"The city mags took a big hit in the last advertising recession," said Dowden. As a result, the magazines began to diversify and started advertiser-friendly real estate and interior design departments.
At the same time, the other editorial content fluffed up. Less politics, more fashion.
Today's city magazine reports on a transparent world of money and beautiful people. It's targeted at society's wealthiest citizens — the readers that high-end salons, furniture stores and Realtors salivate over.
Superficial though they may be, city and regional magazines are hot commodities these days. According to Samir Husni, a University of Mississippi journalism professor who tracks magazine launches, city and regional titles had the most launches of any U.S. magazine category in 2001. The trend continues. In June alone, 13 regional magazines launched.
"We are now more interested in our communities after Sept. 11 (of last year)," said Husni, explaining the current popularity. "The less I must leave my hometown, the better I am."
Since December 2001, three regional titles have joined Tampa Bay Magazine on Bay area newsstands: a new Tampa Bay Metro, Bay to Bay and Snow's Tampa Bay's Best. The winter will see a fourth, Tampa Bay Illustrated.
Asked about the new competition, Husni laughed. "There have been more magazines that have come and gone in Tampa than any other city in Florida," said Husni. "Tampa is the deathbed of new magazines."
Debts and More DebtsAfter Snow left Tampa Bay Magazine, Fodiman told the St. Petersburg Times that he hadn't been happy with the editorial focus of the publication.
"It had been building for a long time, but I guess it was a cover story he ordered on Belize that did it," Fodiman told the Times of Snow's termination. "I didn't see anything that related to the Bay area in Belize. He wanted us to be more regional. I didn't."
Not long after, Snow leased office space three doors down from Fodiman's and started a new magazine, Tampa Bay/The Tri-City Magazine. "That drove Aaron crazy," Snow said.
After Tampa Bay/The Tri-City Magazine's launch, Fodiman filed suit in 1989 against Snow's company. Snow's magazine, the lawsuit contended, had a title too similar to Tampa Bay Magazine and caused brand confusion. The lawsuit also alleged that Snow told advertisers that Fodiman was out of business, had financial problems, used the same subscription base as Snow, and did not publish as many copies of Tampa Bay Magazine as he claimed.
The lawsuit, which was later dismissed, reported Tampa Bay Magazine's gross revenue from 1986 to 1989 as $2.3-million.
During this period, Micromedia Affiliates, the New Jersey company Snow claims was initially interested in buying Tampa Bay Magazine, launched a third city magazine in the region, Tampa Bay Life — ironically, the name of the first regional magazine Snow launched here in August 1977.
After Fodiman filed suit against Snow, Micromedia Affiliates purchased Snow's Tampa Bay/The Tri-City Magazine and merged it with Tampa Bay Life. Micromedia paid Snow $50,000 to cover his future sales commissions and another $40,000 to sign a three-year non-compete agreement, Snow confirmed to the Planet.
In 1992, Tampa Bay Life fell victim to the local magazine curse. Micromedia folded the magazine. But before Tampa Bay Life closed its doors, Snow said, he launched Wedding & Party Planner Magazine, with Micromedia's blessing. The magazine is in its 11th year. In 1997, Snow started Tampa Bay's Best, a short-lived venture that Snow folded until he re-launched it last June.
Publishing is a tough racket. Most magazines fail. Considering Snow has been slicking pages since the late '70s, he could be called successful.
But then there are all the people and businesses that have sued the magazine publisher. Records in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties show Snow has a history of skipping hearings when customers or creditors go to court to recover money from him.
In 1986, Snow filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. The filing showed that Snow owed $437,262, including $23,000 to Fodiman.
But even after a bankruptcy judge discharged his debt, Snow continued to have financial trouble. Currently, he has seven court judgments against him totaling $77,272, including claims from a Largo dentist who bought $1,398 worth of advertising that never appeared in Tampa Bay's Best and WTVT-Ch. 13 for commercials promoting a Snow bridal fair for which he has yet to pay.
Snow didn't leave out the Internal Revenue Service. County records show that federal tax liens against him date back to the '80s, though many of those liens have since been discharged.
