AdweekMedia's Magazine Hot List Only Lukewarm This Year

You know things are bad in the magazine business when six out of 10 titles on AdweekMedia's so-called annual "Hot List" of the top magazines post ad revenue declines, and two post circulation declines. (By comparison, no magazine on last year's list dropped in any category, though a few posted flat circulation.)

In fact, a hot list full of cooling-off titles is so unusual I felt compelled to ask Mediaweek senior editor Lucia Moses, who led the Hot List project, about how the magazine determined who was "hot," or at least tepid, in a year in which the vast majority of magazines are losing money. "It's not just about the numbers," she said. "Otherwise, this would be a very easy list to do." Rather, she centered on questions like "Who is really relevant in their category when there is less money to go around?" Here's the list:

1. The Economist. Ad Revenue: $131.5m, +25.5%; Ad Pages: 2,468, +4.4%; Circulation: 786,977, +9.2%. (The magazine was no. 1 last year as well.)
2. Elle. Ad Revenue: $325.5m, +11.2%; Ad Pages: 2,624, +5%; Circulation: 1,124,674, +6.6%.
3. People. Ad Revenue: $889m, -8.2%; Ad Pages: 3,422, -12%; Circulation: 3,691,819, +2%.
4. Women's Health. Ad Revenue: $79.3m, +60.7%; Ad Pages: 724, +12.2%; Circulation: 1,196,898, +31.8%.
5. Everyday with Rachael Ray. Ad Revenue: $97.5m, +24.5%; Ad Pages: 741, +3.3%; Circulation: 1,783,542, +7.1%.
6. Real Simple. Ad Revenue: $262.1m, -14%; Ad Pages: 1,702, -18.6%; Circulation: 1,980,061, -0.3%.
7. Men's Health. Ad Revenue: $166.8m, -6.3%; Ad Pages: 1,041, -11.5%; Circulation: 1,859,701, +3%.
8. Family Circle. Ad Revenue: $375.5m, -7.6%; Ad Pages: 1,560, -13.7%; Circulation: 3,914,927, -2.4%.
9. Vogue. Ad Revenue: $395.7m, -5.6%; Ad Pages: 2,890, -9.7%; Circulation: 1,293,078, +1.5%.
10. New York. Ad Revenue: $219.2m, -3.7%; Ad Pages: 3,134, -6.3%; Circulation: 431,626, +0.6%.