Several magazines are attempting to personalize the contents of each issue according to an individual reader's interests. This specialization has brought an upswing in the number of magazines published in the United States, from 6,960 in 1970 to 11,000 in 1994. More than 50 magazines had a circulation of over one million in 1994. In 1993, Time became the first magazine to offer an on-line edition that subscribers can call up on their computers before it hits the newsstands. Printed on inexpensive paper and often as short as four to six pages, the typical newsletter appears weekly or biweekly.
Newsletters gather and analyze information on specialized topics.
Southern Political Report , for example, covers election races in the southern U.S. states, and FTC Watch covers the actions of the Federal Trade Commission. Newsletters can be the product of small staffs, sometimes only a single reporter who produces the issue by computer. Afraid , for instance, is a monthly zine devoted to horror stories. The beginning of commercial radio broadcasts in 1920 brought a new source of information and entertainment directly into American homes. The widespread availability of television after World War II caused radio executives to rethink their programming.