Hearst and European publishing company Lagardère announced on New Year’s Eve that they had entered exclusive negotiations for the sale of Lagardère’s international divisions, which include American and foreign editions of Elle, to Hearst by January 30. According to a “cheery” e-mail that new Hearst president David Carey sent to his staff over the weekend, one of the conditions that they’ll be negotiating in the coming weeks is Lagardère’s insistence that they retain editorial control of all overseas editions of Elle, even after Hearst buys them. While such an arrangement would be unusual (not to mention confusing; who would Robbie Meyers report to, for example?), it’s not unheard of for Hearst: Oprah Winfrey has full editorial control of O: The Oprah Magazine, which is a Hearst book, and it splits control of Food Network with Scripps Networks.
Hearst and Lagardère Negotiate [WWD]
Earlier: Hearst Confirms They’re Planning to Buy Elle by January 30
