CLOSING OF THIS WEEK IS LIKELY IN NOVEMBER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01314R000300140001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 16, 1969
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

Editor & Publisher
Approved For Releask&0 ?tl a9A-RDP88-01314R0004
Closing of This meek
is likelY in November
?
This Week magazine, this so long such a distinguished
country's oldest nationally dis- member of the newspaper
tributed Sunday newspaper sup- family, evidently has outlasted,
plement, will suspend publica- its economic usefulness to news-
.tion in November, if currently papers and advertisers. Al-
:distributing newspapers agree though we do not regret in any
to an offer by Fred Stapleford, sense our determined effort to
publisher, to be released from give it renaissance, we believe
thH-- contracts it would be foolhardy to con-
The news of the suspension tinue publishing when all. the
came Wednesday (August 13) vital signs are negative."
following an offer in April by Staff members of This Week
Crowell Collier and Macmillan were informed of the probable
Inc., the parent company, to suspension, and plans are being
underwrite completely the cost made to help them find new em-
of publication if enough news- ployment or pay them severance.
papers would agree to distribute This Week is the successor to
the supplement for two years Every Week, a supplement pub-
The plan aimed lished between 1902 and 1905 by
May 10)
(E&P
.
,
at building the magazine's certi- Joseph Palmer Knapp. The
percent. when it carried some 1,025 pages
In a letter addressed to ex- of advertising. Its circulation
ecutives of distributing papers, high was achieved in 1963 with
Stapleford said: "I deeply re- a total of 14.6 million. It was
gret having to advise you that. acquired by Crowell Collier and
despite widespread expressions Macmillan in May, 1968.
of good will. toward our effort, The two major supplements
our best judgment is that the remaining if This Week folds
circulation commit- are Parade, owned by Whitney
necessar
y
ment cannot be attained." Communications, and Family
Seven papers have either de- Weekly, owned by Downe Com-.
C
or-
clined the offer or have not yet munications. The Hearst
Staple- poration suspended publication
And
made a declaration
,
.
ford added, there are not of the American Weekly in,
,? ? enough prospects to replace this September 1963 after 67 years
group and provide additional. of existence.
circulation. While the Sunday supple-
The economic factors leading ments have been affected seri-
were: ously by television's inroads on
he said
to the decision
,
,
1-Those of the present news- advertising, they have also been
papers that have entered can- faced with the rapid develop-
cellations effective December 31, ment of focally-edited magazines
will in all probability exercise which provide an attractive
i them. There are 15 cancellations medium for both national and
on record, representing circula- local advertisers. This Week had
tion of 4.3 million. hoped to make gains if an ex-
2-Those of the present news- periment in Birmingham-where
papers that have not entered the local magazine is wrapped
cancellations will provide in around the national magazine-.
1970 only 5.6. million circulation, caught on.
"Our estimate. of advertising With This Week folding, sev-
sales potential at this circula- eral of the newspaper pub-
lion pattern and level is that, lishers now distributing it
even' under the most stringent opened negotiations with Parade
operating economies,' the ex- and Family Weekly. Parade is
pectable certified circulation in 88 papers with 14.3 million
cost billable to the newspapers circulation and Family Weekly,
will be approximately $10 per has 224 papers mostly in small
thousand," Stapleford explained. markets with 6.2 million circula-
3-"We will not be able to tion.
maintain the editorial staff and This Week carried 451 pages
product that have brought so of ads last year-down from a
many compliments." peak of 1,025 pages in 1957.
Stapleford's letter concluded: Parade ran 531 pages and Fain-
"It is a pity that This Week, fly Weekly, 571 pages in19 Q.
Approved For Release 2004/10/12 CIA-RDP88-01314R000300140001-7