Magazines--Fewer Start-ups, Fewer Closures--Period(ical)

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Citing the annual MediaFinder year-end report, Folio magazine (www.foliomag.com) reported 2013 marked five-year lows in the magazine industry for start-ups (185) and closures (56).

Industry watchers who see the glass as half-full will note the 3:1 ratio of periodical launches to shutdowns as evidence of a stabilizing of the industry. On the other hand, the 185 debuts are 18 percent fewer magazine launches than 2012 figures, according to the Folio article.

Food magazines and women magazines were the most popular genres for start-ups, with 23 new food titles and 13 new titles for women.  On the downside, sports magazines were the hardest hit titles among shutdowns.