Circulation, Controlled

Origins

The first controlled circulation magazines were published by Putnam Media, based in Itasca, Illinois, which began in the 1920s as a single title buyer-to-buyer publishing house serving manufacturing facilities under the leadership of “Colonel” Russell L. Putman (died 1973). Putman was an innovator in controlled circulation, reader service cards, and four-color printing processes for front covers. With the launch of Chemical Processing magazine in 1938 and Food Processing two years later (both provided free to those working in these industries), Putman was quickly positioned as a leading publisher in controlled circulation. Mailed free to those registered with professional organizations in these fields, early issues included a prepaid postcard where readers could recommend others who might be interested in receiving Chemical Processing or Food Processing. With a rapidly growing list of readers, Putnam was able to generate significant ad sales that surpassed any potential subscription revenue. Controlled circulation magazines sell more than 2 million ad pages yearly to reach their defined readers.

Controlled circulation newspapers trace their history back to the 1940s when Walnut Creek [Page 296](California) publisher Dean Lesher (1902–93) began what is widely believed to be the first free daily newspaper, now known as the Contra Costa Times. It featured advertising, much like a “free shopper” newspaper, along with some community news items, event calendars, and announcements. In 1962 he converted that newspaper and three others in the county that he owned to paid circulation. However, Lesher's model of free distribution of an advertising-dominated newspaper has been copied by other publishers across the country, many of which also produce a separate traditional newspaper. In 2005 there were 1,370 newspapers in the United States with controlled circulation.

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