NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO), the namesake media company founded by the well-known domestic trendsetter, is finding its way into what it calls the "natural-living" market with acquisition of two publications.
The company, which has faced a slump in advertising sales due to Stewart's legal problems, said Thursday it will purchase Body & Soul magazine from New Age Publishing Inc. and Dr. Weil's Self Healing newsletter from Thorne Communications Inc. for about $6 million in cash.
"Body & Soul provides MSO with the opportunity to both enter a new, promising market and to launch 'natural living' as a new 'omni' lifestyle category and brand for the company," Sharon Patrick, MSO chief executive officer, said in a statement.
With a circulation of 200,000, Body & Soul magazine was founded in 1974. It was originally called the New Age Journal but changed its name in 2001. It is published eight times a year and focuses on yoga, organic living, diet and health.
Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing newsletter was launched in 1995 and is based on the theories of Dr. Weil, who is considered a natural-health expert.
Martha Stewart Living, whose founder faces a sentence of five months in prison for her conviction earlier this year on federal obstruction of justice charges, is trying to move away from the Martha Stewart name in its media properties. It recently announced plans for a new television show on PBS that would not use Stewart herself or her name.
Earlier this month, the company also reported a bigger-than-expected loss in the second quarter.
Shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO: Research, Estimates) lost 7 cents, or 0.6 percent, in early trading Thursday to $11.13.
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