Active Interest Media Acquires Backpacker Magazine

Active Interest Media, Inc. (AIM) has acquired Backpacker Magazine. The new acquisition adds to AIM's growing portfolio of enthusiast magazines, consumer shows, books and Internet sites. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1973, Backpacker provides the most engaging and trusted information about backcountry adventure in North America. It is the leading backpacking magazine in the country, with a circulation rate base of 340,000.

Jonathan Dorn, Editor-in-Chief of Backpacker, will join the AIM team. Under Dorn's leadership, in 2006 Backpacker received its first National Magazine Award from the American Society of Magazine Editors, the magazine industry's highest editorial honor, MIN Best of the Web Award, and the Ambassador Award, the outdoor industry's highest honor.

Website: http://www.backpacker.com/

Writer's Guidelines: http://www.backpacker.com/guidelines/0,3132,,00.html

International Living Re-Launched as Full-Color Monthly Publication

International Living -- a leading resource for helping people live, travel, and prosper overseas - has re- launched its flagship publication as a full-color monthly magazine.

International Living is making the change to an expanded glossy publication, as it continues to evolve from being solely a subscription newsletter service.

Unlike most publications, which focus on one aspect of the international experience, International Living covers a wide spectrum of topics, providing its readers with ways and places to travel, live, invest, retire, and buy real estate overseas.

New features that will be included as part of the re-launch include news from IL's in-country contacts, sneak previews at "Hot Spots" of countries worth your attention right now, and recommendations for books to read and wines to sample.

Website: http://www.internationalliving.com/

Writer's Guidelines: http://www.internationalliving.com/write_for_us.html

PennWell Acquires Utility Products Magazine

PennWell Corporation has acquired Utility Products magazine from TKM Communications Inc., based in Birmingham, Ala. Utility Products is a monthly business-to-business publication covering the power, telecommunications and cable TV product markets. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

The sales and editorial staffs of the publication will remain in Birmingham, Ala., under the management of Michael Grossman, Group Publisher, who is based in PennWell Corporation's Tulsa, Okla., headquarters. Brig Bearden, founder of Utility Products and president of TKM Communications, will serve as Publisher Emeritus.

ELEGANT LIVING MAGAZINE to Debut in September

Global Sources plans to launch Elegant Living magazine and website in September 2007. The new media will offer advertisers an integrated platform to reach China's growing affluent class.

Published monthly in simplified Chinese, Elegant Living will cover subjects including automobiles, city living, fashion and travel, and feature interviews with China's top celebrities and executives. The inaugural issue will have a circulation of 140,000 mainland China executives.

More information about Elegant Living's parent magazine, Chief Executive China, is available at http://www.ceconline.com

Chenese Lewis Joins Editorial Staff at PLUS Model Magazine

PLUS Model Magazine, The Pulse of Plus Size Modeling, has hired Chenese Lewis as Empowerment Editor. PLUS is the premiere virtual magazine celebrating and inspiring the plus size fashion and plus size modeling industry. Ms. Lewis brings a fresh, new perspective to the team and plans to, "Inspire and empower the PLUS reader by sharing stories, ideas and curvy life lessons. The goal is to help the plus size community understand that anything is possible with hard work, determination, and positive thinking."

Website: http://www.plusmodelmag.com/

Ty Pennington Launches New Shelter Magazine

Ty Pennington At Home, a new decorating, remodeling and lifestyle magazine from the host of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Ty Pennington, and published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., is available on newsstands nationwide on May 15th. Ty Pennington At Home will offer Ty's solutions to the many and varied challenges that today's homeowners face, from developing a personal style to managing clutter to making a big impact with small design touches.

"I want to help people achieve their decorating and remodeling goals -- and have fun while doing it," says Pennington. "That's why every page in this magazine features realistic ideas and solutions that will inspire readers to infuse their homes with their own personal style."

Website: http://www.typenningtonstyle.com

New Magazine: CHECKERSPOT MAGAZINE

The launch of Checkerspot magazine puts climate change in the hands of Canadians. This newest publication from the Canadian Wildlife Federation is Canada's first magazine devoted entirely to climate change.

Checkerspot will empower readers to take action in their own lives by exploring lifestyle choices, including emerging ideas on food, shelter and transit options, as well as by reviewing consumer products that can contribute to a climate-friendly way of life.

Through first-rate writing, photography and illustration, Checkerspot will engage and inform readers about developments in science, and current ideas and innovations that could be part of the solution. By exploring a new way of thinking, a new way of living and a new way forward, Checkerspot magazine will provoke discussion about how to live responsibly in a climate-changing world.

Checkerspot, named after a butterfly whose ranges are shifting as a result of global warming, aims to lift the issue of climate change from abstraction and place it where it needs to be - in the minds and on the lips of Canadians.

Checkerspot magazine is a free, biannual publication available through CWF. Website: www.CheckerspotMagazine.ca.

New Bank Advisor Magazine Debutes

Wiesner Media Financial Group has launched a new magazine called Bank Advisor Magazine. Bank Advisor Magazine will be published three times in 2007 and will move to a monthly schedule in 2008. The magazine will be distributed to 30,000 advisors working in the bank community. In addition, the magazine will launch a web site, www.bankadvisormagazine.com and a corresponding email newsletter, Banking eCast.

More and more life insurance, annuities and security products are sold via the bank sales channel directly to consumers which results in a huge opportunity for companies looking to provide products and solutions to the bank channel. Banks need to be quicker and more customer centric than ever before, and Bank Advisor Magazine will help create a dialogue amongst the sales reps and managers to help them achieve new levels of success.

Condé Nast Portfolio Magazine Debutes

Condé Nast Portfolio, a new magazine that chronicles how business shapes the world—and who the players are that wield the power, has debuted on newsstands.

The premier issue offers readers a business angle in every story, from politics to art, technology to entertainment. The magazine has assembled a remarkable pool of writers, along with top designers and photographers, to bring readers richly reported narratives and investigations, told in a vibrant, visual way.

The magazine will launch with a continuously updated website, Portfolio.com, which will offer fresh news and analysis anytime.

Website: www.portfolio.com

SHINE MAGAZINE, Denver's First Lifestyle Magazine

Shine magazine, the second title from Denver-based Bloom Media LLC, will be the indispensable guide to the best that the mile high city has to offer in the worlds of fashion, design, society, arts and entertainment, dining and travel.

Shine is the first luxury lifestyle magazine for Denver's savvy and inspired individuals and will contain oversized pages that feature the most discerning topics, products, businesses and people. With a circulation of over 40,000 per issue, Shine will be available at all major book stores, grocery stores, newsstands and other hotspots throughout Denver and the rest of Colorado.

Whether Shine is reporting from the runways of Paris, the red carpet of Hollywood or the beaches of Bali, the world-class magazine will be delivered with a hip and elegant voice relevant to local readers and will have a level of design and editorial quality second to none in Denver. Shine magazine will release its premiere issue this May, with consecutive issues printing five times annually.

Website: http://bloommagazines.com/shine/index.html

New Trade Magazine: BLOGGER and PODCASTER Magazine

A new trade magazine chronicling the "new media titans" now taking over the Web and airwaves launches this month in print, digital and podcast forms. Blogger & Podcaster Magazine, believed to be the first publication to launch simultaneously in 3 distinct formats, promises to deliver news, features, tips and profiles written for, and by, those who want to use these thriving online media to leverage their voice and expand their businesses opportunities.

Though hobbyists also will enjoy the information within the monthly publication, both the circulation of 20,000 and editorial is focused towards “serious” bloggers and podcasters – those dedicated to the craft and wishing to capitalize creatively and financially from their work. Readership is projected to reach 250,000 within the next year, according to Blogger & Podcaster publisher Larry Genkin, who also is CEO of the magazine’s parent company, Larstan Publishing Inc.

Website: www.bloggerandpodcaster.com

Midwest Airlines' new inflight magazine -- MyMidwest

Midwest Airlines' new inflight magazine -- MyMidwest -- has debuted. The new magazine reflects the airline's efforts to continually improve its customers' onboard experience. Passengers will enjoy a larger magazine filled with engaging feature articles, useful destination guides and expanded onboard service information, packaged in a fresh, new design. The new publication, produced under contract by Ink Publishing, will be carried aboard all Midwest flights.

Website: http://mymidwestmagazine.com/

New Magazine: GARDEN and GUN

Garden & Gun launches in April 2007 as a lifestyle magazine reflecting the modern lives of affluent Southerners and those who aspire to the sporting life of the South. The new title celebrates Southern heritage and history while appealing to a much broader audience with a cool tone, elegant design and contemporary approach.

The magazine, from Evening Post Ventures and Evening Post Publishing Co. -- owner of The Post and Courier, the South's oldest daily newspaper -- speaks to both men and women for whom outdoor activities are more than just hobbies, but the centerpieces of a luxurious lifestyle and subjects worthy of the highest intellectual pursuits. Garden & Gun draws its unusual title from a popular club of the same name, which operated in Charleston from 1978 to 1985, and still remembered fondly by many city residents.

Garden & Gun was created by Publisher Rebecca Darwin, previously publisher of The New Yorker and Mirabella and marketing director of Fortune, and by Editor in Chief John Wilson, a driving force behind the launch of Charleston magazine and Kiawah Island Legends Magazine.

Garden & Gun's premiere issue debuted on newsstands in early April with a $4.95 cover price. Four additional issues follow in 2007 -- Summer, September, October/November and December/January. Frequency will increase to 10 issues per year in 2008.

Website: http://www.gardenandgun.com/

Toronto Star Launches DESI LIFE MAGAZINE

Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper, has launched an exciting new glossy magazine called Desi Life, which has been created specifically for the South Asian community in the Greater Toronto Area. Desi (They-see) Life will be published bi-monthly with the inaugural issue available on April 19, 2007.

The term 'desi' often refers to the South Asian communities living in English-speaking countries such as Canada. Canada is home to about one million South Asians - 600,000 in the GTA alone. Statistics Canada predicts that this group will be one of the largest in the country by 2017.

"Whether in print or online, the Star is committed to providing culturally specific content to the various communities that help to define Toronto," said Jagoda Pike, Publisher, Toronto Star and President, Star Media Group. "Desi Life is a great example of how we are working to deliver the content that our readers want, in an environment that meets our advertiser's expectations."
"Desi Life magazine will showcase movers and shakers in the South Asian community, with regular features on trends in Canada and on the subcontinent, the latest on Bollywood and Tamil cinema, cricket, food, fashion, the arts, and much more," said Bageshree (Shree) Paradkar, editor of Desi Life.

Desi Life will be made available to the South Asian community by targeted home delivery and through select retail locations across the GTA. "We believe that Desi Life will fill a gap in the media market with its entertaining and engaging content, high quality design and targeted distribution," added Pike.

Website: http://www.thestar.com/desilife

Advanstar Communications Will Launch Styling and Performance Magazine

Advanstar Communications has launched a new publication and web portal designed to unite the traditional aftermarket, specialty parts distribution and new car dealership channels. Styling & Performance magazine is a monthly business to business publication that will launch in July 2007.

"Our editorial focus is designed to help expand the reach of the specialty parts market," said Savas. "We plan to do this by providing incisive business content from industry experts. The publication will also showcase sales and marketing strategies that work, and share real-time exclusive information on how parts move through the distribution channel. We want the industry to see our publication as the place to go to identify and react to trends long before others have even identified them."

Styling & Performance has an initial targeted controlled circulation list of 50,000 readers.

Website: http://www.stylingperformance.com/

New Travel Magazine - RECCE: Literary Journeys for the Discerning Traveler

A new online travel magazine, RECCE: Literary Journeys for the Discerning Traveler, has debuted. The inaugural issue features a conversation with travel writer and essayist Pico Iyer; reflections on Australia by author Jan Morris; a photo portfolio of Patagonia by David Samuel Robbins; and excerpts by Sir Edmund Hillary, Peter Hillary, and Ian Baker from the new book "Himalaya." RECCE edited by award-winning travel writer and editor Don George.

"RECCE is an abbreviation of reconnoiter or reconnaissance, a scouting trip undertaken to get to know an unexplored territory," said George. "This spirit of exploration is at the heart of RECCE. Our goal is to present a wide variety of original literary and photographic content that will deepen our understanding of all places, near and far, and bring the exhilaration of on- the-road discovery into our everyday lives."

Each issue of RECCE will comprise five sections: Illuminations will evoke editor George's own on-the-road lessons from 25 years of travel; Soundings will offer in-depth interviews with some of the planet's most articulate and provocative adventurers and experts; Roundtable will present original commentaries from celebrated writers; Brilliant Books will feature excerpts from the best new travel literature; and Fresh from the Field will showcase a portfolio of freshly photographed images from a distinguished photographer, taken on his or her most recent journey. RECCE's content will change monthly.

Website: http://www.geoex.com/recce/

Bluff Media will launch a new Mixed Martial Arts Magazine

Bluff Media will launch a new Mixed Martial Arts Magazine, called FIGHT!

FIGHT! will revolutionize the way in which the most exciting and fastest growing sport on the planet, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), is covered.

As MMA continues its assault on the mainstream, it is rapidly becoming the sports phenomenon of the 21st century as evidenced by 2006 PPV revenue and 2006 television ratings. FIGHT! will embody the spirit and passion of the millions of MMA fans that are both old and new to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

"As Mixed Martial Arts moves into the mainstream, the time is right for a magazine like Fight! by highlighting the sport's outstanding competitors and personalities in ways never seen before. FIGHT! is bringing the highest standards of Sports Journalism to the great sport of MMA," said Donovan Craig, FIGHT! Editor.

FIGHT! will be launched by an experienced team of journalists, photographers and contributors. FIGHT! is excited to bring an innovative design and provide cutting edge photography to the world of MMA while maintaining unprecedented levels of editorial excellence.

FIGHT! will feature contributions by the sports biggest names; current champions, past champions, industry insiders and established veterans. Articles will be written by the best journalists covering the sport and the distinctive and unique visual style of the magazine will appeal to both avid fight fans and the newer crossover audience that the sport has been so successfully attracting. FIGHT! is truly the magazine for everyone with an interest in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

The debut issue of FIGHT! will go on sale June 26th 2007.

Website: http://www.fightmagazine.com/

Circle Publishing Launches Two New Titles

Circle Publishing is to launch of two new titles - GO SNOW and GO ACTIVE. Graeme Spratley, the former publisher of Snow and Active magazines, will head the new division. The first edition of GO ACTIVE will be published monthly, commencing on 18 April and will be distributed free of charge throughout hundreds of outdoors shops and centres, leisure and health clubs, and many high profile outdoors events as well as specialist tour operators and travel agencies.

Its sister magazine, Go Snow will debut in late September and be published five times during the autumn and summer and will be similarly distributed to retail outlets and sports centres in the UK plus overseas tourist offices when the season gets under way.

Both titles are travel and lifestyle led, with a superb design and exciting editorial. More than 40,000 copies of the free magazines will be distributed through retail and events outlets. Watch out too, for the digital versions of each magazine, which will be sent to extensive databases and will be available to readers by visiting our web sites.

Circle Publishing owns DIVE magazine, the largest selling UK scuba title and also publishes Geographical, the official journal of the Royal Geographical Society, Business Franchise Magazine and Christian Aid News.

Website: http://www.circlepublishing.net/