Despite uncertain economic and political conditions, newsletter launches proliferate.

In all likelihood the following newsletter launches and acquisitions were in the pipeline long before September 11--some, in fact, were probably postponed by the tragic events of that day--but it's heartening to see publishers facing a more than usually uncertain future with new intiatives.

Business Monitor International

Richard Londesborough, managing director of London-based Business Monitor International, reports that the rapidly expanding specialist publisher on emerging markets recently made two acquisitions, launched three new newsletters, and appointed a group publisher.

Emerging Markets Week (EMW) has been acquired from Institutional Investor Inc. in New York and will be published alongside BMI's Emerging Markets Monitor (EMM), also a weekly. Both titles serve the international financial sector, with EMW concentrating on news intelligence and EMM analyzing market conditions. Both, Londesborough says, will feed into BMI's recently launched Emerging Markets Online service.

"BMI is delighted to have the industry's two leading weekly newsletters under one roof," he says, adding that BMI is looking to further its coverage of fixed income, equities and the money markets, as well as to push aggressively for online growth.

In that vein, BMI also recently acquired Americas Insider online service from Washington, D.C.-based Darien Gap, which is being incorporated into BMI's Latin America Online, a regional division of Emerging Markets Online.

BMI has also launched three new weekly financial titles on emerging markets: Fixed Income Monitor, Equity Monitor, and Middle East & Africa Financial Alert. This brings BMI's portfolio of weekly financial titles to six, along with its 17 monthly Regional Monitor titles, 24 quarterly forecast reports, and its three-year-old corporate data division, the Commercial Intelligence Service, which publishes 13 country-specific annual reports and five industry-specific databases.

The sudden spurt of activity at BMI, Londesborough told NL/NL, coincides with the appointment of Peter Gaskell as group publisher. Gaskell, who was formerly managing director of Phillips Global Media in London, will take responsibility for the financial weeklies and monthly Monitors.

While admitting that 2001 "has thrown up the most difficult market conditions for many years, especially for the financial sector," Londesborough remains bullish. Gaskell adds, "The economic slowdown together with the demise of the dot-corns has generated some great opportunities for publishers of value-added content. There are excellent acquisition opportunities out there, while the need to innovate with your own content, whether digitally or through good old print, has never been greater."

BMI, 179 Queen Victoria St., London EC4V 4DU, [phone], [e-mail].

Thompson Publishing Group

Washington, D.C.-based Thompson Publishing Group, has launched Dietary Supplements and Functional Foods: A Practical Guide to FDA Regulations.

The guide explains the federal requirements of the formulation, manufacturing, positioning, labeling and marketing of dietary supplements, conventional foods with functional properties, and medical foods.

A $307/year subscription includes access to a web site that provides news, court decisions and analysis on trends and emerging issues. The new title joins more than 60 publications in the areas of food and drugs and regulatory information.

Thompson, 1725 K St., NW. 7th Fl., Washington. DC 20006, 202-872-4000, fax [phone], www.thompson.com.

Bureau of National Affairs 

BNA Inc. has launched Corporate Practice Library, a fully searchable web version of its Corporate Practice Series of portfolios on topics of special interest to corporate attorneys.

"Researching corporate practice issues will be faster and easier than ever with the Library's intuitive search menus," says Bob Robbins, executive editor, BNA Legal Services Division. The Library offers flexible search options. "Subscribers can search for all references to one topic across the entire series of portfolios to instantly locate on-point expert analysis, case law, statutory language, and practice tools," according to Robbins. "Or," he says, "they can narrow the search to include, for example, portfolios dealing with securities or antitrust issues only."

BNA, 1231 25th St., NW, Washington, DC 20037, 202-452-4200, www.bna.com.

M. Lee Smith Publishers

Frontline is the latest newsletter from M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC, Tennesse-based publisher of more than 130 publications, including 50 state-specific employment law newsletters.

Frontline, which provides "a fast, authoritative, easy-to-understand way for supervisors to stay abreast of important workplace law developments," is priced low 50 HR professionals can distribute copies to supervisors-at 6x/ year, it costs $8 each for 1 to 2 copies, $7 each for 3 to 5 copies, $5 each for 6 to 10 copies, and $3 each for 11 or more copies.

Chairman and publisher M. Lee Smith also announced the release of the updated video training program, "10 Danger Zones for Supervisors."

The ten videos and accompanying written materials for trainers and supervisors focus on workplace law, including such topics as hiring, performance evaluation, discipline, documentation, firing, workplace harassment and violence, FMLA compliance issues, employee privacy, and accidents in the workplace. The program costs $1,297.

M. Lee Smith, 5201 Virginia Way, Brentwood, TN 37204, 615-373-7517, fax [phone], www.mleesmith.com.

LexisNexis/Mealey's

Two newsletters were recently added to LexisNexis/Mealey's stable of more than two dozen litigation reports, according to president Tom Hagy:

* Mealey's Bankruptcy

Report, which covers asbestos bankruptcy news--including insurance issues and impacts on settlements--and is targeted to attorneys and insurance and corporate executives.

* Mealey's Litigation

Report: California Insurance, which reports on the progress of insurance-coverage litigation in California and the federal Ninth Circuit.

Both monthly reports are priced at $420 for six months or $700 for one year.

Mealey's, P.O. Box 62090, King of Prussia, PA. 19406, 610-768-7800, fax [phone], www.mealeys.com.