Radar (magazine)
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Radar is an American online and print publication that features an eclectic, irreverent mix of articles on entertainment, fashion, politics, and general human interest. Despite a gloomy publishing climate, the high-profile, independently published title has been relaunched twice (most recently in September, 2006), financed by a number of high-profile backers. Its founder and editor-in-chief is Maer Roshan, a well-known editor and writer who held top spots at Interview, New York and Talk, among other publications.
Backed by a group of leading writers, editors and photographers, Roshan published two critically acclaimed "test issues" of Radar in 2003, with funds he raised from friends and family. The magazine's first issues spurred a frenzy of media attention, and won support from major advertisers including Prada, Target, AOL, HBO and the Gap. Buoyed by the success of these test issues, Roshan spent a year searching for more permanent backing. New York Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman agreed to back the title in 2005, along with Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire financier.
Radar's first print issue under Zuckerman and Epstein was published in May 2005, and rapidly sold out in many cities across the nation. According to Roshan, the magazine was "targeted to upwardly mobile, educated women and men aged 25-39." Like its readers, Radar was "smart but accessible, stylish but not superficial and equally at home with high and low culture." The magazine also produced a popular daily website, radaronline.com, which featured breaking news and insider gossip, interviews with leading political and entertainment figures, and provocative columns on media, sex, pop culture, and politics.
In its 2005 incarnation, the magazine published several high-profile stories, including an intimate report on the daily lives of soldiers in Iraq, a behind-the-scenes account of Walt Disney World's costumed characters, and an exposé of "TV's dumbest, vainest, meanest anchors." The second issue contained a scathing article on Tom Cruise and his involvement with the Church of Scientology that made headlines around the world. The cover of the magazine depicted Cruise as St. Sebastian, pierced with arrows. This was an homage to the famous April 1968 Esquire Magazine cover showing Muhammad Ali in the same pose. George Lois, the legendary ad-man who designed the Esquire cover, came out of retirement to design Radar's homage.
According to a press release issued by Zuckerman's U.S. News," the magazine's May 2005 debut issue sold out more rapidly than any other major launch in the previous five years. But despite its apparent success, Radar folded after publishing just three issues in November, 2005. Its February issue, reportedly just a day away from completion, was never published. Though Zuckerman had earlier suggested to the New York Times that he was committed to funding the magazine for seven years, he blamed "lack of advertising traction" for his decision to shutter the title. But some published reports suggested that the shut-down was related to the Cruise article and other stories that ruffled Zuckerman's powerful friends. Shortly after the surprise desicion to curtail Radar's operations, Roshan said that he was in talks with new investors in the hope that his magazine could continue publishing. Six months later he announced that he had found new backing.
[edit] Second revival
Radar was back in the news in June 2006, when editor Maer Roshan announced that he had secured enough long-term financing to re-launch the magazine for a second time. The multi-media venture is now being backed by a group of leading investors led by Yusef Jackson, the son of Jesse Jackson. In June 2006, Jackson told the Chicago Tribune that he and his partners had raised enough capital to keep the project afloat until 2011. The magazine's first print issue was published in February, 2007. The magazine's publisher, Anne Perton, claims that it has retained 80,000 subscribers from previous iterations.
The Radar website, Radaronline.com, which publishes original and daily news, gossip, features, Q&As and humor pieces, was re-launched in September 2006. According to a press release, the website now draws millions of visitors a month; Quantcast.com's estimate is 93,000 unique vistors a month [1] The relaunch issue of Radar, dated March/April 2007, will be on newsstands on February 14, 2007.
