Beyer160
Vagabond Of The Western World
Sometimes magazines do this in order to boost their "subscription" numbers they show to potential advertisers.
This.
Newspapers and magazines make a negligible amount of money from subscriptions- all their revenue comes from advertising. Advertising rates are based on distribution, so the more magazines they send out, the more money they can charge advertisers. One of my favorite magazines is a recording mag called Tape Op, which has been a free subscription since it began 20 years ago.