On November 18, 1997, the company changed its name to Primedia to more clearly focus on its core business.[16][17]
In 1998, the company acquired the Cowles Enthusiast Media and Cowles Business Media divisions of Cowles Media Company from McClatchy Newspapers for $200 million.[18] It sold Daily Racing Form to private investors, sold Stagebill to Fred B. Tarter, sold Newbridge Communications to Doubleday Direct,[19] and acquired Sterling/MacFadden's teen magazines and teen publisher Laufer Publishing.
In 1999, as the company's stock remained moribund,[20] it sold its education unit (Weekly Reader, The World Almanac) to Ripplewood Holdings, acquired Multimedia Publishing,[21] and sold Better Nutrition, Southwest Art, and Vegetarian Times to Sabot Publishing.[22][23]
In 2000, the company acquired About.com for $690 million.[24][25]
In January 2001, as part of a joint venture, Primedia handed over editorial control of its trade publications that reported on the media industry to Steven Brill.[26] Later that year, the company acquired EMAP's U.S. magazines[27] and closed Country Journal. In October 2001, Primedia dissolved its partnership with Brill.[28]
In 2002, the company sold Modern Bride to Condé Nast Publications,[29] sold Pro Football Weekly to Arkush family, sold Chicago to Tribune Company, and sold American Baby to Meredith Corporation.
In 2003, the company sold Volleyball, Teddy Bear and Friends and Doll Reader to Ashton International Media,[30] sold Seventeen to Hearst Corporation for $182.4 million,[31] sold New York to Bruce Wasserstein for $55 million,[32] sold Tiger Beat and Bop to Laufer Media, sold Kitplanes to Belvoir Publications,[33] and sold Simba Information to R.R. Bowker.[34]
In 2004, the company sold Folio and Circulation Management to a joint venture with Red 7 Media.[35]
In 2005, the company sold About.com to The New York Times Company for $410 million,[36] sold Prism Business Media (ex-Intertec) to private investors Wasserstein & Co. (later merged with Penton Media), and sold Ward's to Prism Business Media.[37]
In 2006, the company was publishing over 280 separate magazine titles.[38] That year, it sold history magazines to Weider History Group,[39] sold Crafts Group to Sandler Capital Management for $132 million,[40] and sold Outdoor Group to InterMedia Partners[41]
In 2007, the company sold a group of 17 outdoor-oriented magazines to InterMedia Outdoors for $170 million in cash, in a deal that included Guns & Ammo and Fly Fisherman. It also sold its Enthusiast Media division to Source Interlink, controlled by Ronald Burkle, in a deal that netted Primedia $1.15 billion in cash in exchange for a group of more than 70 magazines, including Motor Trend and Soap Opera Digest and 90 consumer websites. The deal left Primedia to focus on a series of free print and online consumer guides published by its Consumer Source unit.[42][43] It also sold Gems group to Interweave,[44] sold Climbing to Skram Media,[45] sold Films for the Humanities & Sciences to Infobase Publishing,[46] and sold Channel One News to Alloy Media and Marketing.
In 2008, the company sold South Florida Auto Guide and Wisconsin Auto Guide to Target Media Partners and closed Atlanta Auto Guide.
In 2009, the company closed Today's Custom Home.
