Reader's Digest Association, Inc. profile and media properties
Tom Williams is the CEO of Reader's Digest Association, Inc..
The Reader's Digest Association (RDA) is a publishing and direct marketing company. It publishes Reader's Digest magazine and produces a range of related products including books, gifts, music and home video collections.
In early 2007, Reader's Digest Association was bought for $1.61 billion ($17 a share) by an investment group led by private equity firm Ripplewood Holdings LLC, run by Timothy Collins. The buyout saddled the company with over $2 billion in debt. The debt burden proved too heavy for Reader's Digest, and on August 24, 2009 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy filing will result in a number of banks becoming the new owners of RDA, and Ripplewood Holdings will no longer have an interest in the company.
The bankruptcy applies to Reader's Digest U.S. businesses. RDA operations in Canada, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia-New Zealand were not part of the filing.
Reader's Digest magazine is a general interest, family-oriented publication known for positive, conservative and pro-American views. The magazine is published in 48 editions and 19 languages, reaching 85 million readers every month including 44 million in the United States.
According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Reader's Digest is the best-selling magazine in the United States, excluding the membership publications of AARP which are delivered as member benefits.
DeWitt Wallace created Reader's Digest based on the idea of a magazine containing condensed articles from many popular magazines. The first issue was published on February 5, 1922, and it quickly became a successful commercial venture. While the magazine continues to position itself as summarizing and reprinting articles taken from other sources, for decades the company has created most of the writing in the magazine. The magazine plants lengthy articles in other media so they can then be 'condensed' for Reader's Digest.
In April 2002, the Reader's Digest Association bought Reiman Publications L.L.C., based in Greendale, Wisconsin. The purchase price was $760 million. Reiman is a publisher of cooking, gardening, and lifestyle magazines and books, including category leaders like Taste of Home magazine, a cooking magazine with over 3 million subscribers. Today the Reiman publications are part of the "Food & Entertaining@RDA" division of Reader's Digest Association.
Contact Information
| Web Site: | www.rda.com/ |
| Telephone: | 914.238.1000 |
| Fax: | 914.238.4559 |
| Address: | Reader's Digest Road Pleaantville NY 10570-7000 USA |
National Media Properties
Select a media outlet to find a detailed profile at Mondo Times, the worldwide news media guide.
Other Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Properties
Good Catalog Company
Gifts.com
Reader's Digest Select Editions
Reiman Media Group, Inc.
Comments about Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Comments to date: 182. The most recent comments are below.Matthew Falcone New York | Posted at 6:17pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 |
PS. i AM SO GLAD THAT SOME OF YOU PEOPLE PUT IN THE PHONE NUMBER 8OO 463-8820 THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A SCAM! READERS DIGEST IS FINISHED AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. | |
Matthew Falcone New York | Posted at 5:58pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 |
`They can send all the books they want,for them getting paid is another story. The nerve of them sending books without my permission is unbelieveable. Soooooooo get smart and stop sending the books because you will not get paid,we will see what the BBB has to say about this. | |
bernice hogarth baltimore, maryland | Posted at 6:20am on Sunday, January 1, 2012 |
I received a phone call from Reader's Digest telling me they were going to send me a free book, and if I wanted to cancel any future books,give them a phone call (the phone number to call would be included with the book). There was no phone number for me to call and cancel future books. I feel that this was a scam and I will never again subscribe to Reader's Digest. The box that the book came in is marked "Contents Free." Please DO NOT send me any more books! | |
David J Weaver Dade City, Florida | Posted at 1:22pm on Friday, December 9, 2011 |
My nightmare began when I received a book from Reader's Digest with no instructions. I did not order or join a Reader's Club. In about a month I received another book along with a bill for $30.71. I wrote tp Reader's Digest and asked them not to send me any more books or bills. A couple weeks later, I received a letter from them which acknowledged my request to cancel shipment. They said, however that I might receive another book which may have been sent before they received my letter. Reader's Digest advised me that I could return the third book or keep it and pay for it and they say that I need to pay $30.71 for the bill which is now past due. I have no intention of paying them a single cent. I have to spend $10.65 to return something that I never ordered in the first place. It's not fair. They are crooks and they are giving Reader's Digest a bad name. | |
Vincent Lim Singapore | Posted at 8:02am on Saturday, October 1, 2011 |
I am extremely frustrated with the renewal tactics of reader's digest in Singapore. In May 2011, my account expired, they kept sending copies to my (previous) home. I received 4 letters to collect payments from me from a number of staff (from finance director Jeremy and collections manager Andara) even threatening to seek external debt collector to claim the S$99.00. I did not extend or indicate any interest and have since moved out from that house in 2009...all previous copies, including the 3 copies sent after account expired were delivered to stranger! | |
tammy leon , ks | Posted at 3:51pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 |
What a nightmare!!!! this should be againest the law!!! Got books in mail. I don't want or did not order. I called the number 800-463-8820, they said to keep the books and they took me off the list. god i hope!!!! WE need to get this stop!! I told them I was recording the confersation. | |
Joe Higareda Chicago, IL | Posted at 11:30pm on Monday, September 19, 2011 |
I see I have lots of company. I joined their sweepstakes thinking them an honorable company. (Hah!)I never ordered anything but I promptly received their plastic wrapped magazine. I called their Customer Service Rep and a guy with a Filipino accent told me not to worry, he would cancel my order, what is my invoice number. I don't have a bill yet, I replied. "Well, just send back magazine. Goodbye." I finally got the bill and another magazine. I sent back the second magazine and I emailed an address I found on the internet requesting they cancel an order I never placed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. | |
Charles Beeland Blythe, GA,, Richmond Co | Posted at 5:55pm on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 |
Today (8/23/11) I received a secured shipment from Reader Digest Association, Inc. I did not order anything but it included 1 book & 2 free gifts. There was absolutely no paperwork in the box nor special instructions. I do not know how to get in touch with them bjut I will search. There are sev eral numbers opn the box including Shipment Code of CBL0101. This is crazy. Bec*use I have no intent of paying for it should I receive a bill. | |
Kay Kankakee, Illinois, USA | Posted at 4:59pm on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 |
RD makes it difficult to stop getting books and music you don't want. Here is the number to stop that, found online, got through today and they said they will stop mailings. RD Products Customer Care 1800-463-8820. | |
Marty Chicago, IL | Posted at 4:24am on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 |
I have been getting books that I have not ordered. I have sent them back, but I still get books. I sent notes with the books stating that I did not want the books as I don't have time to read them and did not want them. I would like to not get anymore books from readers digest. | |
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