In the midst of what some are calling the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression not to mention a decadelong slump in print advertising a Santa Monica investment adviser has launched a glossy magazine targeting L.A.’s affluent Westside singles.
“Singular” is designed to reach “happily unmarried” 30- to 55-year-olds who live within a 14-mile radius of the magazine’s Santa Monica headquarters and have annual incomes topping $100,000.
The premier issue, mailed to about 70,000 homes on the Westside this month, features such staples as articles on health and fashion but with an angle: how to be happy as a single person without pursuing a partner.
“There’s this notion out there that singles are promiscuous or are desperately seeking a partner. That couldn’t further from the truth,” said publisher David Wright, who’s a principal and the managing director of Santa Monica-based Sierra Investment Management Inc.
Wright, whose investment company boasts $520 million in assets, said he put up $1.5 million of his own money to get the publication and its accompanying Web site SingularCity.com up and running.
Wright’s endeavor has a three-pronged approach: the subscription and ad supported bi-monthly glossy magazine, an interactive social Web site and live events for magazine subscribers, such as dances, dinners and happy hour mixers. “The idea is to bring like-minded people together through the magazine, Web site and our local events,” he said.
Wright has zero experience in the world of publishing, but he has hired industry veterans such as Richard Blackledge, who is an associate publisher and has a background that includes several U.K. titles and the U.S.-based BioDiesel magazine.
The editor is Kim Calvert, a freelance journalist, Web site designer and USC Annenberg School of Journalism grad. The Web site manager is Linda Sherman, former chief executive of Club Med Japan.
Singular’s contributing writers, such as Caroline Ryder, style editor for entertainment trade publication Variety, are more likely to appeal to females, which appears to be part of the business strategy.
Right out of the starting gate Singular has been able to land local advertisers such as Pueblo Bonito and Beach Village at the Del, along with national accounts such as Jaguar and Saturn. Fashion boutiques Leona Edmiston and Adriano Goldschmied also bought space.
Wright said he expects to begin to break even on his investment by the fourth or fifth issues.
Late Fees
At a time when the cable TV industry is being deregulated, becoming an even bigger challenge to satellite TV services, DirecTV Group Inc. has become the target of a purported class action lawsuit.
The suit involves early termination fees being charged to its customers.
Minneapolis-based Sprenger, Lang, PLLC and Schneider, Wallace Cottrell Brayton Konecky LLP filed the lawsuit last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.
It alleges the El Segundo satellite TV provider failed to enter into legal contracts with customers allowing the fees. The suit also claims that even if customers signed an agreement, the fees constitute illegal punitive damages on customers.
“Our clients allege DirecTV deceives and traps its customers by not informing them of contract terms,” said Deanna Dailey, an attorney with Sprenger, Lang.
A DirecTV spokesman said that the company has not seen the lawsuit, and can’t comment on the specifics of the complaint. But it defended its early termination fees.
“In general, we carefully disclose to customers all relevant terms and conditions of their agreement with DirecTV, including the requirement that if they accept discounted or free equipment and an installation offer, they must remain a customer for a period of time” said spokesman Robert Mercer. “If they fail to keep that commitment, there is a cancellation fee. We believe our fees are fairly reasonable, related to the actual cost of hardware and installation.”
GameDay Mobile
Every Saturday, ESPN’s “GameDay” moves to what it considers the college football game of the week, setting up a stage outside the stadium and producing a two-hour show.
On Sept. 13 the program was based at the Los Angeles Coliseum where the No. 1 USC Trojans beat the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the biggest game so far this season.
The show, hosted by Chris Fowler with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, highlights the day’s top games, and since last year has featured live online chats with fans.
Now, “GameDay” is rolling out its latest innovation: a mobile platform that connects the show to young fans using Blackberrys and cell phones. The service started with alerts and text messaging, but may be expanding to include live and prerecorded video from the “GameDay” set in the form of brief video clips.
Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ESPN.
Staff reporter Brett Sporich can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 226.
