View source for Soap Opera Digest

{{Short description|Weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox magazine
|image_file    = SoapOperaDigest-Issue 1 Cover-November 1975.jpg
|image_caption = Debut issue (November 1975), featuring the cast of ''[[Love of Life]]''
|editor        = Stephanie Sloane
|editor_title  = Editorial Director
|staff_writer  = Mara Levinsky<br>Devin Owens
|frequency     = Weekly
|total_circulation = 43,743<ref name=circ3>{{cite web|url=https://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/magtitlesearch.asp|title=Consumer Magazines|access-date=Feb 9, 2022|publisher=[[Audit Bureau of Circulations (North America)|Audit Bureau of Circulations]]|archive-date=September 19, 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220919180131/https://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/magtitlesearch.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>
|circulation_year = Jul 2023
|category      = Entertainment
|company       = [[American Media (publisher)|American Media, Inc.]]
|publisher     =
|founder       = Angela Shapiro and Jerome Shapiro
|firstdate     = November 1975
|lastdate      = November 13, 2023
|country       = USA
|based         = [[New York City]]
|language      = English
|website       = {{URL|http://www.soapoperadigest.com/}}
|issn          = 0164-3584
}}
'''''Soap Opera Digest''''' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime [[soap opera]]s. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information. Founded in 1975, the magazine historically included certain [[prime time]] soap operas in its coverage as well.

==History==
''Soap Opera Digest'' debuted in November 1975, co-founded by Angela Shapiro and Jerome Shapiro<ref>{{cite web |last=Kroll |first=Dan J. |url=http://www.soapcentral.com/soapcentral/news/2002/0401-shapiro.php |title=Angela Shapiro to Leave ABC Daytime Post |work=[[Soapcentral]] |date=April 1, 2002 |access-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-date=October 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013141527/http://www.soapcentral.com/soapcentral/news/2002/0401-shapiro.php |url-status=live }}</ref> and founding Editor Ruth J Gordon and featuring actors [[John Aniston]], [[Ron Tomme]], [[Audrey Peters]], [[Birgitta Tolksdorf]], [[Jerry Lacy]], and [[Tudi Wiggins]] of ''[[Love of Life]]'' on its first cover. In the early 1990s, the magazine had up to 1.4 million subscribers.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}

In 1980, Network Publishing Corporation purchased the magazine from Shapiro, who went on to found ''[[Soap Opera Update]]''. [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] bought the magazine from Gerry M. Ritterman in 1989. Ritterman had owned ''Soap Opera Digest'' for three years before selling it to Murdoch Magazines; Ritterman earned more than $50 million from his share of the $70 million purchase price. According to Ritterman, he'd purchased the magazine at 750,000 subscribers and sold it at 1.3 million. Murdoch sold Soap Opera Digest to K-III Communications (now [[Rent Group]]) in 1991. K-III was renamed Primedia in 1997, and sold its magazines to [[Source Interlink]] in 2007. [[American Media (publisher)|American Media, Inc.]] began publishing ''Soap Opera Digest'' in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sys-con.com/node/1794517|title=American Media, Inc. Reaches Licensing Agreement With Source Interlink Companies - news.sys-con.com|work=sys-con.com}}</ref>

''Soap Opera Digest'' originally published monthly, moved to triweekly issues in 1979, biweekly issues in 1980, and on April 1, 1997, started publishing weekly. The issue dates were on Tuesdays, but changed to Mondays beginning with the April 16, 2012 issue.

Meredith Brown Berlin was named executive editor (the magazine's equivalent of editor-in-chief) in 1982 at the age of 26, making her the youngest editor of a national magazine at that time. Ritterman later promoted her to editor-in-chief and vice president. She stayed in that position until 1991. During her tenure, the magazine saw its greatest circulation growth. Berlin was followed by Lynn Leahey, who headed the magazine for 27 years. In June 2011, Stephanie Sloane replaced Leahey as the magazine's editorial director.{{Citation needed|date=February 2016}}

The magazine used to hold an awards show annually to promote excellence in the genre, as decided by the fans who read the magazine. The [[Soap Opera Digest Awards|''Soap Opera Digest'' Awards]] (formerly the ''Soapies'') have been held every year since 1977, and were last televised in 2000. The Soapy Award was originally designed by Janis Rogak, the magazine's then-[[Art Director]]. Berlin and Ritterman earned a handful of [[Daytime Emmy Award]] nominations, with Dick Clark Productions, for co executive producing the ''Soap Opera Digest'' Awards.{{Citation needed|date=February 2016}}

On October 27, 2023, it was announced [[a360media]] would cease production of the physical weekly publications. The magazine currently continues to update content on its website, and announced its intention to print "special print issues" at least four times per year.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Spangler |first=Todd |title=''Soap Opera Digest'' Is Ending Its Weekly Print Edition |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/soap-opera-digest-discontinuing-weekly-print-edition-1235770929/ |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=October 27, 2023 |location=United States |issn=0042-2738 |oclc=810134503 |date=October 27, 2023 |archive-date=October 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027210305/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/soap-opera-digest-discontinuing-weekly-print-edition-1235770929/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=="Soap speak" acronyms==
''Soap Opera Digest'' coined the term and popularized the use of "soap speak," in which show names are abbreviated as [[acronym and initialism|acronym]]s to save space. These abbreviations have come into more extensive use outside the magazine with the advent of internet [[chat room]]s and [[message boards]].

For example, current soap operas and their acronyms include ''[[General Hospital]]'' (''GH''), ''[[The Bold and the Beautiful]]'' (''B&B''), and ''[[The Young and the Restless]]'' (''Y&R'').  ''[[Days of Our Lives]]'' is referred to as ''DAYS'' in the magazine, though the acronym ''DOOL'' is sometimes used elsewhere; ''[[General Hospital: Night Shift]]'' was similarly designated ''SHIFT'' rather than under an acronym. Abbreviations used for now-defunct series include ''[[All My Children]]'' (''AMC''), ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'' (''AW''), ''[[As the World Turns]]'' (''ATWT''), ''[[The Edge of Night]]'' (''EON''), ''[[Guiding Light]]'' (''GL''), ''[[Love of Life]]'' (''LOL''), ''[[One Life to Live]]'' (''OLTL''), ''[[Port Charles]]'' (''PC''), ''[[Ryan's Hope]]'' (''RH''), and ''[[Search for Tomorrow]]'' (''SFT''). The now-defunct series ''[[Sunset Beach (TV series)|Sunset Beach]]'' (1997–1999) was known as ''BEACH'' to differentiate it from the previously cancelled series ''[[Santa Barbara (TV series)|Santa Barbara]]'' (1984–1993), which itself had been referred to as ''SB''. Other past series with single-word titles (like ''[[Capitol (TV series)|Capitol]]'', ''[[Loving (TV series)|Loving]]'' and ''[[Passions]]'') had fully capitalized identifiers, while not typically abbreviating their titles in-reference. Prime time soap operas have also been attributed with acronyms and abbreviations in the magazine, including ''[[Beverly Hills, 90210]]'' (''90210''), ''[[Melrose Place]]'' (''MP'') and ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]'' (''DYN'').

==Circulation==
''Soap Opera Digest''{{'s}} circulation has declined over the years, reflecting declines both in soap opera viewership and magazine circulations in general. A 40 percent decline in 2003 was due to eliminating reduced-rate subscriptions.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fine |first=Jon |url=http://adage.com/article/news/primedia-soap-mags-slice-rate-bases-03/50604/ |title=Primedia soap mags slice rate bases for '03 &#124; News - Advertising Age |date=2002-12-30 |access-date=2011-08-09 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215139/http://adage.com/article/news/primedia-soap-mags-slice-rate-bases-03/50604/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This is a list of ''Soap Opera Digest''{{'s}} average circulation per issue, per year.
{|
|-
| 
* 1988: 1.1 million<ref name=circ1988>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/24/business/the-media-business-soap-opera-magazines-fight-for-fans-hearts-and-dollars.html |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Soap Opera Magazines Fight For Fans' Hearts and Dollars |work=[[The New York Times]]|via=Nytimes.com |date=1988-10-24 |access-date=2011-08-09}}</ref>
* 1998: 1,101,146<ref name=circ1999>{{cite web |url=http://www.magazine.org/CONSUMER_MARKETING/CIRC_TRENDS/1354.aspx |title=Magazine Publishers of America - The Definitive Resource for the Magazine Industry |website=Magazine.org |access-date=2011-08-09 |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321193114/http://www.magazine.org/CONSUMER_MARKETING/CIRC_TRENDS/1354.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 1999: 1,102,940<ref name=circ1999/>
* 2000: 1,110,527<ref name=circ2001>{{cite web |url=http://www.magazine.org/ASSETS/EA0D9C68C7D848F49059AF6AB6299D3E/ALLABC2001.xls |title=Fact Sheet: Average Circulation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609184721/http://www.magazine.org/ASSETS/EA0D9C68C7D848F49059AF6AB6299D3E/ALLABC2001.xls |archive-date=June 9, 2012 |date=2001|publisher=Magazine Publishers of America |type=Excel spreadsheet}}</ref>
* 2001: 1,025,869<ref name=circ2001/>
* 2002: 987,525<ref name=circ2003>{{cite web|url=http://www.magazine.org/ASSETS/D205C2B661124D3ABFFBC4FC7B697C74/2003allabccirc.xls|title=Fact Sheet: Average Circulation|publisher=Magazine Publishers of America|date=2003|type=Excel spreadsheet|access-date=May 11, 2011|archive-date=May 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521152100/http://magazine.org/ASSETS/D205C2B661124D3ABFFBC4FC7B697C74/2003allabccirc.xls|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2003: 598,739<ref name=circ2003/>
||
* 2004: 524,358<ref name=circ2005>{{cite web|url=http://www.magazine.org/ASSETS/DCBAEB04DABA4E55B606C4B4776169F5/AllcircABC05.xls|title=Fact Sheet: Average Circulation|publisher=Magazine Publishers of America|date=2005|type=Excel spreadsheet|access-date=May 11, 2011|archive-date=May 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521082809/http://magazine.org/ASSETS/DCBAEB04DABA4E55B606C4B4776169F5/AllcircABC05.xls|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2005: 495,552<ref name=circ2005/>
* 2006: 517,743<ref name=circ2007>{{cite web |url=http://www.magazine.org/ASSETS/5C491848A2784726A4E64A98F4805BFD/FYABC2007ALLCIRC.xls |title=Fact Sheet: Average Circulation|publisher=Magazine Publishers of America|date=2007 |access-date=2013-09-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527042908/http://www.magazine.org/ASSETS/5C491848A2784726A4E64A98F4805BFD/FYABC2007ALLCIRC.xls |archive-date=2011-05-27 |type=Excel spreadsheet}}</ref>
* 2007: 512,403<ref name=circ2007/>
* 2008: 514,094<ref name=circ2009>{{cite web|url=http://www.magazine.org/ASSETS/FB4FAE645D5E46EAA7E4233DCE11EB55/2009FYALLABCCIRC.xls|title=Fact Sheet: Average Circulation|publisher=Magazine Publishers of America|date=2009|type=Excel spreadsheet|access-date=May 11, 2011|archive-date=May 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521152255/http://magazine.org/ASSETS/FB4FAE645D5E46EAA7E4233DCE11EB55/2009FYALLABCCIRC.xls|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2009: 498,234<ref name=circ2009/>
* 2010: 490,310<ref name=circ>{{cite web|url=http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/magtitlesearch.asp|title=Consumer Magazine Search|publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations|access-date=May 11, 2011|archive-date=October 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025110350/http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/magtitlesearch.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}
* 2016: 123,000<ref name=circ2>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/720490/circulation-soap-opera-digest/|title=Total circulation of Soap Opera Digest in the United States from 2014 to 2016|access-date=May 16, 2020|archive-date=March 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303174322/https://www.statista.com/statistics/720490/circulation-soap-opera-digest/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2019: 71,406<ref name=circ2019>{{cite web|url=https://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/magtitlesearch.asp|title=Consumer Magazines|access-date=May 16, 2020|archive-date=September 19, 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220919180131/https://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/magtitlesearch.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2022: 48,274<ref name=circ3 />
* 2023: 43,743<ref name=circ3 />

==See also==
* ''[[Soap Opera Magazine]]''
* ''[[Soap Opera Update]]''
* ''[[Soap Opera Weekly]]''
* ''[[Soaps In Depth]]''

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.soapoperadigest.com}}

{{American Media}}

[[Category:Magazines about soap operas]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1975]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 2023]]
[[Category:Magazines published in New York City]]
[[Category:Weekly magazines published in the United States]]