Annenberg's Idea.

In 1952 Walter Annenberg, the president of Triangle Publications, the publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily Racing Form, had a brainstorm. Astounded by the success of the TV Digest, a Philadelphia area publication featuring television listings — circulation exceeded 180,000 — Annenberg's idea was to launch a national publication that promised local television listings while offering national editorial and advertising scope.

Local Magazines.

Inquiring whether other such magazines existed across the country, he was told that TV Guide in New York had circulation exceeding 400,000 and that TV Forecast in Chicago reached 100,000 readers. So Annenberg bought them at a cost of several million dollars. TV Digest, TV Guide, and TV Forecast became the first three local bureaus of TV Guide. More bureaus were signed up by franchising the national section of TV Guide to local magazines in Boston; Davenport, Iowa; Minneapolis; and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania...