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The last issue of The Deal featured a cover story on David Pecker’s efforts to rebuild American Media Inc.’s stable of tabloids. Two AMI executives penned the following letter in response to the piece:
Sir: As longtime colleagues of David Pecker, we read with dismay your recent article, "Inquiring minds want to know" (July 24-Aug. 6, 2006) about the myriad challenges facing the celebrity magazine industry. Relying heavily on anonymous sources, the author paints a portrait of Pecker that is all but unrecognizable to those who've followed his 25-year publishing career. David's track record speaks for itself. He was the first to realize the threat posed by the consolidation of magazine wholesalers and accurately predicted the severe decline it caused in the newsstand market. He led the charge against the validity of the rate base and implemented strict circulation reporting rules six months before they were mandated by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. American Media Inc. was the first company to participate in the ABC's Rapid Reporting Program — a revolutionary advance that makes magazines more competitive with television. With all the demand by advertisers for transparency in circulation reporting today, it is AMI that is leading the way. David was the first to push for greater collaboration between editors and publishers. He created the first corporate advertising sales network, which has become a staple of every magazine publisher's organization. He made industry history by successfully transitioning Star, a newspaper tabloid, to a glossy magazine. On a personal note, we witnessed David when AMI became the first U.S. company to suffer an anthrax attack in 2001 and saw the courage he showed in saving the company and the compassion he displayed for all its employees. One does not successfully complete $3 billion in magazine transactions, as David has done, without being a visionary in all aspects of publishing. The author sums up David's career by citing an unnamed "magazine veteran" who says "Let's face it, he's a CPA." To use a ridiculous quote from an unnamed "magazine veteran" that reduces a man's entire career to three letters — CPA — is an example of irresponsible reporting. (Incidentally, David is NOT a CPA.) John J. Miller President and chief operating officer, AMI Kevin Hyson Executive vice president and chief marketing officer, AMI
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