The music monthly Q is one of 10 magazines that could disappear from newsagents’ shelves as one of the UK’s biggest publishers considers the future of print titles as the coronavirus crisis hastens the shift of readers and advertisers online.
The German-owned Bauer Media, which owns magazines in the UK including Grazia and Empire as well as the Kiss, Magic and Absolute radio networks, said that many already struggling magazines will not be sustainable after the pandemic passes.
The publisher said that following a review of its portfolio it is considering closing, selling, merging or moving to digital-only format Q, Simply You, Your Horse, Planet Rock, Sea Angler, Mother & Baby, Golf World, Practical Photography, Car Mechanics and Modern Classics.
“The pandemic and lockdown has further accelerated the trends already affecting the publishing industry,” said Chris Duncan, the chief executive of UK Publishing at Bauer, who joined from the Sun and Times publisher News UK last month.
“Bauer publishes nearly 100 magazines in the UK, and some titles that were already challenged, unfortunately, are not expected to be sustainable after the crisis. We must protect the long-term health of our business and ability to invest in future growth by re-shaping our portfolio.”
The fortunes of Q magazine, the most high-profile of the at-risk titles, highlights the harsh realities facing publishers as readers and advertising shift to digital media, which is dominated by Silicon Valley giants led by Google and Facebook.
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