We reported last week that Niche Media president Binn foresaw a "2012 Obama presidency" in the Fall 2005 launch of Capitol File and--with less ESP--had Michelle Obama write an article in this fall's launch of Michigan Avenue. In between, Obama was interviewed by The New Yorker editor David Remnick at the October 2006 American Magazine Conference in the same Arizona Biltmore (Phoenix) where John McCain conceded defeat on Election Day...and Binn used it for the perfect photo-op.Obama combined the AMC appearance with a visit to Arizona State University in Tempe topromote his then-just-released The Audacity of Hope Ca(Random House). Who would have believed then that the huge crowds to greet him would be such a sign of things to come?

Courtesy of FGPR

Earlier this month, Niche Media (Gotham/L.A. Confidential, etc.) ceo Jason Binn announced the hire of national ad director Steve McEvoy. He was Elle publisher from 2003−2004....

As Group Publisher of Jason Binn's Group of Upscale, Regional Magazines: LORI BURGESS STILL FINDS A "NICHE" WITH CONDÉ NAST.

Her career has included two publisher stints at CN: (1) Mademoiselle (November 1999 through its cessation in October 2001) and (2) House & Garden (February 2003 through August 2004). That departure was well-reported (min, August 23, 2004), but Burgess landed nicely this February with Binn's Niche Media. Six properties (all controlled circulation targeted to the very wealthy) are flagshipped by the 18-times-a-year Hamptons (weekly "in season" and a year-end holiday issue), followed by Gotham (10 times)/ L.A. Confidential (bimonthly)/D.C.'s Capitol File (five times) and Boston Common (five times), with the newest being the twice-yearly Aspen Peak. "With 46 releases, I feel like I'm running a weekly," she says, "because all of the advertising is local. I am more hands-on than I have ever been in my career," which also included publisher of Seventeen (September 1996 through November 1999) and Elle (May 2002 through February 2003).Proof came in June, when CN marketers came to her to get their corporate campaign insert into Aspen Peak's already closed Summer issue (200-plus ad pages) that was ready to be distributed to local hotels. "They were desperate," Burgess says, "because, for one thing, they really wanted to reach Food & Wine's 'Best Chefs,' who meet each June in Aspen, and whom we deliver to. [Irony: American Express Publishing's F&W competes with CN's Bon Appetit/Gourmet.] Had I worked at a big publishing company with all the bureaucracy, I likely would have had to turn CN down, but here I simply called Jason and quickly worked things out. We hired student interns in Aspen to put the insert into the magazine and then to re-polybag them. Issues were distributed in plenty of time."

This Christmas: Burgess will be vacationing (and skiing) with her family in Aspen, where they own a home. She will also do some Aspen Peak business (including hosting holiday parties) on the side.