Popular TV talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz and Hearst will launch a lifestyle magazine beginning next year.
The still-untitled publication will hit newsstands with two “test” editions in the first half of 2014 before the partners determine the roll-out schedule.
“We want it to contain the upbeat content of the show, but it will be much more than that,” said Oz, whose top-rated syndicated talk show focuses on health and wellness.
The 53-year-old heart surgeon said fans will see something on the show but crave more information — and that is where the magazine can help.
Nabbing Oz for a magazine joint venture, first reported yesterday on nypost.com, was a highly sought-after prize. Industry sources said that Time Inc. had pursued him, at one point offering to turn over its Health magazine for him to remake. Rodale, which put him on the cover of Prevention a year ago, also tried to woo him.
But Hearst, which had Oz on covers ranging from Good Housekeeping to Woman’s Day, always seemed to have the inside track.
Oz said he held “serious discussions” with three other companies and also conferred with Oprah Winfrey, who helped launch his talk-show career, before deciding on Hearst.
Hearst launched O, the Oprah Magazine, in a partnership with Winfrey in 2000. Some industry observers believe Oz might be a crucial hedge to offset some of the slide that has taken place at O since Winfrey left her daily show.