I don't blame Russ Cochran in taking the CBM in another direction at the time. Think the Carters and fandom were starting to run out of comics/trends to profile after about 80 or so monthly issues.
It wasn't that he took it in another direction, he took it in his direction. I can still remember reading his editorial(s) about the changes he wanted to make in the mag. Of course, he was in charge so he could do that but the magazine was far less interesting for it. Gary Carter produced an awesome magazine. Cochran, much less so.