Orange County Register

Duncan McIntosh Co. Inc. in Irvine, publisher of several boating magazines and newpapers and producer of the Newport Boat Show, has bought Editor & Publisher, the “Bible of the newspaper industry” whose future hung by a thread, E&P reported today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

E&P suspended publication at the end of December as magazine officials scrambled to find a buyer after The Nielsen Co. announced it was closing the 125-year-old newspaper trade publication. E&P will immediately pick up where it left off,  publishing a February edition and immediately relaunching its Web site, www.editorandpublisher. com.

Duncan McIntosh Co. publishes Boating World magazine; Sea Magazine, America’s Western Boating Magazine; The Log Newspaper; and FishRap. In addition to the Newport Boat Show, the company produces the Lido Yacht Expo.

Owner Duncan McIntosh, reached in New York a few hours after closing the deal, agreed a publishing company focused on boating might seem like an unlikely match. But he noted he got his start in community newspaper publishing — at the old Newport News and Costa Mesa News.

“I’ve always subscribed to E&P,” he said.

When Nielsen said it was closing the magazine last month, McIntosh said he jumped at the chance to own it and immediately sent an email inquiry.

He said he doesn’t plan any immediate changes and the editorial offices will remain in New York — at least for now.  Going forward, he said he wanted the publication to focus more on the business of the newspaper business and help lead the industry as it transitions to a new business model.

“I can’t believe newspapers are going away, but maybe they will be different,” he said. “I want (E&P) to look at the industry, look at best practices and see what’s working and what’s not working.”

Mark Fitzgerald, who was named editor after serving most recently as editor-at-large, said he was relieved that E&P would continue publishing.

“We are really excited about it and having someone who believes in us,” Fitzgerald said.

He said E&P would also have an increasing emphasis on digital and would look not only to newspapers but other industries to help newspapers find their way in the new digital age.

Fitzgerald, who co-writes a popular E&P newspaper industry blog with Jennifer Saba, said the Fitz & Jen blog also would continue.

He hesitated, however, when asked what he thought about possibly moving the business to Orange County.

“Well, the weather is nice,” he said.

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