New Look for the Satevepost

Not since 1942, when it dropped its sprawling, double-deck cover title, had the Saturday Evening Post (circ. 4,600,000) made major changes in its makeup. But last week readers of the Satevepost saw a big difference. There were more pictures--some spread across two pages or running necklace-fashion around text. There were wider margins, gaps of white space, splashier illustrations, and a Collier's-like short-short story. As body type for its stories and articles, the Satevepost replaced its familiar Century Schoolbook type with a lighter version of an old-fashioned design by John Baskerville, great and good friend of Satevepost Patron Saint Benjamin Franklin.

Reason for the change, said Editor Ben Hibbs, was to give subscribers "an easier to read, more beautiful magazine." But the change was also prompted by something else: tougher competition. Though the Satevepost's circulation is edging up, and total advertising revenue increased $1,072,635 in the first half of 1955, advertising pages through September, 1955 slipped 4.7% below last year.

Curtis had other problems. Its TV Program Week, launched as a competitor to thriving TV Guide, folded after eight issues, at a heavy loss to the company. According to trade gossip, Curtis' new magazine, Bride-To-Be, first published in July, has been left waiting at the church although Curtis Vice President Benjamin Allen said last week: "For a quarterly, it is going pretty well." Though Curtis lifted its gross 2% to $90,650,000 for the first half of 1955, its net profit tumbled 33% to $2,500,000. The drop, explained Curtis, was caused by heavier outlays for promotion, rising costs of production, and increased volume discounts to heavy advertisers. Curtis hopes that the changes will reverse the trend, send profits up.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.