buckled under the economic pressures on the print business: On Tuesday, Hearst Magazines said it would fold its three-year-old women's weekly Quick & Simple, effective with the July 29 issue. And in another sign that what doesn't always work in print might work in the stratosphere, Hearst will keep operating the magazine's Web site, quickandsimple.com. The company said of the closure that "due to market conditions and significantly escalating paper costs, it has become increasingly challenging to produce a low-cost, low-priced weekly." The $1.99 primarily newsstand title was considered a magazine "in development" by Hearst and never moved into the luxe Hearst Tower when the corporate headquarters opened in 2006. Paid and verified circulation for Quick & Simple totaled 325,047 during the second half of last year, according to Audit Bureau of Circulations. About 40 staffers will be affected by the closure and will interview for other positions within Hearst; editor in chief Susan Toepfer and publisher Bernadette Haley will leave the company. — Stephanie D. Smith
MARTHA STEWART IN MANILA: Martha Stewart may have been denied a visa to the U.K. because of her criminal record, but she's very much welcome in the Philippines. The first overseas edition of Martha Stewart Weddings will hit newsstands in the Philippines starting in September in a venture with Summit Media. Last year, the Manila-based media conglomerate introduced Town & Country Philippines, the first foreign edition in the history of the 160-year-old magazine. Summit Media has more than 23 titles in its stable, including the Philippine editions of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Seventeen, FHM and Good Housekeeping.
Weddings are big in the Philippines, in size and in production. A local edition makes perfect sense, said Tara Santos, associate publisher of Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines, since "Martha Stewart Weddings has set the standard of weddings in the world, and we are proud to bring this to the Filipino bride."
In addition to Martha Stewart Weddings, there are two other local bridal magazines — Metro Weddings and Dream Weddings. Ingrid Chua-Go, former managing editor of Metro Weddings, explained that the wedding magazine industry is flourishing because there is a shift in who pays for the event. Traditionally, it was the parents of the groom, but couples getting married nowadays tend to foot the bill. "The local wedding magazine caters to the modern bride who would like to be as involved as possible in her wedding because she and her future husband are paying for it. She wants to know the current trends, and looks to the magazines for new ideas, and finds ways to cut cost without sacrificing quality," said Chua-Go.
MARTHA STEWART IN MANILA: Martha Stewart may have been denied a visa to the U.K. because of her criminal record, but she's very much welcome in the Philippines. The first overseas edition of Martha Stewart Weddings will hit newsstands in the Philippines starting in September in a venture with Summit Media. Last year, the Manila-based media conglomerate introduced Town & Country Philippines, the first foreign edition in the history of the 160-year-old magazine. Summit Media has more than 23 titles in its stable, including the Philippine editions of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Seventeen, FHM and Good Housekeeping.
Weddings are big in the Philippines, in size and in production. A local edition makes perfect sense, said Tara Santos, associate publisher of Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines, since "Martha Stewart Weddings has set the standard of weddings in the world, and we are proud to bring this to the Filipino bride."
In addition to Martha Stewart Weddings, there are two other local bridal magazines — Metro Weddings and Dream Weddings. Ingrid Chua-Go, former managing editor of Metro Weddings, explained that the wedding magazine industry is flourishing because there is a shift in who pays for the event. Traditionally, it was the parents of the groom, but couples getting married nowadays tend to foot the bill. "The local wedding magazine caters to the modern bride who would like to be as involved as possible in her wedding because she and her future husband are paying for it. She wants to know the current trends, and looks to the magazines for new ideas, and finds ways to cut cost without sacrificing quality," said Chua-Go.
