Mag Bag: 383 Magazines Closed Jan-Oct.
by Erik Sass, Thursday, October 15, 2009, 3:11 PM
A total of 383 magazines have closed in the first nine months of 2009, compared with just 259 new titles launching. This continues the trend of the last couple of years, when more magazines closed than launched, according to MediaFinder.com, a property of Oxbridge Communications. Conversely, the number of closures in 2009 was smaller than 2008, when 525 titles closed and 335 titles launched.
However, the casualty list in 2009 included considerably more major titles than 2008 -- and the year isn't even over.
Big titles that met their demise this year include Gourmet, announced in October; Cookie, in October; Southern Accents, in August; Vibe, Nickelodeon in June; Portfolio, Blender, Best Life Travel & Leisure Golf, and Figure in March; Hallmark Magazine in February, Domino, Teen, Wondertime, Country Home in January.
The categories that saw the most closures included regional interest, where 31 magazines folded; business, 14; and lifestyle, 13. On the positive side, several categories saw a number of new launches, including -- ironically -- regional interest, with 15 new magazines, including Maine Magazine and The 45th, focusing on northern Michigan. The food category saw 14 new launches, including Edible Queens. Health and fitness saw 13 new launches, and the home category also got 13 new titles.
Mediafinder.com also noted that 64 publications gave print editions the ax, but maintained an online presence. Still, the ratio of magazines migrating to Web publication versus magazines shuttering completely is smaller. This suggests that online-only status isn't a viable business model for most print publishers.
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