Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!Bob_BobR_Retelle
From: Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Publishers (II)
Message-ID: <42852@cup.portal.com>
Date: 1 Jun 91 02:09:30 GMT
References: <1991May22.021421.23656@lsuc.on.ca> <42806@cup.portal.com>
  <1991May31.100600.1@simvax.labmed.umn.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 33

David Paschall-Zimbel writes:
>Not exactly true, Bob.  ST Log was making money when it was folded into ANAL
>and was still making money when the publisher decided to discontinue publish
>the magazine.  Likewise, STart's parent company was still making money from 
>magazine --- it was 'killed' by cash draw-off to other publications within t
>same company (or so I am led to believe from the conflicting press reports t
>which I've had access.)
 
Well, from speaking with the editor and publisher of ANALOG/STlog, LFP, Inc.
was reluctant to put the kind of money into the publication that it would tak
to really promote it, given the ill health of the Atari marketplace (and that
was then... things have gotten steadily worse since..).  Their Videogames
magazine was given plenty of support and is thriving today in the Nintendo/
Sega/NEC world.  I don't recall specifically whether they said if STlog
was still making money when it was folded, but just taking a look at the last
issue demonstrates that they were in trouble.  Much of the ad space was
ANALOG ads.. the actual number of advertisers was very small.. a very bad
sign.
 
Reports on CompuServe from Paul LeFevre of Antic indicate that STart had
been losing money steadily for months.  The decision was finally made to
halt production and avoid any further losses.  Again, taking a look at
the last issue, much of the advertising was from ANTIC itself, and you can't
pay the bills with free ads.
 
ST User and ST Format are nice, but have little to do with MY world, here
in the U.S.  It's frustrating to read about products I either can't even
buy, or which have no local support, assuming I can find them.  I've run
up some nice phone bills calling MirrorSoft in England because there is no
local support for their Atari products.  Seeing their new programs in
English magazines does me little good at all.
 
BobR