F+W Media Acquires Sky & Telescope

For only the second time in its 73-year history, ownership of Sky & Telescope has changed hands. On Friday, January 17th, F+W Media, Inc. acquired New Track Media, LLC, the parent company of Sky & Telescope magazine.

“We’re excited about this transition,” says S&T Editor in Chief Robert Naeye. “F+W Media publishes dozens of hobbyist and enthusiast magazines. With its many years of experience in print publishing, emedia, and ecommerce, this will be a natural fit for Sky & Telescope and our global community of amateur astronomers.”

“I am proud and excited to welcome Sky & Telescope to F+W Media,” says F+W Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Nussbaum. “Our mission closely aligns with the vision and values of Sky & Telescope. At F+W, we focus on our communities and the passionate consumers we serve daily. Our company’s products and services guide enthusiasts with relevant, helpful information and connects them to the products and services they need in order to achieve success, profit from their passion, or find inspiration. Sky & Telescope fulfills that mission capably already, and we look forward to facilitating its growth even further.”

With offices in Cincinnati, Ohio; Loveland, Colorado; New York City; and now Cambridge, Massachusetts (among other cities where the company has offices); F+W Media is the world’s leading enthusiast media company. It produces and markets products and services for enthusiasts that include books, ebooks, magazines, events, competitions, ecommerce, education, video, and more. Magazines include Popular Woodworking, The Artist’s Magazine, Watercolor Artist, and Pastel Journal.

Sky & Telescope was founded in November 1941 with the merger of two magazines: The Sky and The Telescope. S&T expanded its reach over the years to become a leading producer of astronomical books, single-issue publications, sky atlases, planet globes, and many other products that serve the amateur astronomy community. Its website, SkyandTelescope.com, is one of the most popular astronomy destinations on the internet.

Until 2006, S&T was produced by a privately held company known as Sky Publishing Corporation. In February 2006, New Track Media acquired Sky Publishing as its first title. Over the next several years New Track expanded its holdings to include 13 magazines, 45 special-interest publications, and numerous other businesses. Under New Track, S&T developed products such as its SkyWeek and SkyWeek Plus apps for mobile devices, and SkyWeek television interstitials for the Public Broadcasting System.

“We don’t envision any major changes in S&T’s editorial direction under F+W Media,” says Naeye. “The magazine, website, and other products will continue to serve the amateur astronomical community with the high level of accuracy, authority, and integrity that readers have come to expect. With our new management, we will grow our community using all the new tools made available by modern technology. We can’t wait to get started!”