''Talk'' was an American

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

published from 1999 to 2002. The magazine gained notoriety for its celebrity profiles and interviews. The magazine was a joint venture of

Miramax Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a lea ...

's Talk Media and

Hearst Magazines Hearst Communications, Inc., often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, televis ...

. Hearst would manage circulation, manufacturing, newsstand distribution and subscription fulfillment. Talk Media was in charge of advertising sales, editorial content and marketing.

History and profile

Talk Media was founded in July 1998 by

Miramax Films Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a lead ...

Tina Brown Christina Hambley Brown, Lady Evans (born 21 November 1953), is an English journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host, and author of ''The Diana Chronicles'' (2007) a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, '' The Vanity Fair Diarie ...

and

Ron Galotti Ron Galotti is an American former magazine executive. He was a corporate Vice President at Condè Nast and the publisher of such Newhouse owned publications as '' Vogue'', '' GQ'' and '' Vanity Fair''. Galotti famously left Condè Nast to found ...

to publish books, the ''Talk'' magazine and to produce television programs. Talk Media formed a joint venture with

for the magazine only in February 1999. The first issue of ''Talk'' appeared in September 1999. The cover story of the debut issue was an interview with

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

, which took place shortly after the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, in which she explained that her husband

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

had a chronic need to please women. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' reported that at times, "''Talk'' seemed more interested in promoting such Miramax stars as

Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (; born ) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Paltrow gained notice for her early work in films ...

than in politics." The magazine never became a commercial success, and its publication was suspended after the final February 2002 issue.

Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...

estimated that Brown had "bombed through some $50 million in 2 1/2 years" on the failed venture. A $1 million contract settlement in 2002 ended Brown's involvement in Talk Media.

References

Celebrity magazines published in the United States Defunct magazines published in the United States Entertainment magazines published in the United States Hearst Communications publications Magazines established in 1999 Magazines disestablished in 2002 Miramax Former subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company 1999 establishments in the United States {{Entertainment-mag-stub