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Dear Readers,
Staring at this initially blank page, chomping at the bit to report all of the good news we
have for you today (and man there is an awful lot of it to shout about), it occurred that, before we can get to all of that juicy, present-day stuff, we really
do need to clear up a bit of old business first. So we are going to dispatch that responsibility now and deliver it in the form of an apology.
As most of you are aware, over the last 12 months we have been forced to reset our print
production schedule on two separate occasions, each time joining two scheduled issues into a single, combined edition. While these production changes came as
the result of circumstances that were beyond our control, everyone’s subscriptions have been summarily extended by two issues to compensate. (Ultimately,
moving our home office of 25 years from Ohio to Minnesota, switching from sheet fed to web press printing, and upgrading the quality of our print process to a
100% color production —and doing so all at once— proved to be a truly Herculean task.)
More important though was our failure to adequately communicate to everyone what was going
on; what we were doing about it; and (more to the point) when your next issue would arrive. For that preventable oversight, we are truly sorry. You deserve
better.
Now, having said all that, let’s return to the exciting new business at hand. Where to
begin? Let’s start with the obvious…
Did you notice anything different about this issue when you picked it up? We’re guessing the
answer to that question is a clear and resounding yes. In fact, we’d even bet you did a double take at first. “What the…?”
That’s right, despite the obvious challenges we’ve faced on other fronts this past year, we
have still continued to forge ahead, working behind the scenes (and all too often, well into the night) to completely reinvent our publication. Bull’s-Eye News now has a vibrant, new look; a bold new logo, and soon a slick new binding, too. (Watch for that change in future issues.) In short, we have a new brand. Bull’s-Eye News is now simply BEN.
And the sweeping changes don’t end there; this is no mere cosmetic surgery.
Unless you are new to the sport, you already know (or sense) that the world of competitive
darts is fast evolving here in North America and with it, the business of the sport of darts. Six-figure prize purses? New tournament series? International
competition and, ahem… television? Who, just a few years ago, could’ve ever imagined this? (Well, actually we did, but then most everyone thought we were crazy
and that’s another story entirely.) Bottom line: If BEN is to keep pace… no, strike that. If BEN is to help lead in this revolution, then we must evolve, too,
and that means more than just adding pretty pictures –much more!
So, beginning with this issue and continuing through the balance of this year we will also
be staging in a series of new editorial policies, as well as new features and columns, all focusing almost entirely on the types (and timing) of content you’ve
told us you want. You’ve asked us for more game improving ‘how-to’ articles, more equipment information, more timely event results, more player pictures, and
more attitude, among other things, and now we’re delivering! (Yes, despite that glazed look we sometimes get, we have been listening!)
To accomplish these goals we will also be utilizing our web site in the mix, but in a very
new and exciting way. As many of you know, in the past our web site, www.BullsEyeNews.com, has essentially acted as a static advertisement for our print
magazine, including only samples of your main copy and a means to subscribe. True enough, our events calendar is regularly updated (including tournament
flyers), and important breaking news is often exclusively posted there, but that’s been about the sum of it. If all goes according to plan, however, this will
be changing dramatically later this year as we embrace a host of new technologies for our web site. Since the final touches are still being worked out on the
new design though (stage 2 of BEN’s rebirth), we are going to have to leave it at that for now.
We can tell you this with absolute certainty though, at worst our new web site will become a
truly dynamic extension of our magazine, including dramatically expanded content options for our subscribers. At best, it will become what we most desire, a
truly interactive, online community of international dart players and fans. Stay tuned…We’ll have more to report to you on this exciting new cyber-direction in
coming issues.
And there you have it, we have BEN reborn! (Sorry, we just couldn’t resist that one.)
In keeping with our new motif, we truly hope you enjoy this month’s cover story, Tony
Payne’s Thermonuclear Cricket… Relaunched. Frankly, we could not think of a more appropriate way to kick-off our renewed emphasis on game-improving, ‘how-to’
content for our readers than revisiting the single most popular strategy series we’ve ever published —bar none.
And if you doubt in the least that the face of darts in North America is changing, take a
look at the official US Open event program we’ve included on pages 33-36. This PDC Pro event included nearly $300,000 in prize money across two main events
that weekend…one, exclusively for North American players. And it’s the first of seven PDC Pro Tour events this year in North America, bringing the total prize
money in just that series to over $650,000… and three of these events include television coverage! If there’s any way that you can join us at one of these
events (as a player or as a fan) we strongly encourage you to so. You’ll truly enjoy the spectacle of a world class competition and you’ll also witness —first
hand— the future of our sport. A new day is coming…get ready!
Finally, and by all means, please take a moment to tell us what you think of our new brand
and updated editorial direction. Drop us a letter or email (ben@bullseyenews.com) anytime… We’re still listening.
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