Actually, there was that period in the eighties when Wayne had sold the
magazine (well he sold his magazine empire to one of the computer magazine
publishers who wanted the computer magazines) and was not in charge of it.
He kept writing editorials, so I never gave it any thought until they stopped,
and the editor or publisher mentioned that Wayne did not have his heart in it.
The magazine was healthy in that period, but I really think it lead
to the magazine's ultimate downfall. It was being run as a business, not
something coming out of a hobby interest, by people who were not hams.
Wayne eventually got the magazine back, for the simple reason that the
publisher really did not know much about it. I'm pretty sure they wanted
to kill it, but gave it back to Wayne instead. The real decline did not
come for some years, but I think the magazine stalled in those years,
losing subscribers and old time writers, so the downward spiral began.
Michael VE2BVW
Now that you mention it, I do seem to recall something along those
lines. Haven't kept up with 73 or CQ for a number of years because of
the ridiculous price of magazines in general. I still remember when
Life Magazine was 10-cents. Now magazines in general are $5 and up!
I refuse to buy any.