Hearst’s road to Oz

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the heart surgeon known as America’s Doctor, is said to be negotiating with Hearst about an eponymously named magazine that would launch in the second half of the year. No contract has been finalized, but one source said it was ”about 90 percent there.” Such a title from the good doctor could serve as newsstand sales Viagra for Hearst Magazines and the rest of the industry, which have struggled with flaccid individual sales. For the most recent Nielsen ratings for the week ended Jan. 13, Dr. Oz was the No. 3 afternoon talker with 3.4 million viewers — behind only Dr. Phil McGraw, with 4.2 million, and Ellen DeGeneres, with 3.7 million, who is not a doctor but once played one on TV. Getty Images Dr. Mehmet Oz REUTERS Chris Hughes Oz is a consistently strong newsstand draw whenever he appears on magazine covers — which seem to come at the rate of at least one major cover per month. His most recent cover appearance was the January issue of O, the Oprah Magazine. O, that once red-hot title, is a joint venture between former talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and Hearst. At its launch 13 years ago, O had one of the fastest starts and roads to profitability of any magazine in Hearst’s history. For many years it remained the company’s No. 1 moneymaker after Cosmopolitan — although it was passed by a resurgent Elle in 2012. That was a year after Oprah abandoned her top-rated syndicated show for her own cable channel, OWN. Despite Oprah’s slump, Hearst still seems to be master of the joint venture. In recent years, HGTV and the Food Network Magazine, both in partnership with Scripps, have turned into instant newsstand hits. Hearst apparently had some competition for an Oz joint venture. The 52-year-old Columbia University professor also apparently toyed with the idea of a joint venture with Time Inc. Time Inc. dangled an offer to rechristen its struggling Health magazine as Dr. Oz’s Health, sources said. Oz has a close relationship with the company as a contributor to Time magazine — but so far Hearst seems to have the inside track. Hearst President David Carey has said that he hoped to unveil a new joint venture in the second half of 2013 — but at the time declined to name the partner. Neither side is ready to confirm a deal — or that they are talking. An Oz spokesman said, “Magazines always report sales go up when they work with Dr. Oz. We’ll never rule anything out, but we don’t have a deal with anyone.” Said Carey: “We don’t comment on our development activities.” Digi doin’s Condé Nast publishers and top executives gathered at their annual publishers meeting at the Fours Seasons Resort in Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday and Tuesday and got their first peek at the company’s