The decade-long friendship between the twin titans of glossy giveaway magazines has descended into an Oedipal drama of intrigue and betrayal.
Jerry Powers, publisher of Miami-lifestyle title Ocean Drive, is furious with his onetime protégé, Jason Binn, over the latter's recently-announced "strategic partnership" with the Greenspun Media Group, a high-profile, Nevada-based magazine company. The deal means that Greenspun's titles—including Vegas, which lists Powers as its co-publisher—now fall under the control of Binn's Niche Media.
"Jerry's in complete shock," says a source. "His partners did this without involving him at all. He was only made aware of the deal when the release was sent out. He feels betrayed and is looking into legal action."
Powers tells Radar there's no lawsuit in the works—yet. "At the moment, I have no legal plans against Jason Binn, but I think he's a scumbag," he says. Asked whether Binn notified him in advance about the Greenspun deal, Powers says, "I don't want to get into details. Let's put it this way: If he was a man, he would've."
Greenspun president Michael Carr disputes that account, however, claiming, "It was Jerry Powers who encouraged us to pursue [negotiations] with Jason's company and, for the record, I can tell you that we are very pleased with the deal we did with Niche Media. Throughout the process, we found Jason to be open and candid."
Binn says he's surprised at the charges: "Jerry has supported my deal with Greenspun Media from day one and I'm disappointed to learn that his feelings have shifted."