A blog post from Tosca Reno, owner of Robert Kennedy Publishing, alerted me that CANUSA Products, Inc. (formerly known as Canusa Publishing Group), their parent company, has just shut down after 40 years in operation. Their two most popular properties, Clean Eating and Oxygen magazines, are officially in limbo—Reno seems to imply she’s trying to find them another home, but that’s a wish, not a plan right now.
Officially, the reasons for the shutdown make perfect sense to me: She attributes the difficulties to the “sharp decline” of traditional publishing, and to uses’ adoption of tablet and electronic devices, as well as to the passing of founder Robert Kennedy last year.
The comments on her blog paint a slightly different picture, however—of Reno, a bodybuilder and fitness model, taking over for her late husband and putting herself on the magazine covers a few too many times; employing her children and family members; being overseas on an expensive vacation while employees were notified of the closing by anonymous men in suits; and of magazines that continued taking customers’ subscription money as late as the day before the announcement.
There were numerous replies to the post from both subscribers wanting to know if they’d get their money back, and employees claiming they were still owed salary for their work up until last Friday.
So, what’s the real story? Is it a sad (but predictable) tale of a storied media property that failed to adapt to a tablet-based readership and was dealt the final blow by the death of its beloved founder? Or is it the story of an ego-fueled new director who prioritized her own interests and failed to steer the ship into a safe harbor? It’s hard to say.
I do remember meeting Bob Kennedy at a fitness conference a few years ago, and I remember him as a friendly, kindly-seeming man who was passionate about the brand he built. Whatever the reasons for the loss of it, I think he would have been devastated to see it come to pass.
I just bought a full 3years subscription to the clean eating mag what happens to that money I never received a notification on this bankruptcy and I feel my money should be returned or I should get some other magazine in its place
I had two subscriptions…one as a gift. Now I feel awful that they only got one magazine. Where is my money back?
Just bought my subscription beginning of June and received on magazine…I would like my money back!!!
I bought a year subscription to Clean Eating magazine..and I did know about this bankruptcy either. I received 3 magazines and it stopped all of a sudden. I would like my money back.
I’m going to file a complaint with the attorney general to see if that does any good. I have active subscriptions to CE & Oxygen and needless to say, I havent gotten mine either in a while. Customer service at its worse!!!
I bought a subscription for myself and for a gift. I received the June edition and then nothing… Furious! I want my money back!!!
I paid for the years subscription of clean eating and only received 2 copies, I have had no notification as to why I hadn’t received any more or whether I will receive any of my money back. I am only pleased I had the Australian version of Oxygen instead of the US one. Totally agree with all the above comments!!
I would like to hear if anyone has gotten their $ back. I have been a subscriber to both for years, and I just renewed for 3 years!!! I finally noticed they were not coming in. WTH?!
I just found out that a new publisher has taken over oxygen and clean eating. They are say our subscriptions will resume with the November issue and we will be carried out in full.
I not only had a subscription to the magazine, but I also had a subscription online. To add insult to injury, I also have purchased all of these special editions of the magazine everything that they offered. And I did not receive my magazines and the ones online half of them vanished when I I found out that they filed for bankruptcy. And yes, I was not notified either. For such a wonderful publication to be abused by the wife of late Kennedy it seems to send. Too many people appreciated the publication, and she needs to be brought to justice for taking advantage of all the employees and all the good people who supported her by purchasing subscriptions online and through the mail. We all want our money, and we would love to see clean eating start publishing again under someone else’s publication and away from her.
Back in September of 2013 I noticed I hadn’t received an issue or two but thought it was because the magazines weren’t being forwarded to my new address after I moved. I contacted customer service, who mentioned that they were “in transition” but I would receive all magazines I was owed. So far, I’m receiving my issues. Hope everyone else is getting all of the magazines they ordered!
First of all, don’t put the blame on his wife. Don’t use her as a scape goat. Mr. Kennedy was the decision maker. He was the one that did not adapt to change. If the business was in solid financial health it would not have gone down as quickly as it did.