Magazines on Dance: Major Media Merge

[Helene]

Here is the press release:

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For Immediate Release:

Contact: Diana Leidel, Marketing Vice President

212-979-4822 or dleidel@dancemedia.com

Two Performing Arts Publishing Leaders Join Forces

Macfadden Dance Magazine, LLC and Lifestyle Media Inc. merge to form nation's ultimate source for the dance and cheerleading markets.

( August 15, 2006 ) NEW YORK— Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC has been formed with the merger of Macfadden Dance Magazine, LLC and Lifestyle Media Inc., Jeffrey A. Schaeffer, President/CEO of Macfadden Communications Group, LLC and Owen S. Crihfield, a director of Lifestyle Media Inc. announced today. The union will create the nation's most powerful source of information, events and online businesses for the dance and cheerleading worlds and will offer more synergies for enthusiasts, participants and the many vendors who support these markets.

The merger will bring well-known and respected publications American Cheerleader ®, Dance Magazine ®, Dance Spirit ®, Dance Teacher ®, Pointe ®, Dance Retailer News ™, Cheer Biz News ®, and Stage Directions ® together under one roof. The magazines of the combined company will have a total readership of more than 2.8 million.

Mr. Schaeffer, who will be Chief Executive Officer of the new venture, announced that Karla Johnson , currently VP/Publisher of Dance Magazine , will serve as President of Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC. “With more than 20 years of publishing management experience, Ms. Johnson brings extensive knowledge and a deep passion for these markets to the new company,” said Mr. Schaeffer. “A successful track record of leading and building magazines, events and online businesses enables Ms. Johnson to galvanize the combined assets to bring the best value and services to the dance and cheerleading markets.”

“The editorial strengths of each property will provide unsurpassed benefits to readers,” states Ms. Johnson. “With unmatched reach to well-aligned audiences, the Macfadden Performing Arts Media properties will provide maximum penetration and saturation of these key markets of passionate participants -- from professional dancers, advanced dance students, their teachers, teen dancers, the entire ballet community, and dance retailers to the cheer audience.”

The roster of Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC includes annuals, directories and events, in addition to American Cheerleader ®, Cheer Biz News ®, Dance Magazine ®, Dance Spirit ®, Dance Teacher ®, Pointe ®, Dance Retailer News ™, and Stage Directions ®.

Each of the magazines is an industry leader directed to a highly motivated special interest audience. American Cheerleader ® is the leading national magazine read by 1.4 million young people involved in cheerleading across the country. Dance Magazine ®, read by more than 300,000 professional dancers, advanced students and their teachers, has delivered inspiration and insight for 79 years. Dance Spirit ® magazine, with more than 700,000 readers, reaches more young dancers and their teachers than any other dance publication. Dance Teacher ®, which has been published for 27 years, is the only nationwide magazine addressed exclusively to dance teachers of all disciplines. Pointe ® magazine is the only international ballet magazine expressly for ballet dancers and serious ballet students . Dance Retailer News ™ is the only monthly trade publication for dance retailers in the U.S. and Canada . Cheer Biz News ® is written for owners and coaches of competition cheer training and gymnastic centers. Stage Directions ®, published since 1988, serves the strategic, practical and technical information needs of small theaters across the country.

Macfadden Performing Arts Media, LLC will be located at 110 William Street , 23 rd Floor, New York , NY 10038.

[Ray]

The union will create the nation's most powerful source of information, events and online businesses for the dance and cheerleading worlds and will offer more synergies for enthusiasts, participants and the many vendors who support these markets.

Awesome! One can never have too many "synergies" .........

[Dale]

I think this is bad news. I can't see the company keeping several of those titles that are "duplication of effort" (corporate speak). I've seen too many of these things go down that way. I think it will limit the amount of voices and point of views we'll read on dance and ballet.