Premiere's murky future

Premiere magazine is not for sale, according to its publisher Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., but Ad Age is hearing industry rumbles that the company has been looking for joint venture partners to help prop up the U.S. edition and bolster Premiere's international editions. There's also chatter about expanding the digital operations at Premiere and other Hachette publications. The NY Post reported yesterday that the struggling entertainment mag was on the block (and despite the denials it's unlikely that the folks at Hachette would turn down interested parties, if there were any). Ad pages plunged 24.7 percent last year, although paid circulation of 509,940 is up slightly in the latest reporting period.