http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-fri_phil_0222feb22,0,752254.column

Connections of the rich and famous

February 22, 2008

Phil Rosenthal Media



Phil Rosenthal

Better known for his work in "Vision Quest," "Full Metal Jacket" and "Married to the Mob," actor Matthew Modine's latest leading role was that of matchmaker."

I e-mailed Matthew and said, 'I'm going to Chicago and if you know anyone there who's great who you think I should meet, I'd love to meet him,'" said Jason Binn, chief executive of Niche Media Holdings, publisher of lifestyle magazines tailored to the rich and powerful in markets around the country.

Modine suggested Dan Uslan, whom Modine got to know almost four years ago while starring in Arthur Miller's "Finishing the Picture" at the Goodman Theatre.

And that's how Uslan, the Chicago-based senior vice president of sales for Morris Visitor Publications, came to be named publisher on Thursday of Michigan Avenue, the Chicago title Binn plans to introduce in September. Uslan will also be Niche's president of Midwest sales when he comes aboard on St. Patrick's Day.

"He has helped build an amazing business," Binn said. "The company has grown and grown. I just looked at what he was doing and heard wonderful things."No word yet on whether Modine gets a finder's fee.Uslan has lived here for more than nine years and joined Morris eight years ago, serving as Chicago publisher of its Where magazine before taking charge of the company's sales, a job that required more travel as the company grew in size, staff and revenue.

"Like anyone who wants to progress in their career, I took certain promotions and some of these promotions took me away from the market," Uslan said. "But when I was away, I wasn't as happy as I am when I'm here.

"Binn's strategy is simple: Put your publication in the hands of rich people and make it something they will want to read, because rich people have lots of money and advertisers will spend a lot of money to reach people with cash to spend.

In markets such as New York, the Hamptons, Boston, Washington and others, Binn's publications compile their mailing lists through firms that comb credit records and other information to find the economic elite in a given area.

His largely free publications also solicit some of those same local movers, shakers and other bold-face names to contribute articles on their particular interests and hobbies. Designer Nicole Miller has contributed recipes, newsman Wolf Blitzer has commented on sports, former sports star Danny Ainge has written about fitness, and so on.

"Then we take the book that has these people, who are some of the most respected and prominent people in the marketplace, and we mail it to people who ... make $200,000-plus income, have $1 million-plus homes and have $1 million in the bank," Binn said. "Those are real consumers who do have disposable income.

"Binn isn't ready to name his contributors in Chicago under Susanna Homan, the freelance Chicago Sun-Times columnist and former publicist who has signed on as Michigan Avenue's editor, but the team here is coming together.

Among the start-up's new hires is Rick Patrone, who enlisted as ad director just days after he was honored by Chicago magazine with a Publisher's Award as a top-grossing advertising salesman.

What makes that interesting is that Chicago, like this newspaper, is owned by Tribune Co., and Michigan Avenue is owned by Niche Media Holdings, whose chairman, Brian Greenspun, is an investor in Sam Zell's share of Tribune Co. and a member of its board.

But if there's a problem, it's for Tribune Tower and Michigan Avenue to address.

Training wheels: Former producer Jim Lichtenstein and former local anchor Joan Esposito have expanded their recently established media training outfit, J2 Strategic Communications, with a roster that includes such familiar names as Dick Kay, Michael Breen, Terry Murphy, Jon Kelley and Mike Adamle.

It's a veritable Who Was Who of Chicago TV.

Courtesy of FGPR