Publisher to edit inflight magazine

Monday, Dec. 6, 1999 | 12:01 p.m.

The company that publishes the weekly Gaming Today newspaper in Las Vegas is taking over editorial control of National Airlines' inflight magazine, Flyer.

The biggest difference officials with Dirson Enterprises Inc. say will occur is that the magazine will be transformed from a traditional inflight publication to a travel magazine that focuses on Las Vegas -- and with a later news deadline.

"Something I found out about inflight magazines is that people don't read them," said Chuck Di Rocco, publisher of Gaming Today and Flyer. "We want to turn this into something people will get on the plane and want to keep."

To do that, Di Rocco said the magazine will have an editorial deadline 21 days in advance of publication. Most inflight magazines have deadlines two to three months in advance. Di Rocco said those types of deadlines make it difficult for magazines to keep information on shows and attractions current.

Flyer features stories on Las Vegas tourist attractions and gaming. Each edition has regular departments on attractions, entertainment and exhibits, restaurants, people who live in Las Vegas and visitors to the city and where they go.

Each month will have a theme. The first three of 2000 will be the Super Bowl in January, Valentine's Day and fine dining in February and the NCAA basketball tournament and slot machines in March.

The cost of advertising ranges from $1,060 per month for a half-page, black-and-white ad contracted for 12 months up to $2,400 for a one-time, full-color, full-page ad.

Di Rocco said Flyer currently has 36 pages per edition, but he hopes to increase that to 48 pages. He hopes to expand a staff of six and he said he may recruit Gaming Today writers to produce some of the features.

The company produces 35,000 copies of the magazine, distributed in seatbacks of National Airlines' 175-passenger Boeing 757 jets. National Chief Executive Officer Mike Conway said about 130,000 passengers a month will fly Las Vegas-based National by the end of December.