Playboy posts quarterly loss

(Reuters) - Adult entertainment publisher Playboy Enterprises Inc posted a quarterly loss, hurt by continued pressure on its media businesses, and said 2008 will remain a difficult year.

Playboy and other publishers and television companies have suffered as more people get their entertainment online, and often for free.

"This has created a challenging environment for our print and TV businesses, which has been compounded by the current macro-economic climate," the company said in a statement.

The publisher of the iconic men's magazine posted a net loss of $2.1 million, or 6 cents a share, compared with a net income of $1.9 million, or 6 cents a share, a year ago.

Revenue fell 14 percent to $73.4 million.

Analysts on average had expected the company to earn 5 cents a share, excluding exceptional items, on revenue of $82.1 million, according to Reuters Estimates.

Another thing I'm not surprised about. I've blogged about Playboy in the past. The magazine has done little to change it's image, and look since . . . forever. It's hurt them. Bad. One doesn't get much for their subscription. Playboy TV is a joke. The internet and other options for men have made it a tough market. Playboy hasn't adapted well.

Playboy posts quarterly loss, shares drop

Adult entertainment publisher Playboy Enterprises Inc posted a quarterly loss on Tuesday because of weaker publishing and domestic television revenue and forecast more trouble during the year, pushing its shares down 8 percent.

Playboy lost me years ago. I had been a loyal subscriber for 25 years until I finally stopped. Several things happened:

1. As I got older and smarter I started snubbing the liberal slant the magazine had.

2. Nudes of women I can't imagine anyone wanted to see (Nanci Sinatra, LaToya Jackson, Carnie Wilson, . . . Joan Collins!)

3. The promise of nudes that never came (Landers sisters, Janet Jones, others)

4. Fake breasts. I hate them.

5. Hugh's pathetic behavior.

It didn't help that Hugh allowed many of the Playmates to appear on Howard Stern. Much of their appeal was lost when I found out just how stupid they were. Skanky, too. Yuck.

The article doesn't mention that Playboy magazine has been in decline for years. It's been in bad need of a face lift for some time. It did get a little better some years back when Playboy brought on board someone from Maxim magazine. Still, it just has a stuffy look to it.

And still all those fake boobs.