It looks like New At Home Media Group may have thrown in the towel in the publishing business after announcing the sale of its final publication, At Home in Arkansas, to a Lawrenceville, Ga., publishing company last week.
Russ McDonough, president and CEO of New At Home Media Group, had been negotiating with Network Communications for more than two months before announcing the sale.
McDonough, who did not return messages left at his office, has also seen Little Rock Monthly, At Home in New Orleans, At Home in Memphis and Oxford American go through the out door in the past few years. All of the At Home publications found buyers, while Little Rock Monthly and Oxford American simply collapsed because income couldn’t support expenses. OA, of course, was resurrected as a nonprofit housed at the University of Central Arkansas at Conway.
McDonough had previously said that if At Home In Arkansas were sold to Network Communications, its staff would remain in Little Rock. However, the company’s future plans were not disclosed in the deal. Kelly Fraiser, who had been the magazine’s publisher, left in August to sell real estate for the Charlotte John Co. of Little Rock. Laura Keech Allen remains as editor.
The sale could be good news for At Home in Arkansas’ main local competitor, Real Living, which circulates about 15,000 copies each month in Pulaski County and is published by the Arkansas Times.
“I think the advantage you need to look at is the companies behind each publication,” said Alan Leveritt, publisher at the Arkansas Times. “The advantage Real Living has and will continue to have is that it’s published by a company with a strong editorial tradition and focus. I mean, the Arkansas Times spends more money on editorial than we have any right to. The Georgia company basically puts out real estate and classified pubs, so there’s not a real strong editorial tradition, and they will have to develop that in this market.”
Network Communications claims to be the leading publisher of printed and online real estate information in North America.
McDonough had said that one advantage of the sale would be the national advertising that Network Communications could incorporate into the publication, but Leveritt says national advertisers generally don’t bother with markets below the top 20 or so, and Little Rock is ranked No. 86.
“It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out,” Leveritt added.
We’ll keep an eye on it, as well.
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