The Deal switches publication schedule

Sean Callahan of B2B Magazine writes Tuesday that The Deal, which covers mergers and acquisitions, is changings its publication schedule from once a week to 24 years a year.

Callahan writes, “The timing of the changes raises questions. Is The Deal LLC making these moves now because of the horrible state of the financial services sector, which has seen the near collapse of Bear Stearns, difficulties at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and struggles in the stock markets? Or is the move simply what The Deal has to do, regardless of the current state of the sector it serves, to remain a media company focused on the future?

“Worth said the changes had been in the works long before the financial sector showed signs of strain. ‘We started thinking about this strategy 18 months ago, when it was about the strongest deal market that we had ever seen,’ he said.

“Currently, The Deal LLC generates 60% of its revenue from advertising (including print, events and online) and 40% from subscriptions. The goal is to flip that ratio by 2010, Worth said.”

Read more here.