Romenesko Misc.
The issue, on newsstands and in the iTunes store today, features fifty Talk of the Town columns. (USA Network is the sole advertiser.) “It is the first-ever compilation available for download on the iPad and is priced at $5.99 on newsstands and $4.99 in the iTunes store,” says a release. New Yorker subscribers receive it on the iPad as part of their subscription.
Press release
The New Yorker to Release Talk of the Town Newsstand and iPad Special Issue
with USA Network as the Sole Advertiser
New York, May 23, 2011—The New Yorker is releasing a newsstand and iPad special issue of highlights from the past ten years of its beloved Talk of the Town column, with an introduction by the New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell and with USA Network as the sole advertiser.
The Talk of the Town, one of The New Yorker’s most famous features, is known for its celebration of the people who are making news, from Jay-Z to Rod Blagojevich to James Franco. The issue, on newsstands and in the iTunes store today, features fifty Talk of the Town columns; it is the first-ever compilation available for download on the iPad and is priced at $5.99 on newsstands and $4.99 in the iTunes store (New Yorker subscribers receive it on the iPad as part of their subscription). Newyorker.com will feature a Talk of the Town story each day the week of May 23rd, a video interview with Talk of the Town illustrator Tom Bachtell, and a podcast with Talk of the Town editor Susan Morrison and staff writers.
In the seventy-six-page print edition of the issue, USA is promoting their biggest summer lineup ever of original series, including returning favorites “Covert Affairs,” “White Collar,” “Royal Pains,” “In Plain Sight,” and “Burn Notice,” and the launches of two new shows, “Necessary Roughness” and “Suits.” The iPad edition will also feature these ads, along with web links in each ad and a video.
“The New Yorker is uniquely suited to bring a multi-platform opportunity around our Talk of the Town franchise to USA Network to highlight their blockbuster summer season,” said Lisa Hughes, vice-president and publisher of The New Yorker. “Our audience of avid entertainment enthusiasts will be thrilled to read about their favorite subjects from Talk of the Town and watch their favorite characters on USA all summer long.”
“The New Yorker is in a class all its own with a long heritage of bringing its readers unique profiles on some of the world’s most captivating figures. As a network that is built on characters, we cannot think of a better partner with whom to align our series and ‘Characters Welcome’ brand as we embark on our biggest summer to date,” said Alexandra Shapiro, USA’s senior vice-president, brand marketing & digital.
Talk of the Town subjects featured in the stand-alone issue include: Nigella Lawson, James Franco, Julian Schnabel, Paul McCartney, Madeleine Albright, Paul Giamatti, Dolly Parton, Prince, Christopher Hitchens, Julie Christie, Jay-Z, Rod Blagojevich, Yoko Ono, Barbara Walters, Colin Firth, Bill Murray, Neil Young, Christopher Walken, Carrie Fisher, Michael Caine, Al Goldstein, Art Garfunkel, Lauren Bush, Sean Avery, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Rufus Wainwright, Mavis Staples, Lady Gaga, Robert Goulet, Gayle King, Charles Saatchi, and Ellen Barkin.
