SOD Makes a list of "Ten Brands That Will Die in 2012"

[Scotty]

9. Soap Opera Digest

The magazine's future has been ruined by two trends. The first is the number of cancellations of soap operas. Long-lived shows which include "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" have been canceled and replaced by talk show, which are less expensive to air. The other insurmountable challenge is the wide availability of details on soap operas online. Some of the shows even have their own fan sites. News about the industry, in other words, is now distributed and not longer in one place. Soap Opera Digest's first quarter advertising pages fell 21% in the first quarter and revenue was down 18% to $4 million. In 2000, the magazine's circulation was in excess of 1.1 million readers. By 2005 it fell below 500,000 where it has remained for the last 5 years. Source Interlink Media, the magazine's parent, which also owns automotive, truck, and motorcycle publications, has little reason to support a product based on a dying industry.

Read more: 24/7 Wall St. Ten Brands That Will Disappear In 2012 - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com.../#ixzz1Q1y7EJxj

BTW, SONY Pictures Studios, which produces Y&R and DAYS is #1 on the list.

[Bright Eyes]

Scotty, Sony doesn't produce B&B. It's Y&R and DAYS.

[Scotty]

Ok thanks, I'll fix that...show's you how much attention I pay to the CBS soaps....

[JackPeyton]

I can totally see SOD/SOW closing down before abc/cbs sid does, tho i see those two merging into one.

[You're Soaking in it]

I don't think that SID's exclusion from the article is any indication that Digest is sooner to end... They chose Digest for their list because it is, and has historically been, the most recognized of the soap publications. The message of the article is really that printed soap magazines, in general, are on the chopping block.

Certainly, SID will have to drop the "network" prefixes on their publication. Between SID and Digest/Weekly, since they're owned by different companies with different profit margins, I honestly have no idea which will drop first. We do know that Digest has the largest circulation among them.

I know some wonderful people that work there, and I'll be sorry to see them lose their jobs because I know they truly love soaps. However, they are talented and I trust they'll find a new calling... There are also, unfortunately, a couple of people there who are the devil incarnate.

[JackPeyton]

I think SID will be around longer because the two can merge into one and stay biweekly and trim its staff down.

I think Digest/Weekly will likely both fold instead of one or merging into one.

[sheilaforever]

SID also has real publishing house behind them and already has few journalists, so they are safer...

...though not for long.

[wingwalker]

Hmm, even though Sony does have a lot of problems, I don't really see Sony selling their entertainment division, but if they did, I don't think it would have an impact on Y&R or DAYS right away, if at all.

Yeah, I can see the two SIDs merging into one. As for SOD/SOW, at some point in time, I can see them shutting down the mags, but rebranding the website as sort of a daytime/soap version of Michael Ausiello's TVLine.com THe mags all ready break more and more news on their twitter accounts and websites already. Just make it 100% online, no print mag.

[You're Soaking in it]

I couldn't even venture to make a guess, because there are just too many variables unique to each publisher that we don't have first-hand knowledge of. But it doesn't really matter who goes first.. because when one of them does, it's pretty much just the sounding of the warning-bell for the other. I mean, in 2012, there will only be four shows to cover - and dropping... For both groups, their days as printed soap publications are numbered.

[sonjamarie]

So when in 2012 is this going to happen at the end of the year?

[You're Soaking in it]

The article is speculative... there is no timeline for any magazine to shut down right now.

[Max]

I know that Sears has not been doing that well recently. Still, I'm very surprised to see it on the list. If Sears does close all stores, then many hundreds of shopping malls all across the country will be on death watch.

Instead of Sears, the retailer that I expected to be on the list was A&P. In the 1930's, A&P was the second largest corporation in the U.S. (Only General Motors was larger.) Forty years ago, it was still the dominant supermarket chain, with stores saturated all across the eastern half of America. Since then, however, A&P has exited region after region, to the point where the company now only operates in the NYC and Philly markets. (A&P most recently announced that it would exit the Baltimore market.) And late last year, the company entered Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection, in large part due to the disasterous consequences of its acquisition of Pathmark. (A&P took on too much debt in order to make the acquisition.)

[Juliajms]

Why? Do people really go to the mall for Sears? Seems like malls could just rent that space to a more popular retailer.

I'm surprised the soap magazines have lasted this long. I thought the internet would kill them.

[jcar03]

If Sears is bad enough that they put it on this list, than people obviously aren't going to the mall for Sears. I don't look around Sears much, we normally park at their entrance and walk through the store to the rest of the mall.

[JackPeyton]

Sears surprises me too because it is owned by KMart.

As for the malls, i do think it would hurt them. Malls are doing badly and closing a flagship store, in some cases the only one, has to hurt somewhat. I live in socal, and about 5 years ago one of our flagship mall stores closed and nothing has rented it out. It just sits there empty. really sad.