Australian Sky and Telescope Troubles?

[Bisqueboy]

Anyone notice that Paragon Media (their Publishers) have gone and now Odyseus Publishing has taken over? And whats this..No Meade Advertising?What gives?

[h0ughy (David)]

Welcome to IIS Bisqueboy

no havent noticed that at all Bisqueboy, maybe you might contact the mag to findout if they have had some changes? Gee you read the fine print of the magazines. I never really paid it that much attention to it myself, too busy reading the articles, although sometimes it maybe good to use as a reference when your dreaming about a new scope. By the name you have I might suspect you have no meade gear and want some?

[Greg Bryant]

Originally Posted by Bisqueboy

Anyone notice that Paragon Media (their Publishers) have gone and now Odyseus Publishing has taken over??

Hello "Bisqueboy",

Paragon Media is still there. The Publisher set up Odysseus Publishing some time back to bring together various magazines and publishing companies under the one name.

It's the same people, same location, same phone number.

[Bisqueboy]

Looks like it was done far more recently.. So why no mention about it in the magazine? Just curious..ABN: 39 122 001 665 View ABN history Last modified: 17 Jul 2007 ABN status: Active from 01 Jul 2007 Entity name: Odysseus Publishing Pty Limited Entity type: Australian Private Company Main business location State: NSW Postcode: 2065 Trading name(s) Odysseus Publishing Other registrations GST status: Effective from 01 Jul 2007 Deductible Gift Recipient: Not entitled to receive tax deductible gifts ACN or ARBN: 122001665 Search ASIC

[erick (Eric)]

I can tell you that the phone was answered "Paragon media" two weeks ago! Bought some stuff book/calendar/DVD - great service and I'm happily reading/viewing now.

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by Bisqueboy

Looks like it was done far more recently.. So why no mention about it in the magazine? Just curious..ABN: 39 122 001 665 View ABN history Last modified: 17 Jul 2007 ABN status: Active from 01 Jul 2007 Entity name: Odysseus Publishing Pty Limited Entity type: Australian Private Company Main business location State: NSW Postcode: 2065 Trading name(s) Odysseus Publishing Other registrations GST status: Effective from 01 Jul 2007 Deductible Gift Recipient: Not entitled to receive tax deductible gifts ACN or ARBN: 122001665 Search ASIC

Mate your frightening!! I honestly paid my tax last year, and the second mortgage is in the wife name!!!!!!

Why on earth would you go to this extreme?? Do you have another agenda by posting this information, yes this information is available to the public but only after you do a search. Is there a screw loose in the Paramount ME? I notice that you do not provide any details in your profile as to who or what you do for a living, what your association is with astronomy or what gear you have, or would like? But to post this information and the manner at which it is something quite different. If not and you can explain yourself better please do, and introduce yourself in the running!

[erick (Eric)]

I wouldn't panic, Dave. He's only done an Australian Business Register search. No evidence of an ASIC search or a full Dun and Bradstreet search yet!

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by erick

I wouldn't panic, Dave. He's only done an Australian Business Register search. No evidence of an ASIC search or a full Dun and Bradstreet search yet!

Phew, you know that offshore lottery investment company in Nigeria would have been found if he had of done that.

[Greg Bryant]

Originally Posted by Bisqueboy

Looks like it was done far more recently.. So why no mention about it in the magazine? Just curious

The new name was set up last year (be sure to visit the ASIC website where one can find registered names).

As you've seen, the new name appears in several places in the Sep/Oct issue, which came out a fortnight ago. It's not a big news item, hence no big announcement.

Thank you for your interest in Australian Sky & Telescope magazine and the current Sep/Oct issue.

[skeltz (Rob)]

Did you have any time to read the magazine itself?????

[Rodstar (Rod)]

Bisqueboy, I suspect you are shadow-boxing. The AS&T crowd are very reliable, unlike some other astronomy publishers....

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

Well thats enough excitement for us for one day... perhaps this one belongs in Kens conspiracy thread

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

Originally Posted by Isdonisgood

Well thats enough excitement for us for one day... perhaps this one belongs in Kens conspiracy thread

Great Idea!

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by Isdonisgood

Well thats enough excitement for us for one day... perhaps this one belongs in Kens conspiracy thread

I don't care if Australian Sky & Telescope mag was published and printed in a Tin Shed on a dusty back road, 380k from Woop-Woop, as long as it comes out.

But then again, it could be a consipracy to control AS&T and have the exclusive publishing rights at the Moonbase, on Mars (660 million readers up there!!!) and Nibiru!

[Bisqueboy]

Greeting all.Having read the posts here in response to my legit question regarding a change in publisher in a major astro mag, I draw the following conclusions:A: You should supply a full Retinal Scan, Full Set of Fingerprints along with your personal itemised list of astro gear or you can expect to cop the flack for asking.B: Questions about 'Publisher Changes' will in most cases, give you posted responses about magazine publishing deadlines and locations of actual printing.C: Never research any responses given and post further information.D: Most people dont 'READ'.Nevertheless, thank you Greg for clearing the matter and helping us out here in this post.Bisqueboy. (Already has Meades)

[astroron (Ron)]

Does it matter who publishes the mag as long as it appears on the shelves and in your mail box.
What was the point of your post?, as you can see from the replies to your post, most people don't give a damn who ownes it!

[felix]

just a thought.. a change in publishers might mean a change in contents as different publishers may see different sections of the magazine more or less important.. of course that's just theoretical.. havn't read the magazine for a year so wouldn't have noted any changes

[GrahamL]

.. hope you have lots to share with this great comunity.

[AJames]

I first read this post with disbelief, then read with equal disbelief the reactionary scuttlebutt from the half humorous denials! (Sounds more like the battles of Fairfax versus Murdoch - or even Days of Our Lives!)
Frankly, I did until recently buy both the versions S&T, but now I buy neither S&T based magazine. It is neither because of the poor editorial content nor the general quality of the publication, but because it is/was the same old same old, with usual uninspired repose with minor variations on similar dull themes. Worst it is just getting thinner and thinner in the numbers of pages each issue - especially the American version. I did the same thing to Sky and Space after the cutting and changing occurred with the different editor each issue saga, which in recent times fell back into the even more uninspiring themes.
Changing publishers is probably only minor, but you can't avoid the worrying overtures being presently issued by the American version. In the article "S&T Unveils New Format and Design"
(See http://www.skyandtelescope.com/skyte...e/9309806.html), describe;

"The design changes you'll see, along with some adjustments to our monthly mix of articles, are intended to make the magazine more attractive, enjoyable, useful, and, frankly, relevant to 21st-century astronomy enthusiasts at all levels of interest and expertise."

and

"The changes are also intended to acknowledge that you seek astronomy information from a variety of sources, both print and electronic. Accordingly, when we say, "Sky & Telescope," we mean Sky & Telescope the magazine and SkyandTelescope.com the website."

For me the merging with the electronic media suggests that the focus will be less and less on the News Stories - the strength of the magazine and my own personal draw card to buy it. (I've substituted with pages like "Universe Today", the S&T Weekly Bulletin and a few other similar sources.) Once the News Stories was the first thing I read, but the electronic ones are just as good and just as informative - tagged to the source of the article.
After AS&T went bi-monthly, the News Stories became even more out of date - and I stopped buying this after very first bi-monthly issue.
Perhaps the best thing with the new American version of S&T coming this month is it focuses on details astronomical articles and explaining concepts and lines of research. I do hope this is more on the lines of Scientific American, because if it is, I'd even buy it "just for the articles."
Whilst the posts of Bisqueboy's comments might be mere skulduggery here - possibly in the usual commercial battlegrounds of cut-throat media empire - I do consider the question of how the Australian version might respond to the changes in the American version quite valid. Were the local version following the trend-lines of the changes, means that those with long subscriptions might find themselves in a new multi-year contract and not like what they receive in the revamp.
Another likely change will be in the page size - with the margins again decreasing. This probably doesn't matter, but S&T says they are doing it in cutting-costs. I hope they don't do this with the page quality!
As a final comment, these seemingly mindless wanderings here are fairly trivial, but I do think unless S&T versions keep with the times, they will disappear like a hyperbolic comet flung into the void between the stars - never to be seen again. Commercial reality means that adopting different styles content, new technologies or marketing strategies can be of great benefit to magazine production and sales. Simply it doesn't matter what name of the company is on the front of the office building that publishes the magazine, it only matters if the subscribers like what they see and are buying it.
In my case, I hope they can make it catch my attention again, else I'll be spending my money on other things.

As to Greg Bryant's slightly evasive and politically correct comment (and good luck to him);
"As you've seen, the new name appears in several places in the Sep/Oct issue, which came out a fortnight ago. It's not a big news item, hence no big announcement."

He is quite correct in this view, but I think the more serious questions among reader here and elsewhere in Australia is how are the current policies of S&T in the US going to pan out for the local version? If they were going to adopt a similar revamp - this would be more significant news item.

NOTE: Has anyone considered producing a local Australian and New Zealand News Bulletin Service on-line, where many selected editors from all walks of life mixed with professional astronomers all contributing into one page under different topics? This one-shop-stop would probably disseminate daily new head-lines of no more than several paragraphs, which would be refereed by another observer of the same circle of knowledge, and printed on the Web. In turn, once published, the information could have updates as they come to hand, followed by comments or open questions by the readership. If the professional and amateur astronomical community were to do this, then we could find out what is happening within both countries and give a local feel to all astronomical news and current events.

Nyx Aether

(Also very much anonymous - mainly to protect the guilty and bamboozle innocents.)

[monoxide]

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