NY Observer > Si Newhouse

The Rising Cost of Launching a Magazine

Matt Haber — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:11:55 -0400

Earlier today, Media Mob looked at Richard Pérez-Peña's New York Times Sunday Business article about Condé Nast chairman Si Newhouse.

In that article, Mr. Pérez-Peña noted:

Last year, Condé introduced one of its most expensive new titles, Portfolio, its first business magazine, which company executives predict will lose $150 million or more before breaking even in four to five years.

The price tag for Porfolio just keeps going up, apparently. In April 2007, New York Magazine's Mark Fass wrote, that the magazine had "a reported budget of $125 million, it’s the most expensive launch Condé Nast has ever done."

Previously, the quote had been $100 million. read more »

Success, and Succession, at Conde Nast

John Koblin — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:43:24 -0400

The most interesting thing in Richard Perez-Pena's 3,330 word write-around profile of Si Newhouse is the language from Condé Nast executives about the importance of the Web.

Tom Wallace, editorial director, Condé Nast: “You’re going to have to go a long way on the Internet to compete with the way we produce words and images in the magazines."
Steve Newhouse, chariman of Advance.net: “What we’re not doing is trying to turn those companion sites into large Web destinations. They’re there to support the magazines.”
Jonathan Newhouse, head of Condé Nast international: “I think sometimes commentators throw around these assumptions about what is happening to the industry, going the way of newspapers, and I don’t believe it.
read more »

Ancient Order of Magazine People in Not-So-Secret Celebration

Matt Haber and John Koblin — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:40:16 -0400

A little after 6 p.m. at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Condé Nast president Richard Beckman was sharing a drink—vodka, olives—with Condé Nast CEO Chuck Townsend. The two were discussing the same thing everyone in the lobby of Jazz at Lincoln Center at the Time Warner Center was talking about: What the National Magazine Awards can do, or not do, for a magazine. read more »

Tom Wallace and Condé Nast 'Love' Their 'Ingenious Editor' Joanne Lipman

John Koblin — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:27:45 -0400

It's on the record now.

Condé Nast editorial director Tom Wallace gave the company's loudest and most forceful public support for Joanne Lipman, the editor of Portfolio. In a story in today's Women's Wear Daily written by Stephanie Smith, Wallace says the following: that the company "love[s]" Joanne Lipman; that she's an "ingenious" editor; that she's absolutely safe in her job; that the company is "extremely pleased" with the magazine. read more »

Mag as Hell!

Observer Staff — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:51:15 -0400

Freelance Fizzle! read more »

Conde Nast Executive: 'Other Promising Real Estate Opportunities'

John Koblin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:58:01 -0400

Si Newhouse's plan for a new skyscraper on the far West Side with Douglas Durst is dead in the water, but is there something else out there?

Conde Nast C.O.O. John Bellando sent out an internal email this morning reassuring employees that all hope isn't lost. At least for a new skyscraper somewhere. Here's the memo: read more »

No New Skyscraper for Si Newhouse, Conde Nast

John Koblin — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:33:21 -0400

So that new skyscraper that Si Newhouse was hoping for? It appears dead. read more »

At Columbia, the Inadvertently Boldface Joanne Lipman Sticks to the Script

John Koblin — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:29:37 -0400

Last night, at Columbia's journalism school, Joanne Lipman said that three years ago she got a call from Si Newhouse. She met with him, had lunch, and loved the conversation so much she would have been perfectly satisfied with her life even if she'd been struck by a truck on her way out the door of his apartment building. read more »

Murdoch and Newhouse Battle for West Side

John Koblin — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:01:31 -0400

Looks like the biggest Manhattan real estate battle in years is shaping up to be the biggest media battle too.

As The Observer reported today, Rupert Murdoch has joined up with the real estate heavyweight The Related Companies, according to a source, in its bid for the Hudson Yards project on the far West Side of Manhattan. If the Related Companies wins the billion-dollar-plus bid, it would have the right to develop on land currently owned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and Mr. Murdoch's News Corporation would move its offices from 1211 Avenue of the Americas to an area in the West 30s along 11th Avenue.

Meanwhile, Conde Nast chief S.I. Newhouse is prepared to flee 4 Times Square for a new office tower in Hudson Yards as well... read more »

Did Si Newhouse 'Rip Up' Portfolio?

Tom McGeveran — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 07:48:41 -0400

It's hard to evaluate the news coming from Keith Kelly's Media Ink column in The New York Post about Conde Nast chief Si Newhouse's Wednesday meeting with Joanne Lipman, editrix of Portfolio.

The splashy $100 million project is the object of some Schadenfreude, though the Schaden-part has always been difficult to pin down. read more »