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Time Inc. Magazine Development Group Records

Call Number

MS 3009-RG 40

Date

1967-1987, 2003, inclusive

Creator

Time, inc.

Extent

53.67 Linear feet in 49 record cartons and 3 flat boxes

Language of Materials

The materials in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The Magazine Development Group (MDG) Records contains records from two versions of this group documenting the processes for and progress on development of new magazines at Time Inc. between 1973 and 1987. The first MDG developed and launched People and Life Special Reports. The second MDG worked extensively on Picture Week.

Historical Note

While Time Inc. constantly explored ideas for new magazines since its inception, it did not establish an official department for magazine development until February 1973 after the closure of Life. The Magazine Development Group (MDG) was originally staffed with the former Life employees. The initial group lasted through 1978 and disbanded after it successfully revived Life as a monthly magazine, shifting much of the staff back to Life. The magazines developed and launched by the first MDG included People and Life Special Reports. The second group began around 1981 and lasted until corporate restructuring of the magazine group in early 1987.

MAGAZINE DEVELOPMENT GROUP (1973 TO 1978)

According to a February 1983 memorandum from Editorial Director Ralph Graves to Vice President of Magazines Kelso Sutton, prior to the creation of the MDG, new magazines such as Life and Sports Illustrated were created via task force. Corporate Editorial appointed former chief of the news service Richard Clurman to a special post to investigate new magazine development ideas in February 1969. This same year, vice president and former Managing Editor of Time Otto Fuerbringer headed "newspaper exploration" at the corporate level which involved development of a wire service (never realized) and acquisition of newspaper publishing groups. In February 1971, executive vice president Bernard Auer and corporate Editorial Director Louis Banks invited Fuerbringer to join a newly formed magazine development task force. The existence of this task force was announced to sales staff by August, and began producing dummies for Camera Life (later Camera Month) and View by December. In mid-1972, Don Sider joined the task force as a special assistant to Fuerbringer regarding new magazine and newspaper evaluations.

A February 1973 memorandum from Editor-in-Chief Hedley Donovan and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Heiskell to then Corporate Editor Graves discusses the establishment of a department to develop new magazines with Fuerbringer as the editor and Garry Valk as the publisher. The desire for this department was prompted by the successful development of Money by the task force. The memorandum begins: "Time Inc. is emphatically interested in starting new magazines…It would be highly desirable if we could start two or three more new magazines during 1973-1975." Once established, the new MDG took over editorial and publishing for Money, along with continuing work on any other magazines still in development. The new magazines under consideration in early 1973 were: Camera Month (which may have morphed into the monthly Life according to later MDG editor Marshall Loeb), View (which evolved into People also according to Loeb), Religion & Ethics, Well (a health magazine), and a an untitled magazine for women. Initial MDG staff included: Peter Hanson, Dick Thomas, John Crandall, Winston "Tony" Cox, Philip Kunhardt, John Loengard, and Richard Stolley, along with Fuerbringer and Valk. While Valk is initially called the Publisher as head of the business side, his title is later changed to Director.

The MDG produced weekly reports sent to overseeing executive vice president Arthur Keylor and by the end of 1973, these reports focused on People, Money, and Life Special Reports. According to a 1983 interview by Graves of Fuerbringer, Kunhardt, and Stolley (relayed in memorandum to Editor-in-Chief Henry Grunwald), work on the Life Special Reports immediately after the closure of Life, with Kunhardt as the managing editor and John Loengard as the picture editor. This interview also stated that Kunhardt and Loengard were the editor and picture editor, respectively, for Camera Month, and Stolley was editor for View. According to Fuerbringer, Heiskell suggested they begin work on People in May 1973. While this interview does not say that View became People, Stolley also was the first People Managing Editor. Kunhardt stated they were working on View and People concurrently.

The MDG successfully launched People magazine in March 1974, and produced two Life Special Reports per year, and revived Life as a monthly publication. Records show that the MDG continued to work on the women's magazine, with the working title Woman, through at least the end of 1977. Correspondence to Associate Director Stephen LaRue states that Ad Age reported him saying in the December 12, 1977 issue that MDG was tabling the idea. People and Money remained under the direction of the MDG until it disbanded in 1978, then they became independent departments.

MAGAZINE DEVELOPMENT GROUP (1981 TO 1986)

After the disbanding of the first MDG, Time Inc. did not stop developing new magazines. Discover and TV-Cable Week were created via task force between 1979 and 1982.

A July 1981 memorandum from Editor-in-Chief Grunwald to all staff announced the reestablishment of the MDG with Executive Editor of Time-Life Books Dave Maness heading the editorial side and Vice President of Magazines Lawrence Crutcher heading the business side. Other staff included Frank Lalli and Barbara Howell as editors. A 1982 chart of new magazines under development were: TV-Cable Week, MoneyLetter, International Business, Washington Weekly, America, Picture Week, Quality, and Together along with acquisition possibilities. The second MDG revived work on the magazine for women, which was titled Flash at one point.

At the end of 1983, Grunwald and President and CEO J. Richard Munro announced the expansion of the MDG along with new editor Marshall Loeb and new publisher Bruce Barnet. The expansion included the possibility of acquiring magazines along with developing them.

By early 1985, the MDG decided to focus primarily on Picture Week, according to Loeb in an interview with the New York Times. He also stated about half of the MDG staff had transferred out of the department. In 1985, the MDG produced the one-shot magazine Home Office with all advertising provided by IBM. By the end of 1985, the MDG went through a restructuring along with the rest of Time Inc. which seemed to centralize all publishing in a management group. In August 1986, Jack O'Dwyers Newsletter announced the impending launch of Leisure, a magazine edited by Fuerbringer, and that Quality would begin sales in November. It does not appear that either of these magazines made it to market. In late 1986, testing for Picture Week ended without a launch of the magazine. In January 1987, after Reginald Brack took over as president of the magazine group, the Wall Street Journal reported that Time Inc. restructured its magazine group and disbanded the MDG. Time Inc. halted production on Quality, New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Real Estate and Leisure in order to focus on the company's existing magazines and joint ventures with other publishers.

POST MAGAZINE DEVELOPMENT GROUP

In early 1985, while still trying to launch Picture Week, Time Inc. acquired as a subsidiary Southern Progress Corp., the publisher of Southern Living. This was the first time Time Inc. purchased instead of created a magazine.

After the closure of the MDG, Time Inc. introduced several new magazines developed independently by various departments throughout the company and invested in existing publications. Southern Progress Corp. launched Cooking Light in August 1986. Sports Illustrated staff developed and launched Sports Illustrated for Kids in the beginning of 1989 to celebrate its anniversary.

People television critic Jeff Jarvis and the CFO of the Magazine Group Michael Klingensmith began development via a task force of Entertainment Weekly in 1988 with the first issue announced in February 1990. Jarvis stated in a UPI interview that it was created without a huge development staff.

Magazine development also continued through the new business units Time Publishing Ventures (TPV), established in June 1986, and later Time Inc. Ventures (TIV), established in August 1992. Time Inc. described TPV as the new unit handling "magazine development as well as specialty and regional magazines" with Christopher Meigher as the president and chief executive. Its first new magazine release was Martha Stewart Living in November 1990. TPV also became a part owner of the existing publications Working Woman (satisfying Time Inc.'s desire for a women's magazine) and Hippocrates.

TIV was a new subsidiary for all new business developments beyond magazines with TPV becoming a unit within TIV handling regional and special interest magazine businesses. In 1995 Time Inc. Ventures was disbanded as a unit, and Time Inc. fully decentralized development responsibilities.

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS

In 1980 a reader suggested a version of Sports Illustrated for children which was declined. This suggestion is in Ralph Graves' files in RG 6. Corporate Editorial Records. Nine years later Time Inc. did publish Sports Illustrated for Kids.

In 1982, according to a memorandum from Graves to Grunwald, an advertising director from Apple pitched a popular computer magazine idea to Time Inc.

In 1999, Time Inc. collaborated on a short-lived magazine with Starbucks called Joe.

Citations:

Carlson, Walter. "Loeb sees 'no rush to prove we still have the magic' for winners." Folio: the Magazine for Magazine Management, Apr. 1984.

Carmody, Deirdre. "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; A People Magazine Offshoot From Time Inc." New York Times, 17 Mar. 1994.

"Publishing and Editorial Management Changes Announced at Time Inc." PR Newswire, 16 Nov. 1995.

Rothenberg, Randall. "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; New Unit Established By Time Inc. Magazine." New York Times, 23 May 1990.

Selinger, Iris Cohen. "Go West, young boomers, Time Inc. follows." Adweek Western Edition, 17 Sept. 1990.

"Three Magazines Tested by Time Inc." Jack O'Dwyer's Newsletter, 20 August 1986.

Time Inc. Corporate Editorial Records, MS 3009-RG 6, New-York Historical Society.

"Time Inc. Decides to Sell Discover." New York Times, 22 May 1987.

"Time Inc. makes top personnel changes in accordance with its restructuring program." PR Newswire, 21 Nov. 1985.

Time Inc. Reference Files, MS 3009-RG 3, New-York Historical Society.

"Time Inc. Restructures Magazine Group, Disbands Development Unit to Cut Costs." Wall Street Journal, 1 January 1987.

Time Inc. Subject Files, MS 3009-RG 1, New-York Historical Society.

"Time Inc. Ventures New Name of Time Inc. Unit." PR Newswire, 27 Aug. 1992.

"Time's Entertainment Weekly to debut next year." UPI Archive: Financial, 11 July 1989.

"Time's Plans For Magazine." New York Times, 14 Mar. 1985.

Arrangement

The collection is organized by version of the Magazine Development Group, then by department, mainly Editorial or Business and Publishing. Records for staff are organized by hierarchy of title held and chronologically by office holder. The subseries are:

Series I.A.1. 1973 to 1978 Editorial: Editor Files

Series I.A.2. 1973 to 1978 Editorial: Acting Editor Files

Series I.A.3. 1973 to 1978 Editorial: Office of the Editor General Correspondence

Series I.A.4. 1973 to 1978 Editorial: Women's Magazine Editor Files

Series I.A.5. 1973 to 1978 Editorial: Life Special Reports Picture Editor Files

Series I.B.1. 1973 to 1978 Business and Publishing: Archives Transfer Forms

Series I.B.2. 1973 to 1978 Business and Publishing: Director and Publisher Garry Valk Slides

Series I.B.3. 1973 to 1978 Business and Publishing: Associate Director Files

Series I.B.4. 1973 to 1978 Business and Publishing: General Manager Files

Series I.B.5. 1973 to 1978 Business and Publishing: Business Manager Files

Series I.B.6. 1973 to 1978 Business and Publishing: Assistant Business Manager Files

Series I.B.7. 1973 to 1978 Business and Publishing: Business Office General Files

Series II.A.1. 1981 to 1986 Editorial: Editor Files

Series II.A.2. 1981 to 1986 Editorial: Deputy Editor Files

Series II.A.3. 1981-1986 Editorial: Picture Editor Files

Series II.A.4. 1981 to 1986 Editorial: Picture Week Files

Series II.A.5. Art Department: Graphic Development Files

Series II.B.1. 1981-1986 Business and Publishing: Publisher Files

Series II.B.2. 1981-1986 Business and Publishing: Associate Publisher Files

Scope and Contents

The Magazine Development Group Records contains records from two versions of this group documenting the processes for and progress on development of new magazines at Time Inc. between 1973 and 1987. Since the magazines were still under development, the editorial and publishing and business sides needed to work together more closely than they would in established magazines in order to define audiences and determine demand which would dictate both content and advertising and direct circulation strategies.

The records document the beginnings of People magazine and early files for Money magazine, along with carbon files, dummies and focus group reports for Picture Week, a magazine extensively tested, but never published. Both groups worked on a magazine for women that was never published. Because the working title or project title changed over time, folder titles referencing the women's magazine have been standardized as "Women's Magazine" to indicate this was all the same project.

Items of interest in the records include: a transcription of the meeting that formed the MDG in Philip Kunhardt's Magazine Development Meeting folder; early copyright registrations for People and Money in Paul Hale's files; early production files for People and Money; letters from readers during the first year of People; ideas for new magazines submitted from the public and Time Inc. staff; and dummies for magazines that were never published.

Conditions Governing Access

Open to qualified researchers with the exception of restricted materials. Restricted materials include contracts, personnel files, and records with personally identifiable information. Restricted materials are located in box R68.

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as the Time Inc. Magazine Development Group Records, MS 3009-RG 40, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection are stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Time Inc. in 2015.

Related Materials

This finding aid relates to just one record group of the Time Inc. Records. For information about the other record groups and for overall information about the archives, please see the Guide to the Time Inc. Records (MS 3009). The Henry Luce Papers (MS 3014) were acquired with the Time Inc. Records. The collection of books acquired with the records are cataloged as the Time Inc. Reference Library. Additional records on the history of the Magazine Development Group are in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1). Records on magazine development activities outside of the MDG, particularly after 1987, are in files regarding the Magazine Group in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1).

Collection processed by

Holly Deakyne

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:49:29 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

The Time Inc. Magazine Development Group Records were processed by Holly Deakyne in 2019 and 2020. When present and in fair condition, the original folders were retained. Documents were transferred to archival, or when in binders. Branded binders were separated from the binder contents for housing purposes; generic binders were not retained. Files retained their original titles, but files with illegible writing or unclear titles were either assigned new titles or had information added to them to clarify the contents. Series were created based on the original arrangement of the materials. Arrangement within the series was imposed by the archivist unless otherwise noted.

The Editor Otto Fuerbringer Files originally were processed by Deakyne in 2017 with his files in RG 7. His files had been received by the Time Inc. Archives in no order. After the creation of the finding aid for the Magazine Development Group, files identified as his work on magazine development were separated from RG 7 for inclusion in RG 40. The original folders were retained when present although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding or when loose. There was no original order and arrangement was imposed. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes for this series.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024