Hearst Launches Food Network Magazine

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Is print dead? Have online magazines (--like Super Chef!--) and newspapers replaced it? Don't push lines like those on Hearst Magazines and the Food Network. Together, they announced yesterday (September 8) that they are partnering in creating the Food Network Magazine: The magazine will appeal to food lovers and Food Network fans of all ages and culinary abilities, offering pages of accessible recipes and tips, as well as unprecedented access to America’s favorite Food Network stars. That means they are expecting to snag market share and eyeballs away from other foodie magazines or at least to get consumers to add one more magazine to their monthly pile. Super Chef started reporting on this forthcoming magazine back in February 2008. A modest 300,000 copies of the premier issue hits newsstands on October 14, with a second issue planned for January. The magazine concept is to feature various Food Network talent – from the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten to Paula Deen, Guy Fieri, Alton Brown and Tyler Florence – throughout its pages, offering readers their personal tips, tricks and recipes, plus a behind-the-scenes look at their shows and kitchens. And to cover more ground, the magazine will feature tools, food products, restaurants, and recipes. Sounds like a magazine that is a little bit of everything? But it does sound like there are opportunities for non-Food Network chefs and writers to become involved. Paula Deen and Rachael Ray already have their own magazines (published by Hoffman Media and Reader's Digest. In fact, Maile Carpenter, formerly executive editor of Every Day with Rachael Ray (she quit the magazine in January), is the magazine’s editor-in-chief. Carrie Welch of FN told Super Chef that Paula is featured heavily in the first issue, and that Rachael may be in the second. "We don't see any conflicts. If someone is a fan of Rachael or Paula, we expect they will want to buy Food Network Magazine as well." Watch for FN to be promoting the magazine online and on air in the next month, with possible tie ins with FN's store and online recipe database. Previous articles: Hearst and Food Network Plan Magazine Bobby Flay Joins Food Network at Kohl's Cooking.com Beefs Up Food Network Store [Food Television - complete] [Chefs & Branding - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef