Radar (magazine)
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Radar was an American online and print publication, first printed in 2003 as a test-issue and re-launched twice since that date in 2005 and 2006. The magazine published articles on entertainment, fashion, politics, and human interest. Its founder and editor-in-chief is Maer Roshan, a prominent editor who has previously worked at Interview Magazine, New York, the New York Times, and Talk. The magazine announced on October 24, 2008 that it would be closing both its print and online divisions.
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[edit] History
[edit] Test publications
The first test issues of Radar were published in 2003 by Roshan, who secured funding for the venture from friends and family. In 2003 the magazine was launched on a shoe-string budget at the height of a publishing recession. Soon after it debuted, the New York Times hailed Radar as the launch of the year. Roshan and his partner, Pul Fish, had raised enough money to publish two issues. After the magazine's initial success, Roshan spent a year searching for more permanent backing. In 2005, Mort Zuckerman and Jeffrey Epstein agreed to fund the magazine for a longer period.
[edit] First print run
Radar's first print issue, funded by Zuckerman and Epstein was published in May 2005. Its advertisers included such prominent brands as Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Kenneth Cole, Target, ATT and the Gap. According to the Radar media kit, the magazine was targeted to urban, educated men and women aged 25 to 40. It was determined to be accessible, stylish and smart without being superficial. In addition to a monthly print offering, Radar also produced a daily website filled with interviews, gossip and up-to-date news. Among the stories featured in Radar's 2005 issue was an insightful look at the daily lives of soldiers in the Iraq War and a critical article on Tom Cruise and his involvement with the Church of Scientology. The first issues of the magazine generated widespread international attention. But despite its high profile, the magazine folded after publishing only three issues in November 2005. Radar's February issue, reportedly just a day away from completion, was never published. Though the magazine's publisher, Annie Perton, claimed that the magazine had amassed over a million dollars in advertising revenue, Radar's backers shut down the title, citing a lack of advertising.
[edit] Second launch
Roshan did not let the setback slow him down. Encouraged by the commercial success of Radar's first five issues, he spent the next year searching for new investors. After six months of negotiations he finally secured a long-term financial commitment from a Chicago-based investment group lead by millionaire Budweiser distributor Yusef Jackson. In an interview with the New York Times in June 2007, Jackson insisted that he and his backers were prepared to support the magazine with enough money to publish until 2011. Radar's newly refurbished website, re-launched in September 2006, attracted a million unique visitors. The site was praised by the Wall Street Journal as a model for print magazines struggling to adapt to a new media environment. The relaunch issue of Radar, dated March/April 2007, appeared on newsstands on February 14, 2007, and quickly sold out across the country, breaking national news while vastly exceeding the newsstand performance of better funded, well-established publications. In May 2008, Radar was nominated for a general excellence award by the American Society of Magazine Editors, which praised the magazine for its editorial excellence, provocative content and aesthetic flair.
[edit] References
- Article about Radar's second re-launch
- Reviews of the June/July 2007 issue in Ignore Magazine
- Chicago Tribune story on Radar relaunch
- Ongoing Radar coverage on Gawker.com
