OK! Publisher Lori Burgess is jumping to the vacant publisher’s post at The Hollywood Reporter, The Post has learned.
Burgess replaces Erik Mika, who left about a month ago following the takeover last year of The Hollywood Repoter, Billboard and the Adweek Group by e5 Global Media, a group backed by several partners, including Guggenheim Partners, and run by former Conde Nast exec Richard Beckman.
Burgess’ hire is sure to spur more speculation that Beckman intends to convert the daily trade into a glossy weekly with a consumer advertising base.
For OK!, Burgess’ departure is another blow. While the mag’s ad pages have posted gains, the title has struggled to meet to amount of paid circulation it promises to advertisers, known in the industry as the rate base. The mag is believed to have lost more than $100 million for London-based parent company Northern + Shell.
Burgess had been at OK! for two years following a stint as publications director at Niche Media. She’s also held publisher jobs at House & Garden, Elle, Mademoiselle and Seventeen.