Author Topic: Blechman puts on offer for Flex Magazine??? (Read 21328 times)

bigdumbbell · « **Reply #50 on:** June 15, 2006, 08:34:38 AM »

Quote from: Tre on June 15, 2006, 08:03:56 AM

Not so fast.

As I see it, PDI is still a good value right now - low cost, tremendous potential. That stock is going to hold steady until their first event, however.

I agree, however, that the AMI people have no real interest in spending much to make the Olympia better this year than in 2004 & 2005. It'll be hard for them to do any worse, but I'm keeping my expectations low.

wise

onlyme · « **Reply #51 on:** June 15, 2006, 12:39:41 PM »

Quote from: Tre on June 15, 2006, 08:03:56 AM

Not so fast.

As I see it, PDI is still a good value right now - low cost, tremendous potential. That stock is going to hold steady until their first event, however.

I agree, however, that the AMI people have no real interest in spending much to make the Olympia better this year than in 2004 & 2005. It'll be hard for them to do any worse, but I'm keeping my expectations low.

You can bet on that. No way will this Olympia have anything special or different (in a good way) tolast years or even since they took over. Now it is evident they want OUT of the BB world and no way will they do anything to waste a bunch of money on the Olympia. As dumb as VYOtech is with the money they have from Hydroderm, I wouldn't be surprised if they buy the Olympia and take over that debt.

240 is Back · « **Reply #52 on:** June 15, 2006, 12:45:41 PM »

Quote of the year this Sept 30th...

Ben Weider: "Ladies and Gentlemen, we'd like to welcome you to the BEST MR OLYMPIA EVER!"

jwb · « **Reply #53 on:** June 15, 2006, 01:23:17 PM »

One question is this...

Doesn't FLEX/M&F/M&F hers share their writers, photographers and even the same building as SHAPE and Mens Fitness?

What happens when they all get sold off seperately?

Can you smell clean out?

bigdumbbell · « **Reply #54 on:** June 15, 2006, 01:36:07 PM »

shape/mens fitness remain FLEX, M&F and Country life gotta leave the bldg.

snarky · « **Reply #55 on:** June 15, 2006, 03:21:35 PM »

Quote from: bigdumbbell on June 15, 2006, 01:36:07 PM

shape/mens fitness remain FLEX, M&F and Country life gotta leave the bldg.

Shape and Men's Fitness were dismantled and moved to NYC a year ago. Country Life, Mira, and the other Weider books all function independently from the rest of the company. They've never had much influence from AMI, which is why they're still viable titles worth selling.

Ron · « **Reply #56 on:** June 15, 2006, 03:28:55 PM »

Well – here are the facts on this.

Steve Blechman is seriously pursuing Flex Magazine at this time. If AMI is serious, the negotiations will be underway, and it should get interesting. If that does happen, everyone signs a confidential agreement, and that is that. As for Muscle & Fitness, that is an option for Steve Blechman, but Flex Magazine is what is the prime interest at the moment.

Regarding the incident with Lift Studios, aka Isaac. There is absolutely no bad feeling, and Steve has nothing negative about him whatsoever. This is was incident that was out of character of Steve Blechman. Lift Studios was in the chair in front of the photographer, I think Flex, and various photographers have tendency to shoot with their right hand up top of the camera, this their elbow is blocking shots from photographers behind them. Flex and/or Steve asked Isaac to lower his elbow, which Isaac didn’t hear (it is noisy in there), and then Steve got a little upset as various bodybuilders you need to have those special shots. Eventually, Isaac moved over. Things happen. It is done with. At the upcoming Europa Super Show, Steve will be there, and will say hello to Isaac via Ron. We will meet and discuss current and future events. All is well.

Regarding the industry, and MD and Steve, they will report on all of the bodybuilding shows, although no firm decision has been made on various events. Regarding the PDI and the NOC, it looks like it will be an important event in the history of bodybuilding, but we shall see. MD is the media and is independent. However, the IFBB is the best organization in the world in regards to bodybuilding with the best athletes in the world. Nothing comes close. He wishes everyone well, and hope that they do a great job with this years Olympia, and want to see a great show! Also wishes to say that Robin Chang is doing a great job in getting this years Olympia's together!

Pazuzu · « **Reply #57 on:** June 15, 2006, 04:08:57 PM »

Hmm - maybe I will be writing for Flex soon! (Ron Harris here)

240 is Back · « **Reply #58 on:** June 15, 2006, 04:10:25 PM »

Quote from: Pazuzu on June 15, 2006, 04:08:57 PM

Hmm - maybe I will be writing for Flex soon! (Ron Harris here)

It would be a glorious literary mountain if you did.

Pazuzu · « **Reply #59 on:** June 15, 2006, 04:15:34 PM »

I've never had anything against Flex mag - I've been reading it since later 1987, for God's sakes. I did have a problem with the whole 'burying your head in the sand' policy when it came to discussing steroids.

You can argue that MD has too much steroid info and discussion, but what's worse. ignoring it, or giving the facts so that at least people who are going to use them anyway can be a little smarter and safer about it?

getfast81 · « **Reply #60 on:** June 15, 2006, 04:22:42 PM »

Blechman buys Flex? How exactly would that operate? No more Weider/AMI in charge? What the hell would happen? MD can stop with the 400 pages (260 of ads) and Coleman, Cutler, and so on would appear in MD/Flex. Odd to say the least.

Pazuzu · « **Reply #61 on:** June 15, 2006, 04:31:25 PM »

People complain about all the ads, but those are what really pay the bills, not newsstand sales or subscriptions.

Manninen dude · « **Reply #62 on:** June 15, 2006, 06:00:49 PM »

Quote from: Lift Studios on June 14, 2006, 07:47:57 PM

Ha Ha.

Mr. Blechman eloquently informed me at the New York Pro, if I didn't put my "fucking arm down" he would "rip it off and beat me with it". Why? Because while in the pit photographing, FLEX Wheeler was behind me in the first row of seats photographing and my elbow was getting in his shots. Instead of asking me to move to the right or left Steve pulled a tough guy act.

I have a hard time swallowing your claims. By the way, why the hell your elbow was getting in our shots anyway? Fortunately, I was not the one taking care of it because I would have simply rip your arm off and even spank your fat ass with it.

Of course, I´m just kidding but the bottom line is that such a statement (if true) is more like a joke than anything..

sarcasm · « **Reply #63 on:** June 15, 2006, 06:10:01 PM »

up until around 2004 i used to love reading MD it was good every month but lately they've been putting too much goofy lifestyle bullshit in there, i love Ron's training articles i wish they'd have more of those, Ron is a good writer.

Manninen dude · « **Reply #64 on:** June 15, 2006, 06:21:46 PM »

Quote from: Matt C on June 15, 2006, 06:08:13 PM

That much is true.

I do wonder who MD is trying to appeal to. I would consider my reading comprehension to be at the intelligent graduate student level and a lot of times I find myself reading over things a few times for clarification. Meanwhile, in your articles you seem to make it clear that a lot of meatheads read MD.

They must just skip over the more scientific material in the magazine.

I agree that sometimes our articles are rather technical but we try to make them as reader friendly as possible.

Pazuzu · « **Reply #65 on:** June 16, 2006, 04:56:54 AM »

Matt C, I think MD tries to appeal to a very wide range of readers, from beginners to advanced, and also various levels of education. Some of the stuff is incredibly technical and reads almost like a medical journal, while you also have the pro columns, my articles, and of course Gregg V, who writes in a style that the average American teenager would have no trouble comprehending.

I was surprised talking to Steve and my editor Jill that "Training Q and A" is consistently one of the highest-rated monthly columns - it's usually pretty advanced and littered with scientific jargon.

Oh, and thanks Sarcasm, I do appreciate that.

Crusher · « **Reply #66 on:** June 16, 2006, 09:18:55 AM »

Assuming AMI will split up the portfolio and sell off the titles individually, should Bleckman buy Flex? Or, would it be better for the titles that are left to let Flex die? The ad revenue currently spent on Flex could be disbursed to the other titles, prize money could increase, what else?

Is there a buyer out there for Flex other than MD?

If MD owns Flex (They already do

) how would Bleckman position it? He would obviously improve it. How?

Please discuss.....

onlyme · « **Reply #67 on:** June 16, 2006, 01:51:40 PM »

It will beinteresting to seehow this affects the Olympia this year. With AMI selling you know they are going to put as little as possible into the show. If they don't sell it, it will more than likely go back to the IFBB in default since AMI is still making payments for it. No way would thye want to spend more than neccessary since they are trying to get out of this business. Going to be very interesting how the show is this year.

Lift Studios · « **Reply #68 on:** June 16, 2006, 01:56:18 PM »

Quote from: onlyme on June 16, 2006, 01:51:40 PM

It will beinteresting to seehow this affects the Olympia this year. With AMI selling you know they are going to put as little as possible into the show. If they don't sell it, it will more than likely go back to the IFBB in default since AMI is still making payments for it. No way would thye want to spend more than neccessary since they are trying to get out of this business. Going to be very interesting how the show is this year.

There will be no effect on this year's Olympia. The budgets have already been set and allocated. Now after this year, yes then things will be interesting.

timfogarty · « **Reply #69 on:** June 16, 2006, 01:59:25 PM »

Quote from: Pazuzu on June 15, 2006, 04:31:25 PM

People complain about all the ads, but those are what really pay the bills, not newsstand sales or subscriptions.

magazines use to be 80-120 pages long, with much less than half being ads. what changed to make it so much more expensive that they need so many more ads?

I think it's a vicious circle: more ads, people get tired of the ads, subscriptions drop, can't charge as much for the ads because you have fewer subscriptions, therefore more ads are needed to pay the bills.

timfogarty · « **Reply #70 on:** June 16, 2006, 02:24:19 PM »

Quote from: G o a t b o y on June 16, 2006, 02:19:55 PM

Greater capitalization (far more debt to service and equity to provide a normal return on). This happened when Uncle Joe sold them for $300 million plus.

that explains the Weider mags. what about MD, Ironman, and MMI?

snarky · « **Reply #71 on:** June 16, 2006, 03:03:08 PM »

Quote from: Crusher on June 16, 2006, 09:18:55 AM

Assuming AMI will split up the portfolio and sell off the titles individually, should Bleckman buy Flex? Or, would it be better for the titles that are left to let Flex die? The ad revenue currently spent on Flex could be disbursed to the other titles, prize money could increase, what else?

Is there a buyer out there for Flex other than MD?

If MD owns Flex (They already do ) how would Bleckman position it? He would obviously improve it. How?

Please discuss.....

That's really an awful lot of money for him (or anyone) to plunk down for Flex just put it out of business. That would be basically admitting that Flex is (gasp!) a threat to MD.

Just a thought.

snarky · « **Reply #72 on:** June 16, 2006, 03:05:00 PM »

Quote from: G o a t b o y on June 16, 2006, 02:27:03 PM

How have costs risen in relation to ad prices and subscription prices in say the past ten years? If there isn't an inbalance there, then I'd have to guess the answer is greed or mismanagement or both.

Paper costs, postal costs, printing costs... Just like anything else, the cost of doing business gets more (not less) expensive every year.

bigdumbbell · « **Reply #73 on:** June 16, 2006, 03:13:23 PM »

the success of sites like getbig.com were unimaginable a few years ago. making flex and M&F irrelevant. flex.com maybe they can do something with

timfogarty · « **Reply #74 on:** June 16, 2006, 03:49:50 PM »

Quote from: G o a t b o y on June 16, 2006, 03:08:10 PM

Of course the nominal prices have gone up, it's called inflation.... what I asked was whether or not these prices have gone up in relation to the prices of ads and subscriptions?

people in this industry like to complain on how hard it is to make a profit at anything. You can't put on a show without a big expo. You can't put out a mag without 300 pages of ads.

yet lots of others put on shows (plays, concerts, even one night only events) and are able to make a profit. And lots of others are able to put out magazines (anything from Time to Cooks Illustrated) without hundreds of pages of ads.

this industry needs new blood.