Manufacturer's Comment
Editor: I have just read [Ken Nelson's] May 22 letter urging us to consider advertising in Stereophile. I understand that your business is to try to encourage potential advertisers to consider this publication, and I also confirm that you continue to write me in this regard.
I think it is only fair to remind you that we have decided as a policy matter that we do not consider Stereophile a publication to be included among those in which our company advertises. We and our agency are experienced [enough] to know and respect the separation between advertising and editorial. We are, however, completely flabbergasted at what we have always considered to be unfair and incredibly insensitive attitudes among everyone connected with the publication toward Altec-Lansing.
I am sure you know there are many places for us to spend our advertising dollars. Among the criteria we use to decide upon which magazines will be favored with those advertising dollars are included such conditions as respect for the publication, cooperation between the publication and our company, and mutually responsible attitudes toward cooperation between the advertiser and the publication. As everyone connected with Stereophile has clearly demonstrated, this book fails among the listed criteria.
Fortunately for us, as badly as we have been treated by Stereophile, virtually every other publication seems to like our products, enjoys dealing with our company, and seems willing to support our efforts to continue to be a leader in the industry.—Edward Anchel, President, Altec Lansing
As the initial paragraph of this letter from Mr. Anchel implies, he was replying to a solicitation for advertising by Ken Nelson of our advertising representation firm, Nelson & Associates. It is published here because Mr. Anchel so perfectly illustrates the policy that Stereophile does not—and never will—have with respect to advertisers.
First, a correction of fact. The only person at Stereophile with "incredibly unfair and insensitive attitudes" must be me; of our other writers, only J. Gordon Holt has reviewed Altec product. The most recent review, in Vol.9 No.7, concerned one of Altec's inexpensive speakers, the 301, and his value judgment was favorable enough to merit their requesting a reprint. JGH also commented in print on the Altec Bias 550 that I eventually found less than satisfactory; reporting on its press presentation in admittedly unfamiliar surroundings, JGH stated that he liked what he heard.
Primarily, though, Stereophile does not believe in "cooperation between the publication and the company," nor "mutually responsible cooperation between the advertiser and the publication," except as it concerns correct printing of, and billing for, advertising. Many manufacturers desire a relationship which is more cozy than ours (footnote 1) but they must seek reviews in other magazines in order to find it.
Stereophile gladly accepts the advertising of manufacturers who wish their messages to reach our readers, and we seek out products for review—from advertisers and non-advertisers alike. All such products are reviewed ON THEIR MERITS, with neither advertisers nor non-advertisers receiving treatment prejudiced in one direction or the other. Our standard in reviewing products concerns only what's best for you, the reader, not "cooperation" with any manufacturer.—Larry Archibald
Footnote 1: For an excellent description of the kind of "cooperation" that I think Mr. Anchel is implying, see Robert Harley's "Industry Update" report in July (Vol.13 No.7, p.49) from the recent AES Conference in Washington, DC, where he quotes at length Larry Klein, former Technical Editor of Stereo Review, talking in public about this very subject.—John Atkinson
Footnote 1: For an excellent description of the kind of "cooperation" that I think Mr. Anchel is implying, see Robert Harley's "Industry Update" report in July (Vol.13 No.7, p.49) from the recent AES Conference in Washington, DC, where he quotes at length Larry Klein, former Technical Editor of Stereo Review, talking in public about this very subject.—John Atkinson
