The story
History
Macfadden Publications
Physical Culture, Bernarr Macfadden's first magazine though the company Macfadden Publications (originally The Macfadden Company, Inc.), was based on Macfadden's interest in bodybuilding. The launch of True Story in 1919 made the company very successful. Other well-known magazines, such as Photoplay and True Detective, soon followed. Macfadden also launched the tabloid New York Evening Graphic. Bernarr Macfadden withdrew from his leadership roles with the company in 1941.
Macfadden-Bartell
In 1961, the Bartell Broadcasting Corporation bought a controlling share in Macfadden and merged with the company, forming Macfadden-Bartell. Bartell owned WADO New York, WOKY Milwaukee, and KCBQ San Diego. A share in Bartell was acquired by Downe Communications in 1967, with full control in 1969. Between 1969 and 1974 Downe was acquired by Charter Company. Bartell was fully acquired by Downe in 1976, and Downe was fully acquired by Charter in 1978.
Downe purchased the newspaper supplement Family Weekly in 1966, and the Ladies' Home Journal and The American Home from the Curtis Publishing Company in 1968.
Macfadden Group
Macfadden's women's magazines were spun off in 1975, and sold to the unit president, Peter J. Callahan. These magazines were:
True Story
Photoplay
TV-Radio Mirror
True Confessions
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Motion Picture
True Romance
True Experience
True Love
Us was purchased in 1980, and sold in 1986. In the mid-eighties, Macfadden bought the Ideal Publishing Company, which published Teen Beat and other fan magazines, from Filmways. MacFadden acquired a stake in what would become American Media in 1989 when it bought a stake in the National Enquirer.
Sterling/Macfadden
In 1991, the Macfadden consumer magazines were spun off and merged with Sterling's Magazines. Sterling's published fan magazines such as Tiger Beat, as well as the music magazine Metal Edge. The merger was finalized in October 1992. In 1998, the conglomerate's line of youth music publications was sold to Primedia (now Rent Group); the rest were bought by Dorchester Media in 2004.
Teen Magazines
Right On!
Teen Beat
16 Magazine
Tiger Beat
Teen
Macfadden Holdings
The trade magazines Chief Executive and Discount Merchandiser, as well as the company's stake in American Media, remained a separate company. American Media was sold in 1999 to the investment group Evercore Partners. The Macfadden trade titles were sold to VNU the same year.
Present day
The executives of Macfadden Business Communications started a new company using the Macfadden name. It is a publisher of business-to-business magazines.
No publications of Macfadden Communications Group have updated since early January, 2025.
Historical publications
Magazines
Sources:
Newspapers
New York Graphic (1924–1932)
Philadelphia Daily News (1925–1932)
Detroit Daily
Detroit Mirror (? – 1931)
Teck Publishing Corporation (1931–1938)
Amazing Stories
Radio News
Wild West Stories & Complete Novel Magazine
From Wikipedia’s article on Macfadden Communications Group, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3