Ex-G+J Prez Joins First Round Bids For Time Inc.’s Time 4

First round bids are due for Time Inc.’s Time 4 media and Parenting groups on Wednesday, and while no clear frontrunners have emerged, some interesting players are looking to get back in the magazine game. FishbowlNY hears former G+J USA president Russell Denson is looking at the magazine group for a possible acquisition, as is American Media Inc., Florida-based publisher of Star and National Inquirer, which would purchase the titles in order to resell them. [Folio: also reported the buy-and-flip scenario last week.]

Denson, who lost his job as G+J president after the company’s women’s magazines were acquired by Meredith for $350 million last year, is also rumored to be in the running for American Media Inc. non-celebrity titles on the block, including Muscle & Fitness, Flex and Mira!. “He’s looking to get back in the game,” says an industry source.

In terms of price, the Time Inc. titles may fetch wildly varying bids, an industry source told FishbowlNY, before coming down in the second round, when the bidders are able to do “more than kick the tires.”

But it doesn’t take much beyond tire-kicking to realize Time 4′s struggles:

TIME 4 MEDIA REVENUE (MILLIONS) | %CHNG JAN-SEPT 2006

Golf Magazine $131 | -2.2

Field and Stream $50 | -10.9

Outdoor Life $19.8 | -7.1

Popular Science $50.6 | -12.7

Ski $17.7 | +1.6

Ride BMX $4.9 | -4.8

Skiing $9.4 | -7.1

This Old House $36.8 | -14.8

Transworld Skateboarding $22.8 | -9.0

Transworld Snowboarding $10.4 | -21.8

Transworld Surf $8.6 | +11.2

Motorboating $15.8 | -16.0

Salt Water Sportsman $21.5 | -5.4

Transworld Motocross $10 | +84.1

TIME INC.’S PARENTING GROUP REVENUE | %CHNG JAN-SEPT 2006

Babytalk $50.6 | 0.8

Parenting $119.8 | -11.2

FishbowlNY’s AMC 2006 Coverage:

Anna Wintour Named Editor Of The Year

AMC 2006: Sipping Cactus Juice With David Remnick, Other Mag Execs In The Desert

Rachael Ray To Open Burger Joint

MagShapes? Magazine Executives To Deejay ‘After-Party’ In Desert

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