2008 Magazine Necrology: CosmoGirl!, Golf for Women, Quick & Simple...
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Steve Cohn

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There are probably no magazine brands more profitable than People and Cosmopolitan, yet teen spinoffs proved to be the Achilles Heel for both. CosmoGirl!, which launched in August 1999 and quickly made founding editor-in-chief (1999-2003) Atoosa Rubenstein a star, shut down with the December 2008 issue even though outwardly, its 1.4 million circulation looked strong. Problem was the expense of getting that circ in a changing teen-girls' marketplace where iPhones and text messaging has superseded magazines. It was a fate that struck Teen People, Ellegirl (both 2006) and YM (2004). All were considered "hot" not too long ago.

Of course, the lousy economy further handicapped CG!, and that was the chief reason for the shutdowns of Golf for Women/DNR/Home/O at Home/Town & Country Travel and the Harvard alumni-targeted 02138. PC magazine, which helped make $$$/billions for the late Bill Ziff when he sold Ziff Communications in 1994, is now Web-only. Ditto the brand new National Geographic Green Guide, which lasted less than a year in print.

Read more about 2008 closings in the Dec. 22 issue of min here.

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