{{Short description|American publishing company}} '''Downe Communications''' was a publishing company founded by Edward Downe, Jr. that produced several popular magazines and provided subscription fulfillment services from 1967 to 1978.
Downe was a trained journalist who worked at newspapers before becoming a magazine editor. In 1966, Downe purchased Family Magazine, a newspaper insert similar to Parade Magazine. He founded Downe Communications the following year.<ref name="Kleinfield">N. R. Kleinfield. Living Poolside, and Wanting More; Insider-Trading Charges and the Southampton Summer Set. New York Times, Tuesday, June 16, 1992, on section B page 1 of the New York edition.</ref> The company acquired the Ladies' Home Journal and The American Home in 1968 from Curtis Publishing Company for $5.4 million in stock.<ref>Bedingfield, R. E. ''Curtis Publishing Sells 2 Magazines; Downe Paying $5.4-Million in Stock'', The New York Times, August 15, 1968, Business and Finance section, p. 54.</ref><ref>Anonymous. Too Few Believers. Time. Friday, Aug. 23, 1968</ref> Argosy magazine was purchased that same year.<ref>Bedingfield, Robert E.: [https://www.nytimes.com/1968/08/16/archives/downe-chief-sees-bright-publishing-future-entrepreneur-calls.html?sq=Argosy%2520magazine%2520Downe&scp=1&st=cse4e "Downe Chief Sees Bright Publishing Future; Entrepreneur Calls Purchases 'Jewels of Their Market'"] New York Times, August 16, 1968</ref><ref>Anonymous. Charlotte Ford Wed to Edward Downe Jr. New York Times, Monday, September 1, 1986, on section 1 page 9 of the New York edition.</ref> Downe also briefly owned the Swiss watch company Jules Jürgensen between 1968-1974.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Jürgensen dynasty: four centuries of watchmaking in two countries |date=2013 |publisher=Rosendahl |isbn=978-87-87036-88-7 |editor-last=Knudsen |editor-first=John M. R. |edition=1. |location=Esbjerg |editor-last2=Urban Jürgensen & Sønner}}</ref>
Look magazine ceased publication in 1971.<ref>{{cite news |title= Cowles Closing Look Magazine After 34 Years |work= The New York Times |date= September 17, 1971 |page= 1}}</ref> Two months prior, the circulation department had completed the development of its new computer system that stored the names and addresses of customers on magnetic tape. This new fulfillment system gave rise to the idea for a new business, with six Look employees looking for their first client. Publisher Edward Downe, Jr. agreed to not only be the company’s first client, but also its owner – if the company was named after him. Thus, on April 1, 1972, Downe Computer Services opened with 172 employees and one client.<ref name=DMReg>{{cite news |url= http://libhip.desmoineslibrary.com:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12114P56RD298.2010&profile=main&uri=full=3100001~!916098~!1&ri=1&aspect=subtab14&menu=search&source=~!comres |title= Good Idea Grows out of Tragedy |work=The Des Moines Register |date= October 26, 1997 |page= 1G-2G |last= Elbert |first= David |accessdate=2008-05-23}}</ref>
In 1977, the Charter Company in Jacksonville, Florida, started buying Downe Communications’ stock. Downe sold his controlling interest in the company to Charter for approximately $9 million in 1978.<ref name="Kleinfield"/> The company name was changed to '''Charter Data Services''' (CDS); today, it is known as CDS Global.
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Defunct publishing companies of the United States Category:Publishing companies established in 1967 Category:Publishing companies disestablished in 1978 Category:1967 establishments in New York (state) Category:1978 disestablishments in New York (state) Category:American companies established in 1967 Category:American companies disestablished in 1978