The Advocate, PlanetOut drop merger

Portal site PlanetOut and Liberation Publications, home to The Advocate and Out magazines, said they have terminated their merger plans. The companies, which target the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities cited PlanetOut's merger with Gay.com's parent company, Online Partners, and market changes as factors for ending merger discussions.

The companies said, however, that they will continue to work together on other initiatives. Liberation Publications, for instance, will provide PlanetOut with news from The Advocate.