Houston group buys neighborhood magazines from New Mexico owner. (Media ink; Creneau Media Group Inc.)

Media ink plans expansion of monthly lifestyle publications

A newly formed Houston company has purchased six local lifestyle magazines that focus on the city's affluent neighborhoods.

Media ink purchased the publications on Aug. 1 from the Creneau Media Group, based in New Mexico, with hopes of expanding into other area markets such as The Woodlands.

Both parties declined to discuss financial terms of the transaction. The purchase included the papers, computers and production equipment and office furniture.

Media ink was formed by former associate publisher for Creneau, Lisa Collins, who will now act as managing partner. The company is co-owned by Collins, Carol Caspersen Moffett, advertising director, and Linda Saville, circulation and marketing director.

Collins says all operations and staff will remain in place for the monthly publications, which include West U Magazine, Bellaire Magazine, R.O. Magazine, Memorial-Villages Magazine, Tanglewood Magazine and Downtown Voice Magazine.

With the exception of Downtown Voice, the other magazines are generally upbeat and focus on promoting the upscale communities where they are hand-delivered to the doorsteps of readers.

Creneau Media Group was founded in 1987 by Kevin Clear, who has served since then as publisher of the magazines. Clear, who will pursue other publishing ventures from New Mexico, launched West U Magazine literally from his kitchen table. He will continue as a consultant to Media ink.

"I'm just happy to be a part of taking the business to another level," says Moffett. "Kevin (Clear) likes to say that he is good with start-ups and, now that we've emerged from our infancy, we're ready to carry the magazines into adulthood."

Media ink's plans for bringing the publications to maturity include future expansion, such as additional community magazines and other publishing endeavors that might entail outside graphics and multimedia projects, says Collins. The company also plans to work on strengthening its editorial content, she adds. …