End for Business 2.0 could be near

Brad Stone of The New York Times writes for Tuesday’s paper that technology magazine Business 2.0 could publish its last issue in September because of low ad sales.

Editor Josh Quittner has been trying to save the magazine, including seeking venture capital to buy the glossy from parent Time Inc., Stone wrote.

Stone wrote, “Aside from the overall downturn in the magazine business, current and former Time Inc. employees point to what appears to have been an ill-advised move this year to combine the advertising sales teams of Time Inc.’s finance and business publications, which include Fortune, Money, CNNMoney.com, Fortune Small Business and Business 2.0.

“Consolidated under a single banner, Time Inc.’s Business and Finance Network (or Tibfin, as it is known inside the company), Time sales representatives stopped pitching the distinct appeal and audience of Business 2.0 to focus on the larger titles like Fortune.

“That often turned Business 2.0 into an afterthought; big advertisers like Microsoft and Intel were offered discounts on other Time Inc. business titles if they would also buy pages in Business 2.0.”

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