Min's B to B articles from February 2002

Min's B to B archives from February 2002

Penton For Sale? Investor Gabelli Grows Impatient with Stock $$$/Limits.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Penton Media (est. 2001 revenues $375M) may be on the market soon if Mario Gabelli, the company's largest single shareholder (19.5% stake) gets his way. Gabelli believes Penton stock to be undervalued and worth more to him/investors if sold...

Key3Media Bets On Trade Show Rebound for B2B Media Turnaround.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... If B2B media is going to bounce back from the doldrums of the current recession in 2002 it will have to begin with trade shows, according to a biased Key3Media (ex-Ziff Davis Events) vice chairman/COO Jason Chudnofsky . After taking a...

Box Scores: December Deficits Leave New Economy (-57% $$$)/'Net Titles (-45% $$$) In The Cold.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... The end of 2001 (-45.95 % ad page YTD/-32.77% YTD ad revenues) couldn't come soon enough for the eight new economy titles, as December ad pages (- 67.81%) and ad spending (-57.12%) lurched lower, per Adscope. It was lonely at the top in 2001...

Broadcast/Video Titles Disconnect in December (-28% $$$), Graphics Go South (- 50% $$$).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Adscope's broadcast/video sector short-circuited in December (-28.97% ad pages/-27.54% ad revenues) draining ad pages (-20.59% YTD) and ad spending (- 18.26% YTD) results for the year. Only ad revenue up-ticks at Advanstar's Post (-32.11%...

In Search of Answer to IT Ad Drought, IT Solution Journal Lists Option(s).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Vying for lucrative IT decision-maker dollars, Los Angeles-based B2B media newcomer Solutions Publishing launches IT Solution Journal this week (Feb. 8). The bimonthly ITSJ (est. circ. 25K)--which expects to go monthly by July 2002 with...

B2B New Media Web Strategies: Not Your Typical Dot.Com, ITWorld Makes Dollars & Sense...(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... ITWORLD.COM is just months away from pulling a profit, crows CEO and President Bill Reinstein, and he owes it all to video streaming. While the International Data Group's business unit continues to feature IT news coverage, much of the revenue...

...As IDG Readies To Take On The "World" With 'Net Marketing Model Mold.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Now it's time to partner up with other content brands, most recently InfoWorld and PCWorld (both IDG-owned), to do similar co-branded programming into their respective audience pools. The typical deal between the brands is a split of profits....

Stock Watch: B2B Media: Near Even.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2002... Wall Street bulls and bears ran neck-and-neck last week, as B2B media stocks finished near breakeven, with five up and six down. Leaders of the pack VerticalNet (+14.00% FTW, $1.30/-7.10% YTD), Primedia (+9.60% FTW, $4.00/-8.00% YTD) and Alan...

CMP Brass Found Up Media; Bet On B2B Upturn With Book Buys...(Up Media acquires CMP Media's printed circuit board group)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... Led by a management buyout, newly formed Atlanta-based Up Media last week acquired CMP Media's PCB group (Printed Circuit Design (circ. 25K)/Circuits Assembly (circ. 43K)/Printed Circuit FAB (circ. 17K)/PCB Design Conferences) for an...

... As Former FTE Alumni Regroup/Reenergize With IO Energy Startup Post-Enron.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... After the sale of Pearson's Financial Times Energy (FTE) group to McGraw- Hill's Platts division for $99M last fall (min's b2b, 9/10/01), it didn't take long for some of the FTE folks let go to land on their feet. Evidence is newly formed...

Box Scores: Aero/Defense Titles Pull Off Profit in 2001 (+5% $$$), Government Deficits Remain (-16% $$$).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... December brought blue skies to Adscope's aerospace/defense titles (+6.75% ad pages/+16.51% ad revenues), leaving 2001 YTD ad pages (+2.71%) and ad spending (+5.00%) flying high. Thanks to the prolonged War on Terror, International Defense...

CC/Info. Sector Ad $$$ Freeze in December (-43%), Cools YTD; Computers Crash (- 31% $$$).(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... The 20 corporate computing/information titles tracked by Adscope disappointed in December (-38.74% ad pages/-42.78% ad revenues), depressing YTD ad pages (-36.25%) and ad spending (-37.70%) for the year. Only PennWell's InfoStor (+0.79%...

B2B New Media Strategies: Mazingo Puts Content Profit in B2B Publisher's Palm/Pocket (PC).(MAZINGO.NET)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2002... What do users want from the Web? They want to get that content off the desktop, the most uncomfortable, unwieldy and inconvenient medium yet invented for absorbing information. Until now, most publishers who wanted to feed content to users'...

Web Scores: B2B Tech 'Net Traffic Disconnects in December, As Farmers Dial Up.(business to business)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... Between fewer work days in December and the substantial shift in mindshare to online shopping, most B2B sites get a one-two punch. In fact, sites that are most effectively woven into people's professional lives (i.e. tech publishers), get...

Stock Watch: B2B Media: Backtracked.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2002... Another week of retreats for B2B media stocks, as four finished up, with eight down. Top stocks Dow Jones (+3.00% FTW, $53.29/-2.60% YTD), Scholastic (+2.60 FTW, $50.87/+1.10% YTD) and Reed Int'l (+2.30% FTW, $33.20/-0.30% YTD) received...

Penton's Kemp Says Goodbye to a Bad 2001 and Hello to a Better 2002...(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 18, 2002... Things may be looking up for B2B media in 2002, according to Penton Media chairman/CEO Tom Kemp in a conference call to investors/analysts/media. With Q1 off to a "stable" start and "meeting expectations," Kemp is "relieved" 2001 is behind...

... As Investor Gabelli (Post Poison Pill Debate), Believes Penton is Poised for Profits.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Meanwhile, the apparent rift between Penton management and lead investor Mario Gabelli (min's b2b, 2/4/02) appears to be nothing more than a misunderstanding, according to Gabelli Asset Management (http://www.gabelli.com) analyst Andrew...

MCG Bets on B2B for Upside in Troubled IT Ad Economy, Enlists Vet Carroll as Chief.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 18, 2002... After months of turmoil (e.g. failed sale/financing difficulties/rumored close), 12-year-old Upside Magazine last week enlisted B2B media veteran John Carroll as president/CEO to turn things around at the floundering tech business title....

B2B Box Scores: December (-37% $$$) Leaves Electronic Titles in the Dark in 2001 (-16% $$$).(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
February 18, 2002... Electronic sector YTD results (-17.57%/-16.03%) withered on the vine, as ad pages (-39.41%) and ad spending (-36.66%) dried up in December, per Adscope. Only PennWell's Laser Focus World (+5.43% YTD/+12.49% YTD)/Lightwave (+25.79%/+35.86%)...

December (-20% $$$) Can't Engineer (or Manufacture) Growth in 2001 (-15% $$$).(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
February 18, 2002... Adscope's 21 engineering titles ended the year (-18.43% ad pages YTD/- 15.07% ad revenues YTD) on a down note in December, as ad pages (-22.86%) and ad spending (-20.15%) plummeted. Only NASA Tech Briefs (+4.86% YTD/+11.49% YTD) was all around...

New Media Web Strategies: Cracking the B2B E-Commerce Code, PCWorld Grabs Attention.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... While PCWORLD.COM (http://www.pcworld.com) is only a borderline B2B, it may have a few lessons on capturing the ever-elusive e-commerce revenue stream: Don't push. Editorial Director Kevin McKean can't say enough about the traffic and revenue...

B2B People: Movers & Shakers...(Brief Article)
February 18, 2002... Last week, Upside Magazine Acquisition Co. (UMAC) landed John Carroll (ex-Penton/PennWell) as president/CEO of Upside Magazine (http://www.upside.com) (see Upside story above)... Pat Wechsler (ex-Newsday/Hill & Knowlton) joined Wicks Business...

Stock Watch: B2B Media: Bouncing Back.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
February 18, 2002... Wall Street warmed to B2B media last week, with seven stock winners and five losers for the week. Investors cheered Penton Media (+19.80% FTW, 7.01/+12.00% YTD)--which posted 2001 revenues of $371.6M last week (see Penton story above)--and...

First Global Media M&A Makes Advanstar Worldwide Dealer in B2B Auto Titles...(Advanstar Communications Inc. adds automotive titles to stock)(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... Advanstar Communications (http://www.advanstar.com) ramped-up its global empire last week with the acquisition of London-based First Global Media Group for an undisclosed sum. The privately brokered deal, valued to be worth $30M- $40M according...

...As 2001 Financials Fail to Beat Y2K Boom, Krakoff & Co. Are Still a 'Buy'-ing.(Advanstar portfolio)(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... Meanwhile, Krakoff told analysts/investors/media recently that while 2001 proved to be a "difficult recessionary environment," Advanstar's diversified portfolio performed "surprisingly well above average." And Advanstar isn't afraid to put its...

Goldman Sachs Publishing? B2B Execs Called Upon, As Primedia Ponders ChannelOne Sale ($500M) to Pay Down Debt.(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... With $250M in debt looming on its balance sheet, Primedia is once again the subject of rumors of a possible sale/takeover, this time by investment bank Goldman Sachs, according to an article appearing Monday (Feb. 18) on ADAGE.COM. The news...

Reed Elsevier Says 'Hasta la Vista' to Cahners and Hello to RBI.(Cahners becomes Reed Business Information)(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... Reed Elsevier said good-bye once again to the Cahners name last week, replacing it with new corporate moniker Reed Business Information (RBI), in a move aimed at bringing all RE business information properties in the U.S., Europe and Asia under...

B2B Box Scores: Comm/Network Books' Dreary December (-48% $$$) Caps Bad Y2K+1 (- 21% $$$).(Statistical Data Included)
February 25, 2002... Communications/networking titles concluded 2001 (-21.70% YTD ad pages/- 21.16% ad revenues YTD) on a down note as December ad pages (-51.95%) and ad spending (-48.34%) were depleted, per Adscope. Biggest books, Network World (- 32.26%...

Business/News Books Tally December Deficit (-22% $$$), Finish 2001 Broke (-29% $$$).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 25, 2002... Adscope's business/news titles took a beating in December (-32.52% ad pages/-22.40% ad revenues) leaving YTD ad pages (-33.56%) and ad spending (- 29.01%) KO'd for 2001. While all books bombed in 2001, McGraw-Hill's $207M flagship BusinessWeek...

B2B New Media Strategies: This Old Site: Hanley-Wood and YellowBrix Raise The Roof Online...(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... Virtual hammers, 2X4s and nails are flying at Hanley-Wood (http://www.hanley-wood.com) these days as the construction information publisher revamps its magazine brand Web sites. Flagship BUILDERONLINE.COM re- launched in October, while...

...While 'Net Site Shuffle Reaps HW Content Cash $$$, Bulks Up Eyeballs.(Brief Article)
February 25, 2002... The re-launches are only part of HW rearranging its interactive deck chairs. The eBuild directory of 30K manufacturers and 80K product specs is gaining steam after last year's initial launch. It has gone from 1,000 user sessions in October...

Stock Watch: B2B Media: Going Up.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 25, 2002... B2B media stocks beckoned investors back last week, as seven stocks finished up, four down with a push from Key3Media ($4.50/-66.1% YTD). United Business Media (+6.30% FTW, $8.00/-0.90% YTD) and Penton Media (+5.60% FTW, $7.40/+18.20% YTD)...