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Are Billboard And The Hollywood Reporter For Sale?

Billboard Editor Bill Werde is fond of saying, "I'm on the
crossroads of two of the most challenged industries in the world: music
and publishing. But I still like the view".  Unfortunately, his view may be a bit cloudier today.
image from www.amaxtalent.com

Several Nielson publications including Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Brandweek and Mediaweek are set to be sold to James Finkelstein’s News Communications, owner of  the “Who’s Who” publications and the D.C. based The Hill, according to Sharon Waxman at The Wrap.

Several of the titles have been quietly for sale for months. It's a tough time for all ad supported publications;

particularly trade journals dependent on businesses whose ad budgets are often the first items slashed. Reports have Billboard "doing so-so" which could be viewed as a triumph in an industry that has experienced as much of a downturn as music.

What Finkelsteins plans for Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter is unclear. But cuts often follow purchase as new owners seek to finance and monetize their acquisitions.


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3 Comments

  1. I can’t see a reason for Billboard to even exist anymore. The charts are more or less irrelevant at this point, and the magazine itself is a fifth as thick as it used to be. Most of the columns, reviews and content are just puff pieces and all of the heavy analysis and breaking news can be found on sites like Hypebot.
    Perhaps its time to put the ole girl out of her misery.

  2. I have an eight track and cassette tape factory for sale. Any takers? Slightly disagree that the charts are irrelevant but do agree that most of the information in these magazines can be found on line somewhere. You can subscribe to Billboard.biz on line but I am sure that they have found, just like in music sales, that on line subscriptions have not kept up with the shrinkage of sales with the physical magazine. Interesting that earlier this year they even killed Radio and Records’ website as well.

  3. Ladies and gentlemen…..to anyone, with any ownership rights/interest in Billboard et al, has any interest in making money on these very well established brands… just let me know. mitchell.fox@comcast.net
    I know how…I have the plan in hand.

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