February 18, 2003 -- Us Weekly's Bonnie Fuller began the first day with a new $1 million-plus paycheck yesterday by digging out of mountains of suburban snow and trekking three hours to the office.
She wore a big smile all the way in through the blizzard.
Fuller, an editor known for reinventing troubled magazines, said she was "very pleased" about winning a new three-year contract Friday to keep Us magazine on its spectacular turnaround track.
She was equally excited about being able to close Us' latest weekly issue on deadline last night, despite wide disruptions caused here by the blizzard.
"It's 97 percent ready to close. I hope there won't be any breaking celebrity stories happening," Fuller said.
Fuller and Us owner Jann Wenner had been in talks for weeks about her role in the emerging success of Us, following Wenner's gamble of tens of millions on the title in past years.
In a deal that sources called "amicable" with "just a few shouting matches," Fuller and Wenner agreed on the million-a-year-plus that Fuller had been demanding. Her total package is worth more than $3 million.
Neither Fuller nor Wenner would discuss terms of her contract.
But whatever the price, Wenner believes she's worth it.
"I've never seen a more talented editor. She's the hardest-working one in the business," said Wenner. "I'm turning Us over to her and letting her run with it."
Industry sources think Fuller had a strong edge over Wenner in their talks.
Just 10 months after Wenner brought her in for a one-year tryout on the title's makeover, Fuller has pulled off one of the year's biggest success stories.
Not only did newsstand sales soar 55.2 percent because of her new touches and strong covers, but more advertisers started writing bigger checks to send ad pages rising 14 percent in the last half.
The surge also produced up to $2 million in profits last year for Wenner and his joint venture partner Walt Disney - and Fuller wanted a share, said industry sources.
"She's now well compensated," said one source.
After their deal was nailed down on Friday, a relieved Wenner flew to the Rocky Mountains for a long-delayed ski break at his resort hideaway. "The snow here is fantastic," said an elated Wenner by phone from the slopes.
"The discussions were rather straightforward. She wanted to continue what she was doing," Wenner said. "We're just at the beginning of where we want to go."
Fuller said one of her goals is to beef up her staff so that "our famous late nights aren't so late." She also plans to leverage Disney's show-business clout to expand Us into more entertainment media, which could include a series on celebrities and fashion.
Us is already doing specials with VH1 and "Extra."
The magazine's beauty editor, Veronica Hinman, appears as a beauty commentator for the Grammy Awards and will be the commentator on a new reality series, "American Beauty."
Fuller has been waging an assault on celebrity-inspired fashion coverage from the day she accepted the Us project last March.
At fashion shows here last week, Fuller and Us produced a glossy, daily fashion magazine for their second season. Fuller said the number of sponsors for this season's daily jumped to five from three last year, with the addition of Tommy Hilfiger, the Gap and Christian Dior.
"We're a hybrid magazine," said Fuller. "We're about celebrities, entertainment and style. We've created a new niche."
Fuller's best-selling cover was the one on the love spat between pop stars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake - "Britney vs. Justin: The War is On." It sold more than 600,000 copies on newsstands - well above the 505,000 average.
Including subscriptions, Us delivers about 1.2 million copies weekly, a rise of 19 percent since Fuller arrived.
http://www.nypost.com/business/54656.htm
Britney is like their bread and butter. Every week whether its gossip, her fashion, etc she is in the magazine every week..
Britney cover on US Magazine biggest seller... 
