Catalog and Publication Outlook -- Proceed with Caution

A Host of Challenges

In general, the economy, raw materials and digital migration have all combined to significantly affect the magazine market, explains Rick Marcoux, president of RR Donnelley’s Magazine and Commercial Services. In 2008, pressures continued from bankruptcies, title closures, declining advertising, and newsstand and subscription revenues. At the same time, consolidation of titles and publishers continued, both from other publishers and private equity, as access to debt and/or equity funding has become more difficult.