Bicycling magazine closing down

[tinmug]

Read here.

[Slowbee]

GOOOOOOOO Tim !!

 

Hope you are still involved as part of the outsourced model.

 

Well at least I hope that is the case.

[mecheng89]

Can't say I'm surprised.

 

6 editions a year? It's a dying industry, and this is clear evidence.

 

All the best to those journalists, I hope they find something suitable soon. 

[Meezo]

Can't say I'm surprised.

 

6 editions a year? It's a dying industry, and this is clear evidence.

 

All the best to those journalists, I hope they find something suitable soon. 

most of them has seen it coming, and have moved off accordingly. been fortunate to meet quite a few of them on my commutes over table mountain.

[Gen]

Long ago I used to buy it for the GT course info..but seeing that you can get the race book online and there is so much more info in the race book than ever published in a magazine..there is just no need to buy the magazine just for that. Race previews etc all available online through teams and the race organisers themselves.. the info is just available elsewhere.

 

Suppose people buy magazines for different reasons..maybe a tech junkie likes buying it for reviews..but that is too available online..teams release details on tech they use, reviews are done online etc etc..

 

The magazines just always seem to have the same content really. Think the last cycling magazine I bought was Tread and only because I wanted to read about a hubber's Munga experience.

 

It's just a really tough time for print media when the info is available online and free... hope the guys involved land on their feet.

[stefmeister]

Sad for the people losing their jobs, but magazine are the biggest waste of money. 

You're literally just paying for adverts, yet you'll throw out any junkmail in your postbox that comes for free. Regardless of the ads, the content is usually low of substance and a rehash of previous issues. Any information can be obtained in a few clicks on the internet.

 

Don't even get me started on the crap like Cosmo, FHM, Men's Health etc, never mind the cesspool of gossip/celebrity magazines.

[Shebeen]

I run a business, and over the years we have tried all sorts of advertising and marketing. Everything from newspaper/radio/flyers at robots/trailers etc.

 

We now exclusively spend our budget with one company, up to R13k pm currently.

It brings in most of our business, and we could probably spend more and see more return.

I'm sure many many more are in the same boat here.

 

 

unfortunately this company is not south african. So all this advertising revenue, that used to cross subsidise media products goes offshore. That is money that went into creating content, and now the only way for any products to survive sustainably is by sticker price. Even the titles that did a successful move to online format are not immune to this.

 

So where does this leave Jan Publik who wants to get local cycling content?

I don't see long term hardcopy magazine market supporting more than 2 local titles, and if anything the Ride move to a 6 yearly "storybook" type format with really good content could still work.

Freebies at the LBS, fullsusmag. I dunno if this is sustainable, but good on them.

 

new channels:

podcasts/webisodes - Allride/Wild Air TV - this is quality stuff, looks like it has gone on to be more than a passion project https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcrmA4Gbb3e9cg9YXchP0HQ and I hope they can find a way to make it wash it's face.

This site. www.bikehub.co.za it is most definitely part of the future and I look forward to them putting quality journalism onto the news page.

Edited July 9, 2020 by Shebeen

[IceCreamMan]

Sad for the people losing their jobs, but magazine are the biggest waste of money. 

You're literally just paying for adverts, yet you'll throw out any junkmail in your postbox that comes for free. Regardless of the ads, the content is usually low of substance and a rehash of previous issues. Any information can be obtained in a few clicks on the internet.

 

Don't even get me started on the crap like Cosmo, FHM, Men's Health etc, never mind the cesspool of gossip/celebrity magazines.

 

 

Mens health is also closing ....

 

now how the hell am i ever going to get those ABS or make my wife orgasm.... woe is me

[popcorn_skollie]

Not quite a year since she went away. Rosanna yeah. Now she's gone and I have to say. Meet you all the way. Meet you all the way. Rosanna yeah.

[Slowbee]

This site. www.bikehub.co.za it is most definitely part of the future and I look forward to them putting quality journalism onto the news page.

But only if you have yellow.

[Kranswurm]

Sad for the people losing their jobs, but magazine are the biggest waste of money. 

You're literally just paying for adverts, yet you'll throw out any junkmail in your postbox that comes for free. Regardless of the ads, the content is usually low of substance and a rehash of previous issues. Any information can be obtained in a few clicks on the internet.

 

Don't even get me started on the crap like Cosmo, FHM, Men's Health etc, never mind the cesspool of gossip/celebrity magazines.

Depends on the mag.What Mountain Bike and MBR are great packages hard copy or soft.

[IceCreamMan]

The demise of magazines has been predicted for years.... as with books. 

 

My experience tells me otherwise.... i live in a smallish town... one can buy magazines at numerous vendors including supermarkets etc etc but we also have 2 large book sellers being WH Smith and Waterstones... the book shops are right next to each other. These are large shops taking up lotsa real estate.

 

WH Smith has a magazine section which i estimate must hold at least 500 titles ...at least. I also estimate that is a tip of the ice berg of all magazines avaialble in the UK... i reckon there must be excess of 2000 different magazines. 

 

Probably more titles today than ever before. 

[Kranswurm]

The demise of magazines has been predicted for years.... as with books. 

 

My experience tells me otherwise.... i live in a smallish town... one can buy magazines at numerous vendors including supermarkets etc etc but we also have 2 large book sellers being WH Smith and Waterstones... the book shops are right next to each other. These are large shops taking up lotsa real estate.

 

WH Smith has a magazine section which i estimate must hold at least 500 titles ...at least. I also estimate that is a tip of the ice berg of all magazines avaialble in the UK... i reckon there must be excess of 2000 different magazines. 

 

Probably more titles today than ever before. 

Griet...books will never die

I just bought a new copy of Roberts and Palgraves for a K both hard cover

[ChrisF]

Many years ago we were involved with one of the large printing companies ....

 

It was seriously impressive to see the shear VOLUME of gloss prints !!  Warehouses full !!  Lines of interlink trucks shipping out to retailers .....

 

 

Today that facility is not event 10% of what it was .....

 

 

 

it is just the hard reality of "progress" .... decent published gloss magazines .... to tabloits ..... to fake "news" on da web my bru ....

 

 

today we have way too much "information" at our disposal, and frankly not nearly enough time to figure out what is factually correct, and what is wrong, and even worse, what is blatant false news to lead the flock astray ....

 

 

 

 

THANKS to those that worked at Bicycling magazine.  I enjoyed your articles over the years. 

[Dirt Tracker]

Runners world. Gone. News24

Struggling. Other magazines shutting left right and centre. Bad business models and no ability to transition in a world where the axis of Google, Facebook and Digital advertising has been a obvious tsunami for years. Covid has shown how many businesses are built on sand and unable to survive a few months.

[Danger Dassie]

Unlikely they'll closing down or disappear completely. 

The reality is that on their own Bicycling, Runners World and some other titles actually have a large footprint and are profitable. At least as stand alone entities.
Same with community media like the newspapers.
Being constrained within a large holding company is not realistic in the context of exec expectations while at the same time creating an unsustainable earning gap. Far too many layers. Take a look the near 500 zar million salaries for two people on the holding company as an example.

Good opportunity for publications to operate independently with focussed teams.
In broad terms print is neither here nor there as a choice medium, print demand with quality production/repro is key. In particular tying that into the digital space. Perhaps breakaway from the traditional print/distribution model. 
There are a number of print titles thriving, the commonality here is that they are independant titles or part of a smaller stable with support.

It's a question of being able to operate efficiently without being suppressed by those who know the cost of everything, but not the value.
Case in point; Drum Magazine. A title that has incredible history and pedigree, enough to go up against any international brand. 
Instead it was reduced to a weekly gossip rag and repro was cut to the bone, to the extent that the pages were so thin you could see layout on the opposite page. If you kill the product quality so much and then start to kill the ability of those creating the content.
Goodbye consumer confidence and credibility. Goodbye reader.