Media buzzing as Radar fills void left by Brown title Talk

The buzz, which rivals the anticipation of the ill-fated Tina Brown title, has been the handiwork of Four Corners Communications. Drew Kerr, the agency's founder and president, offered two explanations for the New York media's obsession with the title. "As far as magazine launches go in this economy, it's a desert," he said. "Secondly, the magazine's pedigree of well-known editors is the kind of stuff that whips New York media writers and gossip columnists into a frenzy."

Radar is edited by Maer Roshan, formerly of Talk, a connection that has led media reporters to make comparisons. Part of Kerr's job has involved "managing media expectations," and making a distinction between Radar's editorial content and spending habits, and those of Talk.

"As far back as last summer, every time Maer Roshan changed his shoes, it would end up in somebody's column," he said. "The hype was building up, and the last thing anybody wanted was to see it get out of control. We all remember Talk magazine and its $40 million Statue of Liberty launch, which got them nothing but red ink."

Indeed, some stories about Radar have portrayed it as a kind of glossy on a budget, dwelling on how much it will pay writers and how thrifty the launch party was - it featured a cake baked by a staffer's wife.

This article was first published on PR Week USA

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