[NJARC] Update on Popular Communications, CQ and WRO

[TrainBee at aol.com]

As mentioned at the recent NJARC and DVHRC meetings, here is what is going  
on with these publications...
 
Popular Communications to be merged into  

KI6SN to  be Editor of New Digital Supplement Starting with CQ’s February 
issue, content  from Popular Communications, as well asCQ VHFand  WRO, will 
be merged into a new expanded digital edition of CQ,  which we’re calling CQ 
Plus. “The hobby radio market is changing,” explained CQ  Communications 
President and Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, “and we are changing  what we do and 
how we do it in order to continue providing leadership to all  segments of 
the radio hobby.” CQ Communications is currently the only publisher  in the 
United States serving the broad radio hobby, from broadcast-band DXing to  
amateur radio moonbounce and satellite communications, and we will continue 
to  do so through our enhanced digital edition of CQ. Effective with the 
February 2014 issue of  CQ, said Ross, content from the magazine’s three sister 
publications,  Popular Communications, CQ VHF, and WorldRadio Online, will 
be  incorporated into CQ’s digital edition as a supplement to be called  “CQ 
Plus.” With this change, hobby radio enthusiasts of all types will  be able 
to go to a single source — CQ — for articles on the broader aspects of  
hobby radio, from shortwave listening and scanner monitoring to personal 
two-way  services and Internet radio, as well as amateur radio. Richard Fisher, 
KI6SN,  currently Editor of both WorldRadio Online and Popular  
Communications, will be Editor of CQ Plus. 
 
(http://www.popular-communications.com/pc_highlights/2014_pc/2014_01_pc/2013_PopComm_Merger.pdf) 

“Our primary  audience is ham radio operators,” explained Ross, “but very 
few hams began their  radio involvement as amateurs. Most of us started out 
as shortwave listeners,  broadcast-band DXers, CBers, or scanning 
enthusiasts. Many continue to be  involved in many different aspects of the radio 
hobby in addition to amateur  radio. “By consolidating four  specialized 
publications into one,” Ross continued, “we will be better able to  keep these 
multidimensional readers informed on all aspects of the radio hobby  while 
simultaneously exposing those who are not hams to all the excitement and  
opportunities that amateur radio has to offer. We see this as a win-win for all  
of our readers and our advertisers, who will now be able to reach a wider and 
 more diverse audience.” The expanded  material will be an integral part of 
the digital edition of CQ, and  will be included as part of a standard 
digital subscription. Each month’s  digital edition will simply continue beyond 
where the print edition ends,  offering supplemental material on all aspects 
of hobby radio communication and  will include selected columns carried 
over from the other magazines.  Follow this link for a preview of the complete 
table of contents for  February’s CQ and CQ Plus:  <http://bit.ly/19mzbOK>. 
What’s Happening With My  Subscription? Current  subscriptions to WorldRadio 
Online, Popular Communications, and CQ  VHF have been converted to CQ 
subscriptions — and will include CQ  Plus at no additional charge! Subscribers to 
WorldRadio Online and the  digital editions of Pop’Comm and CQ  VHF will 
receive the digital edition of CQ (including CQ  Plus) for the remaining 
number of issues in their subscription terms.  [Print subscribers to Pop’Comm and 
CQ VHF will receive both the  print and digital editions of CQ (including 
CQ Plus) for the  remaining number of issues in their subscription terms.] 
While we understand that not everyone will be happy  with these changes, they 
are the best that we are able to do in a difficult  economy to continue 
providing the coverage of the broad radio hobby that our  readers have come to 
expect and look forward to. Again, a preview of the  February issue’s Table 
of Contents for CQ and CQ Plus is  available right now on the CQ website at  
<http://bit.ly/19mzbOK>.