DATE: Thursday, June 5, 1997                TAG: 9706050652
SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 

                                            LENGTH:   37 lines

PARENTING MAGAZINES BOUGHT BY THE PILOT

Tidewater Parent and Peninsula Parent, local monthly magazines for families, were sold Wednesday to The Virginian-Pilot.

The Pilot acquired the publications from founders and co-publishers Peggy and Peter Sijswerda of Virginia Beach. The terms were not disclosed.

The Sijswerdas began their publications in 1990, said Peggy Sijswerda. ``I wore the editor's hat and Peter wore the manager's and salesperson's hat,'' she said. ``Our first issue had 20 ads. Our last one had 160.

``It's been a great job, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. We just want to move on to other things.''

The Sijswerdas, parents of three boys, plan to move in August to the Netherlands, where Peter was born, Peggy said.

The magazines, distributed free in news racks in the area, target parents of children up to age 14 with a variety of stories, calendars and advice columns. A total of 40,000 magazines are distributed monthly: 30,000 around South Hampton Roads and 10,000 in Hampton, Newport News and Williamsburg.

``The Sijswerdas have built over time a real relationship with readers and advertisers,'' said Michael Abernathy, general manager of The Pilot's Targeted Publications division.

``We try to identify niches - smaller areas we can serve individually as opposed to under a mass medium,'' Abernathy said. ``We think the family and parenting content, and interest from advertisers, is a growing niche.''

The parenting magazines will join the Pilot's Targeted Publications - a group that includes Port Folio Weekly, Inside Business, The Flagship and Style Weekly in Richmond. Three salespeople will transfer to the new operation.

Peggy Sijswerda said she will say goodbye to readers in the July issue. ``It hasn't really hit me yet,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

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