In a Friday letter to employees, Mike Perlis
said that Forbes Media has received "more than a few"
indications of interest from potential buyers.
"The frequency and serious nature of these overtures have
brought us to a decision point," Perlis said in his letter.
"We're organizing a process to test the waters regarding a sale
of Forbes Media."
As a result, the company has hired Deutsche Bank to represent it
and help it explore its options. Perlis said the company expects
"numerous suitors."
Like other magazine publishers, Forbes has dealt with the
continued consumer and advertiser shift away from print
publications.
But Perlis noted that this year is expected to be company's best
financial performance in the past six years, helped by growth in
digital revenue, along with licensing and conferences. He added
that over the past three years the number of unique visitors to
Forbes.com has grown to 26 million from 12 million.
Forbes Media, which is controlled by the Forbes family, includes
Forbes magazine, which has covered wealth and finance since
1917. It's known for its annual lists of global billionaires and
richest people in America.
[Associated
Press]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|