It depends on how you look at it. Because if it is sold, but sold to someone that already owns part of that, do you still consider that sold?
Here’s what I mean- The latest rumor is that Darren Roberts has bought out Paul Fishbein & Franks.
Darren is going to take AVN world wide and has already secured some of the foreign markets. But it’s not AVN magazine he’s promoting. He is going to sell a "new kind" of digital adult content, and there are big plans to advertise this content in consumer magazines and commercials on television.
Hmmm could it be Cel phone apps and porn downloads? That would be my guess, if any of this rumor were true that is…
Is AVN really needed anymore, its been nothing more than large promotional tool for the few companies left that pay Fishbein. Besides that they help carry the pick, shovel and lime that the old timers use to keep the bad stuff under the radar. Of course there is the gorund breaking journalism, like Gene Ross and his Industry gossip…and that great airbrushed pic from 1991, Ed Powers’ short lived column and of course Jim Holliday’s 10000 worders where he seemed to constantly trying to make peace with Bill Margold, probably the only time the word Codicil was used in the magazine.
It doesn’t matter who owns AVN. As a publication, they lost credibility yeas a ago and became exclusive publicists of a very companies who are still stupid enough to burn their money on full page ads, thinking it’ll make any difference or boost their sales in a dying, over saturated market.
As for their plastic trophies AKA AVN awards, let’s just say they have as much relevance as shit on the stick. They’ve become a toxic asset, a foul joke and Fishbein & Franks know that better than anybody else. Too bad I don’t carry coins in my pocket, otherwise I would have offered them some pocket change to buy AVN and cut their misery.
About 15 years ago, I used to buy it for the movie reviews. I remember renting a few movies for my wife and I that were highly rated for their couples appeal. They ended up being a bunch of misogynistic crap. I can only guess how they garnered such wonderful praise by the reviewer. I haven’t picked up a copy since.