MuscleMag is no longer in business.

[Matt C]

From Terry Goodlad:

It's been coming for a long time but Robert Kennedy Publishing, publishers of Oxygen, Reps, MuscleMag, American Curves, and Clean Eating Magazines closed their doors this morning and are no longer in business. I confirmed this today directly with Tosca Kennedy, owner of RKP.

They are not alone. Publishers of print magazines around the globe are experiencing a continuous drop in sales quarter after quarter and our fitness industry is not immune. RK Publishing is not the only one that was suffering but without naming names the distribution reports for the last quarter of 2012 reveal that the numbers are again significantly down, a trend that started years ago and still continues. Some of them are dismal and I wouldn't be surprised to see other publishers go out of business soon.

I am making this post to hopefully offer a perspective that prevents the negative backlash directed toward Tosca that I absolutely expect will come right after everyone realizes it's actually over and they pull out their fingers to fix blame. Placing blame is fools work and like always, fools will push it to the extreme and people get hurt. Tosca is not the one that made this happen but she is standing alone right now taking responsibility.

My point is that Tosca Reno took control of Robert Kennedy Publishing when her husband Robert Kennedy passed away 14 months ago. The business was struggling then and along with the loss of her husband Tosca was left to try and save a sinking ship in a sea filled with sinking ships. It's not because of her that Oxygen is no longer in business.

I contacted her today and we briefly discussed what happened. I will keep that in confidence but I will say that I have worked for RKP for near 15 years now as well as many others around the globe and was well aware of the problems that RKP and that others struggle with.

As I have learned by past experience, when the adoring public has no use for you any longer the kind ones disappear, the malicious ones do what they can do obliterate you just for the fun of doing it.

Tosca is a good friend and has been since she met Bob. Bob Kennedy was the guy that gave me my start in the business and mentored me for years. I saw Tosca's work ethic first hand and there are very few people I know that can hang with her, will sacrifice themselves as much as she does, and has the brain power and the courage to run a business of any size while keeping a family together. She has long since earned my respect and loyalty.

I would kindly ask that if you read or hear negative things about Tosca that you at least avoid fueling the comments unless you know her and feel it's warranted. At best do the honorable thing and let those know that would say negative things that she owned and ran a magazine we all loved, that she wrote the clean eating books that have helped millions, that unless they know her beyond what she has contributed to our lives then they haven't earned the right to say anything negative.

To those out there who are not able to make any better account of themselves than talking negatively about others that have done something positive with their life, helped others, and stood up for what they felt was right; Tosca may have made a necessary business decision today but don't be foolish enough to think she stops existing just because the magazines do. You may just find yourself kissing her ass one day soon trying to make up for what you did when she briefly appeared to be down. Most of those kind of people have tough knees and are used to the taste of kissing ass so I doubt it would bother them much, but I doubt Tosca will forget.

Those that benefitted from the opportunities she presented or what she contributed to your life, she could probably use a reminder of how you impacted her life and how grateful you are for that.

Her ******** page is https://www.********.com/toscareno

Respectfully
Terry Goodlad

[Darren in Gym]

yeah sad to see, but all of this has been a long time coming. It happens every time there is a technological revolution. It has been clear for the last decade that print was dying, some companies have successfully moved online. They should have adapted earlier, people are changing and are more accepting of paywalls and subscription based content now. There is great scope for a niche industry like bodybuilding, for publishers producing unique content to stay in the game for a long time. The needs of the people have not changed, only the medium they are delivered.

[SammyJr]

damn. muscle mag used to be the absolute best for contest coverage (in the 90s)

[Larfleeze]

Had to show this to my mate called Robert Kennedy tonight haha..that's definitely his kind of female above anyway. Dirty c*nt.

[D-Wade7288]

Saw it coming eventually. Just like stated above, people are using the internet for most print now a days.

Sad.

[SammyJr]

Had to show this to my mate called Robert Kennedy tonight haha..that's definitely his kind of female above anyway. Dirty c*nt.

wut?

[Larfleeze]

wut?

He made some rather..graphic comments shall we say haha

[sexnews]

damn. muscle mag used to be the absolute best for contest coverage (in the 90s)

Used to be my fav mag, but Robert Kennedy "sold out" to MuscleTech and became less and less involved with the mag after the dearh of his wife and son. Pity.

[ArchAngel'73]

Sad to read this but not surprised.

At one point MM was the best bb'ing mag out there...and then came Muscletech...been sh*tty ever since.

and really, who's gona hire "Johnny Fitness" now?

[Iceman1981]

damn. muscle mag used to be the absolute best for contest coverage (in the 90s)

True. During the 90's I used to buy supplements from the MusleMag store in the area and they would give me a few magazines with each purchase.

[SammyJr]

True. During the 90's I used to buy supplements from the MusleMag store in the area and they would give me a few magazines with each purchase.

wow that's awesome. i wish i was around when they had a store. do you still have these magazines?

Used to be my fav mag, but Robert Kennedy "sold out" to MuscleTech and became less and less involved with the mag after the dearh of his wife and son. Pity.

i just looked it up... wow can't believe that happened to his wife/son.

[liamcarter]

good cuz the mag for the last 5yrs have been a pile of ****

[Matt C]

Which magazine will be next?

[SammyJr]

Which magazine will be next?

what's left? maybe the smaller ones like planet muscle or ironman if they haven't already completely disappeared.


i think flex and MD will stay for a while

[Iceman1981]

wow that's awesome. i wish i was around when they had a store. do you still have these magazines?



i just looked it up... wow can't believe that happened to his wife/son.

I have a few of them. Some got lost when I moved to a new house back in the 90's.

[Matt C]

what's left? maybe the smaller ones like planet muscle or ironman if they haven't already completely disappeared.


i think flex and MD will stay for a while

Peter McGough [who is now with MD] said in an August 2005 PBW interview that MD's circulation was 30,000 at the time. MD denied the claim but didn't put out any figure to counter it. One wonders what the circulation of MD is.

FLEX magazine's circulation is 65,101 according to Alliance for Audited Media:

http://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/magtitlesearch.asp

[CROMAGS1985]

good cuz the mag for the last 5yrs have been a pile of ****

Maybe there was a unavoidable decline in quality and coverage when athletes started signing with magazines and making their own content "exclusive" but that did allow MM to provide more of an objective commentary on the state off BB because of it. They also took a more practical approach to articles and training vs. the bigger magazines "Get biceps like Kai Greene" type of stuff.

Some of my fondest memories are driving to the Airport Rd. location of the MM store to buy supplements and equipment all throughout the 90's and into the early '00. At its peak, I'm not sure that store could be topped. EVERY BB back issue on display, books, supplements, always a BB training or contest video playing the the counter top TV, huge employees (some of whom were featured in early Muscletech ads), tons of gym equipment and all that over-the-top gaudy NPC-style BB gear that then was so cool and is now so hilarious and heinous. I found out about and attended the Brampton Dorian Yates seminar because of MM and I saw Greg Kovacs absolutely dwarf Nasser during his in-store at that Airport Rd. location. Kovacs could barely breathe of course but he made Nasser look like his son in terms of sheer size.

RIP MM

[ZBlacktt]

To much of a instant digital world now. I have about 100 pounds of magazines in my garage. Not sure why I keep them. But to many smart devices nowadays. Plus you can google a lot of information for free. When a magazine goes on print. It's already old news.

[Matt C]

To much of a instant digital world now. I have about 100 pounds of magazines in my garage. Not sure why I keep them. But to many smart devices nowadays. Plus you can google a lot of information for free. When a magazine goes on print. It's already old news.

That's true. I'm just surprised that the issue here is bankruptcy. If the magazine just folded due to low circulation/sales that would be one thing, but to have somehow gone bankrupt is a little strange to me, and the timing [one year after Bob's death] also makes me wonder if mismanagement since that time caused this. I would think the writing on the wall should have been pretty easy to read but I'm not sure.

MuscleMag did get online late in the game and never really made much of a presence. MD knew where things were headed and increased their online presence starting in 2006. If Peter McGough's 30,000 circulation figure for 2005 is accurate, I don't see MD lasting much longer. With Flex's circulation at 65,101, I don't see them lasting much longer either. I guess bodybuilding as an industry is too small and too young to sustain the internet onslaught for much longer.

[Clamz]

Are the old Weider mags (M&F, Flex, etc.) still tied in with the IFBB? wondering if those mags go under, is the IFBB self sustaining without them?

[Matt C]

Are the old Weider mags (M&F, Flex, etc.) still tied in with the IFBB? wondering if those mags go under, is the IFBB self sustaining without them?

I think the IFBB will be able to go on without them. I don't think those magazines are sustaining the industry, but I'm sure they did not hurt, back when circulation numbers were higher.

[fretslayer]

Sad to see this happen, but makes perfect sense. Like all have said, print media is old news in more ways than one. I still enjoy reading the mags, but they're relevancy is almost non-existent.

[Riffo]

Oh well, very unfortunate, I enjoyed reading it from time to time. Haven't read Muscle & Fatness or Flex in years and don't intend to, but I guess they will be gone soon too.

[soopamyko]

No more american curves?

[Matt C]

No more american curves?

That's right, all the flagship titles are finished.

[Matt C]

PBW discusses the bankruptcy:

http://www.digitalmuscle.com/archive.../pbw061013.mp3

[Tony_Ulibarri]

MMI is one of my favorites after FLEX which is the bible of bodybuilding.

[Tony_Ulibarri]

I still have all my random collection of bodybuilding magazines intact and well kept inside a cabinet. From FLEX to old MD, MMI, Ironman, M&F, new MD. They number to around 300 mostly FLEX and MMI from 1990s issues to the present.

[patbanya]

Thursday, June 13th, 2013

Leading Fitness and Health Publishing Company Officially Closes Doors After 40 Years

By Tosca Reno

Canusa, parent company of Robert Kennedy Publishing which produced magazines Muscle Mag International, Reps!, Oxygen, American Curves and Clean Eating as well as hundreds of books (New York Times best sellers: Hardcore Bodybuilding, Reps!, RockHard!, Beef It!, Pumping Up! and the Eat-Clean Diet Series) has ceased business operations by officially closing its doors last Friday.

It is has been well-reported that the publishing industry has been hit hard in the last decade in the face of free digital access, resulting in a consistent sharp decline in sales of traditional print publishing. Additionally, this industry as a whole has been adversely affected by consumers increasingly choosing tablet computers over e-book reading, e-books and hard-copy printed materials. These factors along with the soft economy have pushed many businesses into bankruptcy particularly in the publishing world.

Additionally, Canusa’s founder, Robert “Bob” Kennedy, passed away suddenly last year and the company has struggled tremendously in his absence unable to shoulder the burdens left behind. Kennedy’s wife Tosca Reno states “As many of you know, last year I lost my husband of 8 years and reluctantly took the helm of the distressed publishing business he built. Robert was a tremendous visionary who grew a unit of bodybuilding, health, fitness and clean-eating magazines and books, that were global staples, in its long-distant prime days.” Reno continues, “Due to many years of financial difficulty, I was forced to make the decision to restructure the business as a whole in order to allow our brands, Oxygen, Cleaning Eating and The Eat-Clean Diet to possibly find a new home, where my hope is they can thrive again. I’m so grateful for the outpouring of support I have received during this very difficult time.”

Reno states, “One of the most difficult factors was knowing our dedicated employees are facing this reality now, too, though I laboured long and hard to avoid my ultimate decision. I have done everything I can to preserve and respect the brands by working with some exemplary individuals for whom I am deeply grateful.”

Robert “Bob” Kennedy’s life work, dedication and impact on bodybuilding, health and fitness have been a source of inspiration to tens of millions of people worldwide.

[JOHN GARGANI]

good cuz the mag for the last 5yrs have been a pile of ****

exactly what the OP was talking about: do you have even the slightest idea the sheer amount of work that goes into putting something of that magnitude out on the newstands? people literally give their blood and sweat doing something like that.....

this economy affects virtually everyone, in some way, business AND personal....it is tough out there, and all over the world.....